How to fish it
Live shrimp on a light rig around the rocks for mangrove snapper and grunts; a spoon or tube lure for the barracuda that patrol the jetty.
Best tide: Any moving tide.
Tide station: Plantation Key, Hawk Channel. See today's tides and currents on the conditions page, or open this spot on the map.
What you can catch here
Mangrove (gray) snapper
10" total length minimum and 5 per person within the 10-snapper aggregate in state waters (12" and 10 per person in federal waters); open year-round. Reef fish gear rules apply.- Bait
- Live shrimp, pilchards or small pinfish; cut ballyhoo or squid, with chum to bring them up
- Tackle
- 7 ft medium-light spinning rod, 3000–4000 reel, 15–20 lb braid
- Rig
- 3–4 ft of 20–30 lb fluorocarbon (they are leader-shy); 1/0–2/0 non-stainless circle hook on a knocker or split-shot rig
Barracuda
15–36" fork length slot, with 1 fish over 36" per person or boat per day (whichever is less); 2 per person, 6 per boat; open year-round; applies in state and adjacent federal waters off Monroe County.- Bait
- Live pilchards, pinfish or ballyhoo, or a whole needlefish
- Tackle
- 7 ft medium spinning rod, 4000–5000 reel, 20–30 lb braid
- Rig
- 12–18 in of #4–#6 single-strand wire (their teeth cut mono); 2/0–4/0 hook
Access
- Fished by
- Shore, bridge, kayak & wade
- Skill
- Beginner
- Parking
- Park lots; non-county residents pay a vehicle fee
- Position
- About 25.0247, -80.4945 (FWC boat-ramp dataset via boatrampguide.com (ramp); the jetty is beside it).
- Open sunrise to half an hour after sunset.
- Florida saltwater licence, or the free resident shoreline licence.
County park; fees apply to non-Monroe residents.
Not for navigation. Positions are approximate. Use official charts, watch your depth and respect private property and posted signs.