posted by admin on Oct 12
The park on Mullet Key is actually made up of five Keys stitched together, as it were, by the Pinellas Bayway. The keys, Madelaine, St Jean, St. Christopher, Bonne Fortune and Mullet, total around 900 acres with 7 miles of waterfront and excellent sandy beaches.
The first European to step ashore here was our old friend Ponce de Leon, on his exploratory voyage up the Gulf Coast in 1513. When you consider that it has little to offer in the way of reprovisioning, one can only assume he was curious to see it close up. Spanish explorers had other priorities apart from a paddle, such as gold, silver and precious stones. Which, as the Indians kept telling these white strangers, were just a little further away.
Today the islands are explored by large numbers of people in search of nothing more exciting than finding a place to have a good day out. Sun, sea and sand, and all the usual pastimes and sports to be had at the seaside, plus maybe a little history. The latter is not obligatory. If sun bathing and a dip in the Gulf to freshen up is what you fancy, there is the choice of the East Beach Picnic Area at Bonne Fortune Key, or the North Beach Picnic and Recreation Area on Mullet Key. Both sites are well provided with shelters, rest rooms and the usual picnic and BBQ facilities. Plus, of course, facilities for the Handicapped. Showers? Apparently not. If your choice of fodder is either burgers or hot dogs there are concession stands to appease the appetite, and drinks to quench the thirst. They even have a variety of sandwiches with green salad bits and pieces if fast food is not for you. If you have brought your own rations you can spread out anywhere on the miles of sandy beaches. If you don’t fancy the great outdoors and sand in the salad? This park even has a restaurant.
Wherever you go in the Sunshine State you will find the rod and line brigade. Florida has fishing enthusiasts like a dog has fleas. To cater for this devoted band of optimists, the park provides two fishing piers. Not modest constructions either. You very nearly need roller skates for the longest. Except you would probably get lynched if you tried them, as the noise they made might scare off the fish as you trundled along it’s 1,000 feet of planked deck. Watching fishing can be as exciting as watching paint dry. Nevertheless, they never lack for an audience.
If a 1,000 feet of pier is too much exercise for one day, you could try your stamina on the 500 foot one. No, they don’t have way stations for the weary, with refreshments and rest rooms. Fishing is a sport and, as we all know, when indulging in any sport, there has to be an element of suffering. There is one compensation for the stroll though. The water is so clear everything down there can be easily seen.
OK. If the fish can see so well, how come they don’t pass up a free feed with a sharp hook as seasoning? Who needs to take up jogging when fishing is such good exercise here on Mullet Key. You get the legs toned up walking out on the pier and then the arm muscles worked out hauling in the catch.
Similarly there is no shortage of boat ramps for launching into the wet, and five floating docks for moorings. Madelaine Key has the first of the boat ramps as you arrive at the park. There get to be so many craft out there in the Gulf and Tampa Bay that it’s like a boat owners convention. Get many more and they will need waterborne traffic police. With Clearwater, St Petersburg and Tampa on the doorstep it can get pretty busy on the briny at the weekends. Not so ashore. With seven miles of beaches, the park can cope with more people than visit here at any one time.
That little bit of history? Forts were the thing in the 19th century. Plenty of forts to discourage an enemy. So in 1895 yet another stone fort was built. This time on Mullet Key. Eight 12 inch mortars were placed on its ramparts to guard the entrance to Tampa Bay. They never fired a shot in anger, and Fort De Soto eventually became a military curiosity for generations of visitors to explore. The view alone across the waters of the Gulf and the entrance to Tampa Bay is worth the effort. To the south is where another visitor set foot in Florida in 1539, but that is another tale.
Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County. Located off Interstate 275 at exit 4. Take the Pinellas Bayway (SR679). Access is by way of a two toll causeway costing 85cents. The Park is open daily from dawn till dusk, and admission is free. Plants and wildlife are protected. Pets must be on leash. Ample parking. Lifeguards are in attendance on the principal beaches.
Tim Hubbard
BaitTracker fishing reports for South Florida May 7th