R.O.C. Park, Madeira Beach Fishing

R.O.C. Park, Madeira Beach is a busy city recreation park with a small fishing pier on Boca Ciega Bay, restrooms and a playground a few steps away. It is a handy family stop rather than a destination pier.

• The City of Madeira Beach lists a fishing pier off the recreation building patio
• A wide paved walk follows the seawall along the bay
• Sheepshead and black drum in winter, snapper and jacks in summer, snook and trout on the tide
• Restrooms, a playground and ball fields close by

The park is the Madeira Beach Recreational Complex at 200 Rex Place, on the bay side of Madeira Beach between City Hall and the Recreation Center, near the island end of the Tom Stuart Causeway.

• The fishing pier runs out from the seawall beside the Recreation Center, at the north tip of the complex
• Parking: lots serve the recreation complex; check the signs for any fee
• Hours: the city posts sunrise-to-sunset hours for the dog park but none for the pier, so plan on daylight
• The park is busy with ball games and city events, including evening festivals
• Paved walks lead from the parking to the seawall

Boca Ciega Bay here is a mix of seagrass, channel edges and seawall, and the fish follow the seasons.

• Spring (Mar-May): sheepshead finishing their run, snook moving onto the flats, spotted seatrout and ladyfish
• Summer (Jun-Aug): mangrove snapper around the pier, crevalle jack and ladyfish chasing bait, snook early and late
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and trout feeding as the water cools, snook before winter
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum around the pilings and seawall

Short casts and drops from the pier, around its pilings and toward the seawall nearby, catch most fish here.

• Light to medium spinning gear with 10-20 lb braid and a 20-25 lb fluorocarbon leader
• Live shrimp on a 1/0 hook with a split shot for snapper, trout and snook
• Fiddler crabs or small pieces of shrimp on a short leader for sheepshead
• A shrimp under a popping cork cast out over the grass for trout
• A small jig or spoon for jacks and ladyfish when bait shows
• A long-handled net helps; the pier deck sits well above the water

NOAA's Boca Ciega Bay station at the Madeira Beach Causeway shows two highs and two lows on most days, one bigger than the other, and sometimes just one of each; the daily range runs from about 1 to 4 feet.

• A moving tide pushes bait along the seawall and fishes best
• The first of the falling tide pulls shrimp off the grass flats
• Summer mornings are cooler and quieter than afternoons
• Afternoon thunderstorms are common from June to September
• Strong north winds behind winter fronts drain the bay and slow the bite

This is one of the easier places to fish on the beaches, with paved paths and a seawall edge.

• Keep children well back from the seawall edge; there is no beach to catch a fall
• Watch your backcast on the busy walk, and never leave hooks or line on the ground
• Lightning is a real risk in summer; leave the pier when storms build
• Handle catfish and stingrays carefully if you hook one
• Paved walks lead from the parking to the seawall and pier

The recreation complex has more facilities than most small bay piers.

• A small fishing pier off the recreation building patio
• Restrooms by ball field 2 and on the side of the recreation building
• A playground near the parking lot, ball fields and a dog park near City Hall
• A butterfly garden along the water side
• No bait or tackle is sold in the park, so buy it on the way
• No pier lighting is listed

• Weekday mornings are the quietest time on the small pier
• Drop a fiddler crab straight down beside the pilings for winter sheepshead
• Bring a bait bucket and small live shrimp; they outfish lures here
• Check the city's events calendar; festivals can fill the park and parking
• Snook cruise the seawall near the pier; bring a net and handle any you release gently

R.O.C. Park is run by the City of Madeira Beach; follow its posted park rules.

• The city lists the pier for fishing; follow any signs posted along the seawall walk
• City code bars fishing from city-owned docks, shores, seawalls, bridges and roadways in residentially zoned areas from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• City code restricts smoking in city parks and on city beaches
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Snook and goliath grouper have their own rules; check FWC
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything