Bio Lab Road Closure Update

Yesterday afternoon I made a run over to the Bio Lab small boat launch to check out the area for a possible launch site for my Maverick.

When I got there, I immediately noticed that things had changed.

The slough where I used to launch my Ghenoe was blocked off making the only launch area directly in front of the road's entrance.

A new kiosk was installed with rules, regulations, and a place to pay for and pick up the daily launch fee.

The water in the Mosquito Lagoon was much cleaner than I anticipated.  You could easily pick out the potholes in the shallows adjacent to the deeper channel so after taking a few pics of the area, I decided to lob a few casts around the area.

I picked up two under size spotted sea trout on a DOA CAL bait before moving off to check out some other areas.

On the way out, a couple of KSC Police SUVs, an unmarked police vehicle, and a couple of wardens pulled out of the entrance to Bio Lab road with at least three other vehicles in tow.

Apparently, they had gone down the clearly marked closed  road to fish, crab, sight see, or whatever and were being ushered out of the area. 

When I stopped a fish and game officer to ask him about the activities and the road closure, he advised me that although they were working on repairing the road, but he could not tell me when the work would be completed or if the road would even be reopened.

He told me that the hurricane did a lot of damage to all of the dike roads and because of funding problems, it would take some time for all the repairs to be completed.

They are serious about the road closures and will apparently be spending their time and resources stopping people from littering and entering the areas.

Could be a blessing in disguise, I'm sick of seeing slobs leaving their empty soda and beer cans, McDonald fast food bags, etc. on the banks.

As I indicated in my previous posts, I am going to be spending much more time in my Maverick, Ghenoe, or kayak this summer.

Till next time, Tight Lines. 

Haulover Canal Bank Fishing

Apparently Haulover Canal bank fishing is about to end in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The signs posted along Haulover Canal advising the public that continued littering would cause a closure apparently went unheeded.

When I drove into the area to check out the fishing yesterday, I spotted NO FISHING signs like the ones above and below at the entrance to Bairs Cove and on both sides of the canal.

It's sad that because many thoughtless visitors to the area could not, or would not pick up after themselves, one of the last and possibly the best bank fishing areas in the entire refuge has been closed to bank fishing until farther notice.

I've lived here for almost 25 years now and have witnessed the closure of the majority of vehicle accesses to the Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River, and I have to say that for the most part, the public has brought it upon themselves.

Drunk or sober, there is no excuse for anyone NOT picking up their own trash.

The next time you hear a complaint about not being able to use an area in the wildlife refuge, remember that many of us brought it on ourselves by not reporting individuals who were littering, not telling people you saw littering to pick up their trash, or by simply not picking up trash you happened to see in the area..

It appears that I'll be using my flats boat or kayak in the future.

P.S. .As an addendum to this post; after trying out the surf fishing at Playalinda Beach on Wednesday, I drove to Haulover Canal and around the Bio Lab Road small boat launch and spoke to a wildlife officer that I met there about the closures.

He told me that because of the continued littering, the Haulover Canal area may be closed permanently.

When I asked him if they planned to re-open the area, he told me that they do not have the resources available to either police or clean up the areas, so the obvious solution is to temporarily or permanently close these areas to public use.

So much for the bank fishing we used to enjoy in this area.

Till next time, Tight Lines