Stick Marsh Bank Fishing

[Gansett]

I will be at Patrick Air Force Base for about a month beginning about February 14th. I won't have a boat, but heard that you can crappie fish at Stick Marsh from the bank with pretty good success. Just want to know if that is so, and will be glad to receive any ideas, suggestions that you may have. Thanx.

[Phantom309]

Gansett;
There is a long dirt road one has to travel down to eventually arrive at the landing.
All along that dirt road is a canal with several spillways, anywhere in that canal is good,
especially around the spillways.
Once at the landing there indeed are areas to bank fish from. I haven't been down there
in years but it is a great place = attached a few pics for you ......

[Glenn]

I retired from Patrick and have fished the Stick Marsh for 7-8 years. There are some good spots to Bank Fish in the ramp area and as Phantom309 mentioned, some in the C54 canal that parallels the 6 mile dirt road to the ramp. However, the speck fishing has been absolutely terrible for the last couple of years. Not sure what the problem is, as it used to produce slabs in great numbers. Maybe it got fished out.

[Gansett]

Wow. Sad to hear that fishing there is not so great any longer. However, I don't have many choices so I'll give it a shot and hope for the best. Thanks to you both for the info.

[skeetbum]

Other side of the river from the cruise ships at Port Canaveral is a series of canals that holds lots of juvenile gamefish, tarpon among them. If you ride around and see someone with a fly rod just remember where he is. They won't usually talk to you, just ignore you and leave. Lots of trees and tight quarters, and a 16" tarpon is an absolute ball. Very large Redfish school in the river there also. Shawn Foster was a guide there and may help put you on something to keep you busy. He had skin issues so I don't know if he is still working but he was very good. Enjoy your stay.

[RockNemo]

Hey Gansett, Not sure if your just set on crappie fishing at the Stick Marsh but as Glen mentioned the fishing did fall off after the hurricanes came thru and virtually eliminated all of the hydrilla, I was there a few months back and did see some signs of the grass coming back but the fishing was still not at the level as before. The canal heading straight south from the parking lot used to hold good numbers of crappie, there is a concrete fishing deck built there, it gets a lot of use so not sure how good it would be. the best bet is if you can walk across that Goodwin bridge is to go to bank on the other side of the body of water on the north side of the parking lot, it has good depth and has also been good in the past. NOW, since you are stationed at Patrick you should have the clearance and the badge to get onto the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and with that have access to the Trident Wharf, as long as there is no Sub in you can fish right off the wharf, that can be some of the best trophy snook fishing around along with some good pompano fishing this time of year. Another option is that Patrick used to have some 17' tracker packages for rental at a very reasonable rate for the day, but not sure if they still do it. Good luck, hope you enjoy your stay. Rock

[Yelim]

Are there cyclids in those canals? Maybe they eat speckle perch eggs.

[Skiffin16]

Nice photos...

[Glenn]

You coming down for a DEOMI class?

[Gansett]

Thanks for all of the advice; and, while crappie fishing is what I enjoy most I will now definitely check out Cape Canaveral. In answer to Glenn, no not coming down for DEOMI classes, I retired from the Air Force in 1983, live in Alabama but have always loved the Patrick AFB area (was stationed there in mid-1970's).