Fishing canals

The Appartments that I live in are on a freshwater canal. The first week in August I caught a few fish but since then I havent had any luck. Does anyone else fish these canals? Will the fishing pick up when it cools down? I live in the Town and Country area of Tampa just off Hillsborough

thanks for any advice

What canals are you speaking of? Give me a location intersection or something to identify where you are talking about. Lot of salt water canals around that area. If you caught Crappie then it's just a matter of locating them again. Do you have a kayak or john boat?

The Island Walk Appartments near Hillsborough Street and West Long Boat. We are on the Freshwater side of the boat lift.

I forgot to answer you other question. I have a Wilderness Systems Ride 115 kayak

Soft shell turtle?

Further south the canals are full of Oscars and they are fun to catch(and eat). They will hit about anything but are a lot of fun on fly rods and poppers. We go down to south Florida every spring and fish for them in the Glades. Crickets under a cork will fill the cooler quickly.
Not sure if they are as far up as you are but some of the locals can tell you. By the way, a 1.5 lb. Oscar will tow your kayak down the road. They are incredibly strong fighters. If no Oscars, the bream and bass should be plentiful.

Thanks Searay

On W Longboat toward the bay from Hillsborough Av. is there a dam that separates salt from fresh?
There is a dam on the large canal between Hillsborough and Memorial. I you can find a launch it is a lot of canal that goes into Rocky Creek. Should be some good fish in that system. All of those canals have been there a long time and should hold fish, whether salt or fresh. Let us know how you do and take pictures.

Thanks Yelim,

i live a block or two from the Dam on Hillsborough Ave on the freshwater side. The wife and I have decided that Tampa is too big and we going to take a look at Orlando. I will defiantly post pictures of any fish that I catch.

Good fishing!


Tim C.

Be sure to experience I-4 rush hour in Orlando. Great fishing along the St. Johns River corridor. Good people to point you in the right direction over there.

Yep. Depending on where you have to work Orlando traffic is a nightmare. Not only the I-4 corridor but the major portion of Orange county. The outlying areas lake county, seminole county and volusia county offer a more relaxed living.

I have a buddy that lives in Lehigh Acres {Fort Meyers area] and there is a canal at the end of his street. All there is is 12in. bass and the ocacassional 3ft. gator.

I'd stay in tampa area before going to Orlando and that Zoo with all the toll roads,
plus I-4 wreck fest on daily basis..............27 miles of hell on I-4 from west side
to east side no matter what part of the day.

Several lakes in Orlando area that are good producing fresh water fisheries

Tampa has some nice fresh water areas - Hillsborogh river above dam on 56th st.
Bypass canal - Medard impoundment - Lake Tarpon(tarpon springs area)
lake Manatee - south of tampe 45 mi...........
All good Spec (crappie) bluegill - shellcracker - bass