Stuart Fla, Shore fishing for bass??

[d.hark]

Will be heading down to Stuart for Christmas and was wondering if there is any "safe" place to shore fish without getting eatin by an alligator :-/ Dont have the cash for a guide or boat rental really, any help appreciated or should I just leave the gear at home?

[Krzkev]

The best thing to do is google map the area and locate any fishable bodies of water in the area.  Then after you have located and selected a few places to try,  go ahead bring your fishin stuff and see if you can fish those spots, some times you will find new spots while your looking for the mapped ones.  Or go to the local Bait and tackle shop, even though they are getting scarce down here thanks to BPS, Gander Mt. and other big sporting goods stores.  Good luck, there is plenty of good fishable water in Stuart.

[Krzkev]

Oh, and the gators usually run away when they see you.  Just keep your eyes open and they won't be a problem.  Watch for snakes too.

[GonzoFishing]

Difinetely bring your gear! The good thing about Florida fishing is that you can catch fish in almost any body of water no matter how small. I've fished canals right next to malls and caught fish. I caught a nice peacock bass during my lunch hour right next to the Miami airport! Trust me, bring at least one rod and a box of lures and you'll have a good time.

[tallydude]

Tons of places in or around Stuart. Something you might want to try is fishing the ponds next to the exits of I-95 and the turnpike. They receive little fishing pressure and I caught nice fish from them.

One of the things you'll find about the area is that it is COVERED up with areas to fish for bass. There will be plenty of places for you to fish. If you get the opportunity, drive an hour south and catch yourself a peacock. It's something that only a few members here on the site have been able to do, and it's a great fish to catch.

[Bassboss]

You don't have too worry about gators that much, most them time you'll see lots og bubbles come to the surface, that's a gator saying, GET AWAY, THIS IS YOUR FIRST AND FINAL WARNING!!

[bocabasser]

Will be heading down to Stuart for Christmas and was wondering if there is any "safe" place to shore fish without getting eatin by an alligator :-/ Dont have the cash for a guide or boat rental really, any help appreciated or should I just leave the gear at home?

you might want to try some spillways for big snook. if they are moving water, there will be snook there. mayan cichlids-great bait. some spillways even allow fishing from the dock. i am sure there is a pecking order, but you can still catch 'em.

[SirSnookalot]

Peacocks are great, but if unable to drive south for them, try the beach.  For my $ nothing beats a jack crevelle.  Try an hour before high tide and hope there is bait around and all you need is a spoon or a jig.  Most jacks are in the 1-3lb range, but they do go 30-40lb +.

[d.hark]

thanks guys got down here last nite. Theres a small pond right behind the inlaws house on the coarse, caugth a 3lber and lost something much bigger! How far or what town can I get peacoks? If anyone wants to hook up lmk and I will see if I can get out thanks again

[tallydude]

For peacocks, you will want to head to Lake Osborne, which is in West Palm Beach, at the very least. I actually recommend heading to Coral Springs (which will be about an hour and a half south of you) for some of the better fishing. Remember, the peacock is EXTREMELY temperature oriented. So the farther south you go, the better you'll do.

[macmaster761]

i went to florida for vacation last year to my grandparents house, and an alligator scared the living crap out of me, i've never seen any outside the dam zoo and i see one chillin 50 feet from me under a bush checking me out, i never ran so friggin fast in my life  

[SoFl-native]

hahaha.....imagine when you are creeping along.....flipping.. and you sneak up on one sunning only to have it explode into a panic trying to get into the water.......spraying you and ur boat with hyacinth and water.

That is always fun.

[SirSnookalot]

Tallydude is right on the money.

Lake Osborn is best by boat, but if not there is lots of bank fishing with very easy access. A good spot would be to park your car on the east side of the lake just north of Lantana road. Personally from the shore I'd fish it weedless, spoon or a fluke hooked weedless.

I'm in Delray, a bit south of Lake Osborn and the peacock bite has been slow due to a cool November, the weather has been decent the last week so perhaps the bite will improve.......try the afternoon.

[Syfer420]

Heres a link to a specific spot covered with docks and briges totally safe from aligators and it has huge bass http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=salerno+stuart+fl&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.014453,78.75&ie=UTF8&ll=27.144503,-80.20144&spn=0,359.997597&z=19&layer=c&cbll=27.143207,-80.2012&panoid=WZQTKUC4VQNqYsbmiqsRRg&cbp=12,156.48937948218486,,0,9.298442008364432