UPCOMING: Venice Beach, & Peace River

[wrfisherman]

Happy Almost Summer!

I'm heading over to Florida in June with my boys for a change from our Texas fossil trips. The plan is to stay in Venice Beach and make a trip or two to the Peace River during the week. As we don't know the turf, any suggestions on either locales on the river or folks to hook up with to try and get the boys the best Florida fossil experience?

thanks, and we hope to see you in Texas sometime!

Mitchell

[mrieder79]

If you dive, charter Cpt Jamie on the Aristakat. He's the best show in town for fossil diving the boneyard.

[wrfisherman]

79,

thanks. I've got the boys snorkelling well, but they're 7 and 9 so they're not quite ready for the BY. I've checked it out online, though, and it does indeed look awesome. Thanks for the thoughts.

M

[tmaier]

When snorkeling in shallow water at Venice, watch out for the sting rays, they can fly up in your face. I've never been stung, but had many close calls. If I want to go shallow, sometimes I bring a 3 foot stick and touch the bottom ahead of me to spook them up with the stick. You can find a lot of sea shells out at 6 feet, just swim parallel to shore. Sometimes you might find a pilot fish that wants to join you, and swim right in front of your mask to guide you to the treasure. In deeper water of 6 foot, sting rays aren't a problem because when they spook up, they don't come close to you if you are on the surface. You don't normally find fossils by snorkeling. They are easier to find at the waters edge. You go at dawn when there are no waves, and just walk the shoreline. You will see people looking for shark's teeth with a sand flea rake. It is a pole with a screen mesh basket on it, and allows you to shift through the debris on the shoreline. Some fossils might be found up on the beach, but that has been more picked over. Also go to the small park south of Venice called Caspersen Beach. Snorkel by the rock jetties to see colorful fish and also invertebrates encrusted on the rocks. Sorry about the lack of paragraph structure here, but there is some problem with the software.

[jcbshark]

I live right by Venice and may be able to give you a spot or two to try when you're in town. This has been a tough season to get in the Peace with the rains we've had this winter. It doesn't take much to raise the water to unhuntable levels so just keep an eye on the gauges

[wrfisherman]

thanks for the notes. Our local Sulphur river switches from 2 to 30 feet in the spring so I feel your pain with water levels. Maybe good for stirring up new stuff though. Fingers crossed.

Edited May 10, 2016 by wrfisherman