There are few experiences more rewarding than reeling in a big one with dad. Add a few beers in the cooler, a couple of turkey sandwiches, a bucket full of chum, and pops is (usually) ebullient.
Miami has plethora of ideal fishing locations. Freshwater fishing inland can yield largemouth bass, blue-gill and catfish. Off shore, there are tarpon, snook, barracuda and shark.
5. Blackpoint Marina
Located near Biscayne National Park, this marina boasts a jetty which extends 1.5 miles into the bay for casting. There is also a dockside restaurant and bar, large picnic pavilion and grill, bikeways and a jogging trail. Here you will have a chance to catch snook, bonefish, and tarpon, among many other saltwater species.
4. Matheson Hammock Park
Anglers are drawn to this park's unusual feature -- a man-made atoll pool, which is flushed naturally with the tidal action of Biscayne Bay. This makes for a constant supply of snapper, mullet and snook in the shallow waters. One of the most popular places to fish is under the bridge on the right side of the park, past the toll gate.
3. 79th Street Bridge
One of the lesser known areas to legally fish, 79th street going east towards the beach features a parking area just to the right once you go over the first bridge after US 1. There, not only are schools of fish like dolphin, snapper and barracuda, but also a magnificent far-away view of downtown Miami. The gate closes at sundown, so get there early if you want to pull in a big haul.
2. Tropical Park
When it comes to freshwater fishing within the Miami-Dade boundary, few places are better than Tropical Park. Incredible largemouth bass, blue-gill and catfish litter the Urban Lake, one of four separate lakes, on the park's north side. In addition to fabulous fishing facilities, the park (which tops this list at 1 million visitors annually) also features a dog park, tennis courts and an equestrian center.
1. Rickenbacker Causeway
There are plenty of areas along Key Biscayne to cast your line, but one stands out as the most convenient and likely lucrative. As soon as you go over the first large bridge, you will see a parking area to the right. Park closest to the bridge and walk the gangway along the side of the causeway to cast your reels as far as you can on the bay side, where there is a rock pile that shelters big fish. Here, especially in the early morning, you will find sharks, snook, bonefish, tarpon, dolphin, barracuda and snapper. As in with the aforementioned locales, live bait works best.
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