The Tamiami Trail, US 41 across the Everglades, is one of the best on-foot fisheries in Florida, where you can catch tarpon, snook, peacock bass, and a dozen more species from the side of the road with no boat. In this How 2 Tuesday I sit down with David Graham to map out how to fish it, where the saltwater turns to freshwater, and the simple live-bait approach that all but guarantees a day of action.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
David Graham says a single drive on the Tamiami Trail can produce tarpon, snook, jack crevalle, ladyfish, largemouth bass, peacock bass, bowfin, gar, and various cichlids like Oscars and Mayan cichlids. The western, saltwater end favors tarpon and snook, while the eastern, freshwater end opens up bass and exotic species. It is as simple as pulling your car to the side of the road.
David Graham points to the western side of the state, roughly from where Highway 29 meets the trail and west toward Naples. That stretch is predominantly saltwater influenced and is your best shot at tarpon and snook. The key is the bridges, where Everglades water funnels south and concentrates the bait and predators.
David Graham recommends showing up with a cooler of two to three dozen two-to-three-inch shiners and fishing them under a small J hook or circle hook beneath a float near the bridges. That simple setup can catch ten different species. Around the western bridges there are so many fish that a live shiner is like blood in the water.
No. That is the whole appeal. David Graham calls your car your mobile tackle center. You just need a vehicle and a rod, you pull over near a bridge or along the lily pads, fish, and when the action slows you drive a half mile to the next bridge and start over. It is public land open to all of us.
David Graham says to watch the shoreline as you drive east. When the red mangroves give way to cypress and oak trees, and you start seeing lily pads and water lilies, you are entering the freshwater domain, generally from Highway 29 eastward. There is also a transition zone in the middle where you might catch bass, peacock bass, tarpon, and snook on subsequent casts.
David Graham stresses that it is a narrow one-lane highway with little shoulder, so pull your vehicle all the way off the road and stay clear of traffic. Watch your back cast so you do not snag a passing car. Fill your gas tank and bring water before you go, because there are no gas stations or stores out in the Everglades.
I walk through each step in the episode. Press play in the player above.
I wanted David Graham on because the Tamiami Trail is a resource a lot of anglers drive right past without realizing what it is. It is US 41 running straight across the Everglades, public land, open to all of us, and you can fish it on foot with nothing but a car and a rod. David rattles off the species list and it is staggering. He explains why he treats the road as the destination itself in the episode, so press play in the player above.
David's system is simple and it works. On the western, saltwater end, he targets the bridges, because all the Everglades water funnels south through them and concentrates the bait. Early morning, late evening, or an overcast day stacks the odds for tarpon and snook. Drop a live shiner into that funnel and he calls it blood in the water. He walks through reading the bridges in the episode, so press play in the player above.
One of the coolest things David describes is the transition. As you drive east and the red mangroves give way to cypress, oak, and lily pads, you slide into freshwater, generally from Highway 29 east. In the middle there is a zone where you can pull largemouth, peacock bass, tarpon, and snook on back-to-back casts. He explains how to read that shift in the episode, so press play in the player above.
David is clear-eyed about the hazards. The Tamiami Trail is a narrow one-lane highway with very little room between you and passing traffic, so you have to pull all the way off and watch your back cast around vehicles. And because you are in the middle of the Everglades, there is no gas and no store, so you fuel up and bring water first. He covers staying safe and self-sufficient in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The day after this conversation, what stays with me is how accessible this fishery is. No boat, no fancy gear, just a car, a rod, and a cooler of shiners, and you can catch ten species in a morning. David Graham makes it sound as easy as it actually is.
If you are headed to South Florida, carve out a day for the Tamiami Trail and treat the road as the destination. David Graham shares his website and Instagram in the episode if you want his deeper write-ups. Press play in the player above.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
Tom Rowland · David Graham · Boundless Pursuit · Tamiami Trail · US 41 · Everglades · Naples, Florida · Highway 29 · tarpon · snook · peacock bass · largemouth bass · bowfin · Mayan cichlids · Oscars · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
David Graham is a South Florida angler and writer behind Boundless Pursuit, where he publishes in-depth articles on fishing the Tamiami Trail, bowfin, peacock bass, and more. He shares detailed, hands-on guidance for anglers exploring Florida's freshwater, saltwater, and exotic fisheries, and is active on Instagram at @boundlesspursuit.
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