Fishing for Tarpon circa 1950

Nitzey

My friend Dave visited here recently with his daughter and son-in-law.  He grew up in the Tampa area, moved when he went to college and never returned except to visit.  Dave is a good fisherman and talked about when he was a young man fishing for Tarpon. Dave is 89 by the way.  Anyway he and a friend used to rent a row boat, probably from a place near where the Getaway restaurant is located now on Gandy Blvd. So, they would row out and count 17 street lights on the bridge, then turn south before starting to fish.  Dave said they hooked many, many tarpon but never landed one. These giant fish would eventually turn toward Gandy Bridge and the line would break on the pilings.  Sounded like great fun in a row boat.  

Lostconch

In a rowboat with a reel with a real basic drag. Sounds like a lot of excitement

Tarponator

17 street lights.  Near the "middle grounds"?

It's still a good spot to fish, and the tarpon still know where the bridge is.  

ALASKA GUY

Still one of my Fav spots to fish,