# Bishops Harbor and Manatee 9-5-12



## cvilt

Sounds like a fun day. Did you launch in Bishops?


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## firecat1981

Yes, it is easy enough, although extremely shallow dirt ramp so I had to get the rear wheels wet to retrieve the skiff.


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## cvilt

I live down the road and the tilt trailer helped me allot. But remember there are no fish anywhere close to there


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## firecat1981

Yep there are no fish at all!

Just out of curiosity, have you ever made your way into moses hole?


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## skinny_water

> Yep there are no fish at all!
> 
> Just out of curiosity, have you ever made your way into moses hole?


No, it's a dead end. Saw that a couple years ago. 

Is the spoil still bad at the ramp to where you have to push the boat over it with the motor up?


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## cvilt

No I haven't. I always get distracted. Maybe someday


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## firecat1981

I was able to launch and idle out just fine even close to lowtide.


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## cvilt

It is much easier to launch at low tide you can reach deeper water. The N side of the launch is best, hug the brush


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## JsimpTampaFl3

Fire cat, are you thinking of trying to make it back to Moses holes? I have always wanted to get the skiff back there and check it out. It looks like a tough road to get there from google earth


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## skinny_water

> Fire cat, are you thinking of trying to make it back to Moses holes? I have always wanted to get the skiff back there and check it out. It looks like a tough road to get there from google earth



I have tried to make it back there before with the mangrove tunnels on the north side, it's all overgrown. I haven't tried this way yet though. When I have polled this bank I have never seen any tunnels, but it's the shortest hike. 

+27° 36' 9.60", -82° 34' 31.40"


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## firecat1981

I have spoken to many people who fish the area now and it seems like there is no longer a good trail to get into it. The south entrances are completely over grown and the north is getting closed up too. You might be able to do it with a kayak on high tide, but will need to drag it a bit too. Everyone I spoke to so far says there is not much fishing to be had back there most of the time anyway so I may stick to exploring elsewhere once I get a yak going.


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## anytide

back in the mid 80's we would go in there, even take that fire cut canal as we called it in the southeast corner way back to that "pond" .. you could here traffic on the interstate close by. 
lots of snooks in there, mullets by the millions too..


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## cvilt

I talked to a guy that got in there a few years ago and the Reds were everywhere but as soon as he got there it was like a doorbell and they all got lockjaw. He waded in he said it was the first time in years he saw fish in there. It is a seasonal thing I hear. I think the adventure would be fun but to go in there to fish could be more work than it is worth. That entire area is loaded with mangroves and tunnels. I have had to back out if several dead ends and that ain't easy. It looks like an untraveled area but it gets hit hard. The best time I have gone is in the winter when everyone is watching football and it is so cold I have to go alone . The mud bottom holds the heat


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## anytide

time for a little bishop harbour crusade.......... :-?


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## cvilt

Sounds like a plan tide


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## anytide

i bet champs' little boat "just sippin" will fit in there 


-i took a 20' mullet skiff in there a few times long ago - last time we got stuck with some long.. winter low tides, it was a very long excursion -wow!!! cannibalism crossed my mind :-X


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## firecat1981

Ok so it is decided, if we take an adventure and get stuck we will eat anytide first .

Well I'm now full throttle on a Kayak/swamp canoe build, so I may join you fellers in the future.


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## anytide

bring some matches


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## skinny_water

I can show you the running lane so you can hit the mangroves at WOT.


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## anytide

oh i did that already...can still hear that mariner going blap blap blap!!
everything in the back of the skiff was in the front by then 

i was thinking a chinook airdrop


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## SNOOK48

Took my new little skiff in Bishop harbour (boat is stored on bishop harbor road) last weekend, probably had over 20 snook biggest around 40 inches just south of port manatee


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