Spans of Skyway Fishing Piers to Become Artificial Reef

Construction crews this week began removing sections of the eastern span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge north fishing pier, a curbside destination for species such as grouper, Spanish mackerel and tarpon.

But that doesn’t mean anglers will stop fishing the piers.

The western spans, built in 1971, will remain open to the public, as will the bait shops that are open 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

The Florida Department of Transportation in 2008 closed the eastern section of the north and south piers, citing safety issues with the aging spans as a result of deterioration and saltwater corrosion. The eastern spans, which outlasted their roughly 50-year service life, were built in 1954.

Sections of the south pier's eastern span will be removed following the demolition of parts of the north span.

Audrey Clarke, spokesperson for the project, said much of the rubble from the spans will be added to the 3-mile north reef off Anna Maria Island. Unfortunately for those who visit for the scenery, the piers will take on a "snaggletooth" appearance. Only the most deteriorated spans are being removed, so some sections will remain indefinitely. This should create interesting fishing options, however, as the sections will continue to funnel water and remain as an attractant for bait.

The project is expected to cost around $2.2 million.

“Essentially this has no effect to anyone fishing,” Clarke said. “I’d say it would improve with removing certain sections because when the tide comes in, those who are fishing on the western pier will notice the tide does not have the bridge material to go through.”

Although those pilings act as structure for gamefish such as tarpon, which tend to stack up in eddies by the pilings, boaters tarpon-fishing the western span will perhaps have a tad more freedom in raising anchor chasing a hooked silver king through the eastern spans and into the open Tampa Bay waters.

Capt. Jason Ramsey of Palmetto said tarpon fishing remains hot at the piers. He feared that if any rubble were left on the bottom, anglers would stop netting bait in those spots because the nets would catch the rubble and tear as the net is retrieved. But construction crews are not permitted to leave any rubble on the bottom, Clarke said.

Divers will help clear out any rubble once the most-aged spans from the north and south piers are removed by the project's February 2012 completion deadline.

The piers were created from sections of the old Skyway bridge that collapsed into Tampa Bay after a freighter ran into it in 1980. What remained of the center span of the old bridge was submerged near the end of each of the current piers, creating an artificial reef.

Piers manager Race Tyson said ever since FDOT announced the closure of the eastern spans, many anglers believed the piers were not open to fishing.

For more than 20 years, however, the park has been open to anglers 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

And there are no plans to completely remove the north span, or the three-mile long south pier that is the world's longest.

If you go

Here's how to get to the Sunshine Skyway fishing piers from Dunedin.

Here's everything you need to know about the piers.