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Kayaks, Powerboats Vie For Flats Access On Florida's West Coast

Published: May 9, 2007

There was a time not many years ago when it was rare to see a kayak on saltwater anywhere along the west coast of Florida. In some areas these days there are actually more 'yaks than powerboats, and the numbers of these silent, lightweight craft seem to be multiplying rapidly.

When there were only a few kayakers, they were viewed as the boats of eccentrics and tree huggers, curiosities but not a concern for "real" anglers. But word has gotten around that many 'yakkers are catching tremendous snook, reds and trout, often in water that's far too shallow for powerboats to penetrate.

And, thanks to an odd accumulation of circumstances, it's starting to appear that the kayak fleet might have more and more of our coastal flats nearly to themselves.

Tightening down on where and when powerboats can operate in our estuaries began mostly because of concern for manatees, and the rules put in place over the past 20 years have done a tremendous job. There are now three to five times more of the sea cows than the state estimated there to be in the 1970s - probably just about all the manatees the habitat can support in some areas, particularly in the winters when they aggregate around warm water sources.

But more recently, powerboats again have been in the crosshairs because of damage they can cause to seagrass when run in water that's too shallow. And much of the damage has come not from inexperienced boaters trying to run deep-draft vessels where they should not, but from flats fishing experts - including many professional captains - with boats especially rigged to run shallow.

While many of these boats can skim across water scarcely a foot deep, they inevitably push the envelope on occasion and wind up cutting a furrow through the grass in areas where there are humps and rises in the bottom. The Hillsborough Environmental Protection Commission recently completed a study indicating thousands of prop cuts in the waters of Cockroach Bay Preserve, one of the South Shore's prime fishing areas.

A meeting Thursday will review proposals to make a good portion of the waters inside the barrier islands in this area into "pole and troll" zones - i.e., waters that are limited to kayaks and canoes, or to powerboats with the outboards up and operating on push pole or electric trolling motor.

Captain Dave Markett of Tampa, one of the executives of the Florida Fishing Guides Association, says he understands the concerns of those who would like to see less high-speed boat traffic on the South Shore flats. But he also notes that the proposal is "another domino" in what he sees as a statewide effort by overzealous conservationists to push all powerboats out of prime fishing areas.

Markett also points out that eliminating powerboats from running across the flats will pretty well eliminate many anglers who struggle to own any boat at all, and whose 10- to 12-foot jon boats are not capable of safely operating outside the bar in any conditions but dead calm.

However, Markett and others also have noted the good effects that shutting outboards out of shallow areas have shown. Around Weedon Island and Tarpon Key, for example, the no-motor zones have become the prime fishing areas; snook, reds and trout stack up in areas where they're not constantly being buzzed by high-speed boats. The waters of the South Shore likely would see a similar improvement if they became pole and troll - and particularly if the regulations were actually enforced, something that has been sadly lacking in some zones in this area in the past.

The Agency for Bay Management will hold a public meeting Thursday to review further South Shore "pole and troll" zones where no outboard motor operation would be allowed. Anglers who wish to comment on the proposals can attend the meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, 4000 Gateway Centre Blvd., Building 100, Pinellas Park. For information call (727) 570-5151 or visit www.tbrpc.org/abm.

Markett also said tarpon came into Boca Grande Pass in force Friday and Saturday, with heavy catches particularly Saturday. However, the howling winds Sunday and Monday temporarily put an end to most fishing. Markett said the giant hammerheads that pursue the tarpon also came into the pass with the migration.

ETC.: Captain Jim Lemke presents a free tarpon seminar Thursday at 7 p.m. at Tightlines Tackle, 6924 N. Armenia Ave., in Tampa; (813) 932-4721. … The Tampa Bay Safari Club holds its annual auction and banquet Friday at the St. Petersburg Coliseum. Auction items include guided hunts, fishing trips and sporting arms. Tickets cost $70 and the public is welcome; (727) 895-2004.