# Back from Boca Grande Pass...awesome!



## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Just got back from finally visiting Boca Grande Pass, Florida. Always avoided it, because of the crowd pictures. Well, at times there was only one boat there last Thursday and Friday. An awesome Pass. We were on the beach just passing through, decided to stay and check it out. Below is the typical boat that passed by, v-hulls rigged with spotting towers for the guys who cruise the beachfront looking for tarpon early in the morning. We caught snook from the beach, and first day saw 12 different manatee close by, a tarpon landed nearby, 8 turtle nests, and had thousands of big blue crab walk by in shallow water, migrating to the Gulf. I could have caught a truckload with my dipnet, but we filled coolers without raising a sweat. Maybe the Pass is too dangerous for them to swim through. Didn't see any big hammerheads. Great clear water and currents, with occasional groups of tarpon rolling, and a few feeding frenzies. Going back with my boat next time. Perhaps I'll retire nearby...In the smaller picture, three manatee meet up in 3 feet of water and have a conference, while migrating blue crabs nervously bunch up, trying to go around them.


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## Absolut (Jan 23, 2010)

The Cape Coral area is close by and there is a LOT of property for sale rather cheap. We looked around for quite a while before we decided we were moving here...this was only back in January. If you don't need a big house you will have a whole lot of options. Cape Coral borders Pine Island, which is maybe 15 min ride to the pass by boat.


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## bpfannkuch (Jun 5, 2010)

There are condos selling in capa haze you prolly drove by them this while you were headed to Boca they were of of placida rd, brand new never lived in they just short sold 2 of them a month ago for under 50k. I was just down there last week brought the boat but didnt run the beach for any tarpon fished bull and turtle bay in the harbor and caught a few reds and a bunch of snook. I am originally from Englewood, but unfortunitally I am living out in Houston now.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Thanks for the input. Lots of empty homes on Gasparilla Island, some up to 23,000 square feet. People live in them about 4 weeks a year. I met a local carpenter on the beach, fishing for pompano and sharks. He doesn't care for tarpon, treats them like gar or something. Too many of them around. He said the tarps were in waist-deep water in the surf, when he got there at 7 am. I got there at 8 am after driving 22 miles from the motel on Hwy. 41 and we were second car in the parking lot. The beach and fish are a three minute walk from the parking lot at the lighthouse. Not sure if my 15-foot jonboat with low sides is even safe in that pass, lots of big critters live there, blue water coming in with every high tide. Lots of tarpon have jumped in boats there, and the big hammerheads feed on tarpon. He said during winter, the water is even more clear. Quite a difference from Pass Cavallo in POC, where I spent many days. Here's a picture of the Pass. The jetty rocks at bottom of the picture are now under white sand, just 3 rock tops peaking out. The three piers, some used by ships in the 1930s, can only be reached by boat. They're full of mangrove snapper, gag grouper and goliath grouper.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Here's an aerial view. Looks like a "green water day."


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## Absolut (Jan 23, 2010)

After talking to, and fishing with some of the guides down there I wouldn't take a 15' low sided jon boat out there. It gets extremely busy and you don't want to get in that water when the tarpon are there...a lot of big sharks. 

Is that a pic of Galveston? Nah, the water looks a little too brown ;-).


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Absolut said:


> After talking to, and fishing with some of the guides down there I wouldn't take a 15' low sided jon boat out there. It gets extremely busy and you don't want to get in that water when the tarpon are there...a lot of big sharks.
> 
> Is that a pic of Galveston? Nah, the water looks a little too brown ;-).


And the beach isn't white enough for Galveston either.....


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## DMC (Apr 2, 2006)

Yeah, if it was the Texas coast, you should be able to see the bottom in 30' of water.


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