# Fishing and Exploring the Weeki Wachee River and Bayport Area - Video Report



## Viking1 (May 23, 2010)

I love traveling around Florida and exploring new places. The Weeki Wachee river and the surrounding area at Bayport are great for both fishing, camping and sightseeing. On this trip I was even able to mix in some snorkeling with a manatee and take advantage of a rope swing on the river. If you don’t have a boat there are plenty of places that rent canoes, kayaks and SUPs. For those in your family that don’t want to fish Weeki Wachee State Park is a good location to have some fun at.


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

I live a few minutes from the river and its disgusting how busy the river has gotten. When all the kayak rental companies came in they flooded the river with morons! Its hard to go down the river with out almost running over kayakers or people on tubes. They leave trash everywhere. You can't even pull over and relax on a corner of the river anymore without a group of people encroaching on your spot. I miss the old days on the river. Also the people that live on the river are pissed off to say the least.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

I hear there are still squatters rights available in Alaska.


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

DuckNut said:


> I hear there are still squatters rights available in Alaska.


To cold!


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## risingtidecharters (Aug 20, 2012)

Nice!


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

makin moves said:


> I live a few minutes from the river and its disgusting how busy the river has gotten. When all the kayak rental companies came in they flooded the river with morons! Its hard to go down the river with out almost running over kayakers or people on tubes. They leave trash everywhere. You can't even pull over and relax on a corner of the river anymore without a group of people encroaching on your spot. I miss the old days on the river. Also the people that live on the river are pissed off to say the least.


Welcome to Florida, It's only going to get worse been here since 67 unfortunately most northerners move down here wanting to live by the water. They should have to take a test to enter our State.


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

http://www.tampabay.com/things-to-d...er-capacity-study-stirs-controversy_163641065. One kayak company is allowed to launch 70 kayaks per hour! That is a bit excessive for that river and thats only one rental company.


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## Viking1 (May 23, 2010)

Florida has been my home and I have been fishing here since the 60's and have seen the changes. Like you I would like to see less traffic in my favorite spots but you can't turn back time. I think for people to care about the outdoors and preserve it they need to experience it. When I was on the river I talked with several kayakers and SUP people and found them to be really nice people. One 20 something couple were in the navy from Virginia and to see the enjoyment that they got from something as simple as seeing a manatee was really neat (humans are an interesting creature to observe...just think of some of the observations we all have had on boat ramps as discussed on this forum). I am sure on weekends the Weeki Wachee river can be a zoo but this problem is not unique to Florida, you should see the crowds on the Russian River in Alaska when the salmon are running. There is not a simple answer for our overcrowded waterways but you can't hate people for wanting to enjoy what we have here in Florida.


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