Anyone Been On Hillsborough River (Tampa) Lately?

[rabidsquirrel]

I'm contemplating taking my big boat to the Hillsborough River, but not sure if the water levels are good enough for a 20' bass boat right now. Anyone been out there in the past week?

I will be launching from the E. Fowler Avenue ramp (Rotary Riverfront Park):

http://goo.gl/maps/Md12d

Planning on hitting it Saturday (Conditions permitting).

Thanks!

[tstone]

I was on the river last Saturday and it was up almost as high as it gets. I put in at Riverhills.

[rabidsquirrel]

tstone,

How was the ramp at riverhills? Hillsborough County website said it would accommodate 20' boats and that it isn't a steep ramp. I've never put in there, so I'm not familiar with it. I have a 20'6" Nitro 911 CDC that I'd be putting in. Do you think River Hills would accommodate a boat that size (In your opinion)?

Thanks!

[rabidsquirrel]

Nevermind. I didn't realize that launch was further south for me. I'm located in the Wesley Chapel area.

I'm a little worried about salinity of the water down that way, as I'm floating a normal "bass boat", not one of those intercoastal rigs. Does anyone have an idea of where a sort of 'go no further than here' line would cross on the Hillsborough river for non-saltwater vessels?

Thanks!

[tstone]

Never heard of anyone having problems with salt, I go down to the dam past 40th street, which I guess you could say is the line since you can't go any further. My boat is salt friendly, but like I said I've never heard of any problems and see bass boats that far down almost every time I'm there.

As long as the water is up you'll be fine at Riverhills. Just have to back in a little further than other ramps since it's not steep. My dad launches his boat there all the time with a stock F150 with no problems.

[FD.]

Riverhills is upstream of the dam so no salt problems. You will get your feet wet launching though. Tommy fishes that end but I like launching at Fowler. It's a very peaceful day even if you don't catch a lot.

[rabidsquirrel]

So, here's a news flash for anyone wanting to use the Rotary Park Launch I was planning on using - IT IS OUT OF COMMISSION!

It appears to have fallen victim to bridge construction project right next to it. Hell, the 'new' part of the overpass is practically on top of the current ramp location. It'll be interesting to see how they rebuild that ramp, or if they do.

Of course the Florida websites that have information on this ramp do not mention that it is closed... Wish I would have known that before I went over there... Could have gone straight to Lowery Park ramp and saved 10-20 bucks worth of premium gas... Oh well...

Launched out of Lowery Park, and it went smoothly. Decent facilities there.

Didn't catch much, but we did catch one 2~3 lb bass and one small red fish. We had another decent bite, but it got off... Caught them on T-rigged Zoom Ultravibe Speed worms (Junebug).

I would say that Hillsborough has some really shallow areas that can mess your boat up if you aren't really careful. We traveled up river from the launch, well past the two bridges...

Had a good time.

[rabidsquirrel]

Went back to Hillsborough River last Sunday with my neighbor. Launched from the Riverhills ramp, and it is indeed a very gradual sloping ramp. Wasn't too hard getting in and out of there with the big boat though. Water levels were good. Fishing was decent. Had a great time. I think I will go back to that ramp next time I go out to the river.

[rabidsquirrel]

Just an FYI for anyone who's read this thread. I have launched at both the Lowery Park ramp and River Hills ramp several times now. The water is definitely more brackish (Salty) on the Lowery end of Hillsborough (Below the dam). I'm sticking to the River Hills ramp for now. Water levels are good, but you still have to back in quite a bit to launch bigger rigs (20' + boats).

Haven't really caught any decent sized bass above the d**n yet. Most have been in the 1-2 pound range, with a few dinks here and there, but the do bite, so you'll catch 'em in the river if you stick it out. Have been going lately and the weather changes have been less than ideal for fishing, but still catching them.

Have caught a few on swim baits, but most on weightless rigged zoom ultravibe speed worms (Junebug mostly, with a few bites on watermelon red). Been using 5 aught gamakatsu EWG Monster hooks in the worms... The heavier hook seems to give it just enough weight.

[tstone]

I went last weekend, caught them on 7.5" Culprit worms in junebug, and one on a junebug Gambler 5" flappn tail worm. Here's the biggest from last weekend

I might be out there Monday if I don't head to Lake Thonotosassa.

[james 14]

Just an FYI for anyone who's read this thread. I have launched at both the Lowery Park ramp and River Hills ramp several times now. The water is definitely more brackish (Salty) on the Lowery end of Hillsborough (Below the dam). I'm sticking to the River Hills ramp for now. Water levels are good, but you still have to back in quite a bit to launch bigger rigs (20' + boats).

Haven't really caught any decent sized bass above the d**n yet. Most have been in the 1-2 pound range, with a few dinks here and there, but the do bite, so you'll catch 'em in the river if you stick it out. Have been going lately and the weather changes have been less than ideal for fishing, but still catching them.

Have caught a few on swim baits, but most on weightless rigged zoom ultravibe speed worms (Junebug mostly, with a few bites on watermelon red). Been using 5 aught gamakatsu EWG Monster hooks in the worms... The heavier hook seems to give it just enough weight.

You didn't read FishinDaddy's post. Riverhills is above the dam so there's no way there is any salt in the water.

I usually fish from Fowler and go North. There are plenty of fish from there up through the narrows. Past the narrows it gets pretty slim until you pass the lock up near Trout Creek.

[rabidsquirrel]

Well, I think I just ran into tstone at the ramp today (Was loading up to leave). It was nice to run into a fellow forum member in real life! 

 

tstone, give me a PM sometime soon. I may even head back out there tomorrow as I'm off, but depends on how tonight's festivities go, as well as how well my knee is behaving... It has been giving me fits lately. Steroids got me in good enough shape to get out there today, so I should be fairly mobile tomorrow as well (I hope). 

 

Later, 

 

Shawn 

[tstone]

Nice meeting you too! Can't make it tomorrow, but give me a shout next time. It was a good day on the river, caught quite a few fish on hollow body frogs, with the biggest being 5 lbs 11 oz.

 

[FD.]

Why don't you catch something like that when it actually counts?

[tstone]

I was thinking the same thing!

[rabidsquirrel]

For the record, I've been out to Hillsborough via the Riverhills ramp many times since my original post. Good fishing to be had out there. Have caught some toads out there over the last few trips. There are definitely plenty of large and healthy bass in that river (Above the dam). 

 

 

 

I think the Rotary Park ramp is still closed... at least it was when I floated by it a few weekends back.