Historical Overview of Boca Grande
Hook and line fishing was just a small part of the technology on which past cultures have depended. Fish were netted, speared, trapped, clubbed and poisoned. All of the fishing was done for food. Fishing for sport began in the 1880s when a rich clientele would travel to Charlotte Harbor from the northern states and local guides would take them out fishing. Recreational fishing was done for snook, redfish, trout and grouper. In addition, oysters, clams and shrimp were readily available for consumption by locals and visitors alike. Most fishing was in the winter months.
Large game fish such as tarpon were made popular by the advent of modern equipment such as powerboats and a reel with an internal drag. Now, big game anglers are strapped into fishing chairs and the rod butt is mounted into a socket between their legs. Rods and reels are massive and the line is usually tied with a wire leader near the hook.
Improvements in fishing technology, more people exploiting the resources and loss of fish habitat have severely limited catches. Boats with powerful motors have replaced man-powered pole skiffs and canoes. Electronic devices on boats identify the precise location of fish. The days of unregulated fishing are long past. Closed seasons and strict size limits are in place to manage the sport fishery.
Today many local fishing guides can trace their ancestry to the commercial fishing pioneer families in the area. Generations of fishing lore about when, where and how to fish have been passed down to these last keepers of the area’s fishing heritage. Visiting anglers soon learn how important it is to hire a skillful guide if they want great fishing.
Boca Grande Pass is world renowned for its tarpon fishing. Traditional tarpon fishing was done with live bait, which also created another industry for the local people – bait fishing. Today jig fishing, artificial lures and fly-fishing have become popular. Sport fishing today practices catch and release, a relatively new procedure that helps conserve future resources.
The blue-green water that surrounds Gasparilla Island still attracts avid fisherman and boaters. During tarpon season, it’s not uncommon to see nearly a hundred boats drifting so close to each other that one could walk from deck to deck.
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