Last Day for the East spans: Went today (w/pics)

[Floridaboy]

I see they found enough money for chain link fence

Now where did I put those fence pliers and bolt cutters?....

[bcc]

Boy those sons a B*t*c*H*I* really now how to F up a good thing.

[bcc]

Excuse my french

[BigDawg71]

Next they will be putting the Berlin Wall back up...

[montylfl]

Well the local reps are not being very help. SO time to take this to the federal level.

Email Bill young.

[e-mail]

Make sure you include you name and address and phone number

[pascosal]

this is such Bulls__t!!!!! i dont get to go very often and when i do it is usually the east side i use!!!!

[havetofish]

The 2 way lanes are an accident waiting to happen. If you notice on Davids pic's the lane stripe is right up against the curb. The lane stripe goes over the drain holes in most places. You guys with your 9/0 's sticking in those holes will surely get nailed if the driver isn't really carefull. It gonna be tight fishing. If you leave your car door open, it will probably be sticking into the lane.

Okay now for some gossip..

I heard that the contractor for the construction knew 1 week before the press release, so he could be ready to start the day release was issued and had to promise not to tell anyone...How Cute.

Also heard they are gonna try and move the tollbooth to the turn in road off the interstate on the SSP, so they can charge the RV's to park in that area to the west of the access road. In other words, you have to pay to fish the hump bridge. I am sure those campers will love to walk a mile to go fishing. I guess they better tow a car with them and hope to get a place to park on the pier besides the campground. Maybe they should run a shuttle up and down the whole thing.

Can you tell I'm disgusted..The Piers may not be for me anymore...what a shame.

[BigDawg71]

It is definitely a shame. I cancelled our weekly trip to the piers tomorrow night. Just don't feel like fighting the holiday crowd on only half a pier.

[montylfl]

Maybe the folks who built the pier 50 years ago are the same ones who built the memorial causeway bridge into Clearwater Beach.

Pictures on the ST Pete times shows that bridge will be falling down. FTOP will need the $10.MM to fix that. Now we know why they have no money to maintain the pier.

[turner428]

The reason nobody is being very helpful is b/c if they actually listen for once we may be able to turn a few heads. But since they aren't profitting from listening to the working man. Hopefully the folks behind this will get whats coming to them when it's re-election time.

[bcc]

Lets have a moment of silence for the east side.

Long live the west side.

[Kracker]

its sad to say, but i dont plan on going back to the pier any time soon. definitely because of all this crap going on with it. i think my 19 y.o immature mind is perfect for this. lets go to myakka and knock down their tower, i bet they'll rebuild that. lets go to every state park and ruin something important to that specific state park and lets watch them pour money out to fix it. but no, fisherman cant fish peacefully from the pier anymore.

to sum up my pointless paragraph, its all Bullcrap.

plus i know my suggestions arent the same as whats going on with the pier, just making a point.

[Kracker]

i'd really like to see where you're supposed to turn around. if anyone has pics of the so called turn around areas please post them, as i will not pay 7 bucks to want to go fishing, find out theres no good spots or its too crowded, and then go home.

[havetofish]

David,
Like I say it is Gossip, but I believe they will move it somewhere further out to make sure it includes an RV area.

Kracker,
On the SSP, you can turn around at the baitshop by pulling in and then backing back out, that is, if there is a any space to do it. At the end of SSP pier you can turn around where the cross over was built to connect the 2 spans, without driving onto the east span. Problem is it is tight and I saw trucks that couldn't make the sharp turning radius and had to do an up and back move to do it. At the end of the NSP they still have the parking spaces, so it looks like its a pull in and pull out manuver.
What you'll see most is people trying to turn around with some fancy moves from where they are parked. I saw that yesterday and the place was basically deserted, so they got away with it. But it won't be easy when its full of cars.

Also, most people were driving down the middle straddling the middle line until they have to get over because of oncoming traffic. You should have seen the UPS driver making a delivery to the NSP baithouse, that truck dosen't fit in the lane at all.

[filletnrelease]

It still is not clear to me why even if they do keep vehicle traffic off the East side why pedestrian is not permitted. Granted I could stand to lose a few pounds but give me a break, it would take one heck of a group of Suma Wrestlers to equal a nice 4x4. And am I to believe that those porty potties are going to take care of a weekend crowd. Sorry folks this is the beginning of the end unless someone, somewhere with some kind of pull hears our pleas. These photos would be a good addition to some of the emails to our so called representatives, you know the guys and gals that make all the money to take care of us little folk. The ones we elected to see that we were not shanq highed like we are being now. There's something rotten in Denmark and someone needs to find out what. FDOT is basically incompetent, always has been, apparently always will be. The old joke, "what's yellow and sleeps six, a dot work truck". And Jay, no offense, but I don't think the boat owners in the area had the power to pull this off. I know your pissed, I am too, until seeing these pics, I have been thinking this will not happen, it can't. But as they say "pictures don't lie". I'm not sure if it will any longer be worth it to drive from Z-hills with the price of gas to fish on an overcrowded pier for one tide. I guess those two tide days will give you more for your buck. What a joke. And how about the bait shops, will they be able to maintain loosing basically half of the possible revenue. I'm sorry for rambling, seeing these pics has pretty much ruined my day, week, month and probably year.

[diggin4grouper]

no offence to any of yall but with the way the lanes are now . i think it would just be better to close the whole pier to cars and go back to the way it was at the start of it all when you had to walk it anyways . that would do a few things but not help the over all point . becouse the few i have talked to said that when the life span of the bridge is done the pier will be closed down permently to cars and people . so it seems that they have already made up there mind about what they are going to do with the pier as a whole ......

but i look at it this way if people dont mind walking the brides in the keys yall can do it at the sky way and close down the dam bait shop thats not putting any money back to help the pier .

park your car at the rest area or something and walk it with your pier cart .. im ready heres the old pic of mine looks diffrent now...

[havetofish]

Got another e-mail from Capt Mel. So it looks like he is not done yet.

Dear John:

I'm now in the process of writig an article on the Skyway Piers reduction -- which will also appear on my website. I will be doing some investiating as to what's happening to these great fishing facilities.

As far as I know, the remainig parts of the piers will be okay for at least 8 years -- possibly more.

Capt. Mel Berman

[filletnrelease]

No Jay, I haven't read anything from the Captain Mel site or any site other than this and Josh's. I am sure there are a bunch of ingorant yahoos out there that own boats and consider the Bay there private domain. I see it all the time, too many beers, too much money and who gives a rats ass for anything else. It ain't gonna change, it's just gonna get worse. Now with half the pier gone, those guys that just want to get bait are gonna get pummeled. People are gonna get real nasty and it's not gonna be pretty. You know when the tides going out, the bait is gonna be on the West side. Your also right that the people in the boats got the most to gain. That side is gonna be a fishing hole from hell in few months. No pier pressure (excuse the pun). I hope Capt. Mel is truly on our side, he has the contacts to at least get to the bottom of this. Let us pray, amen.

[havetofish]

Lets not get overly optimistic about an article form Cat. Mel. I don't expect him to take sides. The best we can hope for is his getting some attention. Among other things, in a response I asked if possible to get the answers to 2 questions.
1) Where did the money go?
2) Why can't the East side stay open for foot traffic?

I am hoping it is not just an article on how we are losing more and more fishing access, although that is also a worthy topic.

[goindeep]

Welp folks, my Skyway Pier fishing days are over. If anyone wants to take over as admin on this site shoot me a PM.

I am too f###ing disgusted.

[SkyJay]

sorry to hear that.

[dlkpalmetto]

i was up there last night and it was horrible to see. the snappers were biting heavy on the east side(the now closed side) and I'm not looking forward to tonight.Ill tell ya folks, when it comes time for election, remember all these people in office NOW that wouldnt do a thing for us and make getting our pier back an issue for any one new running for office......this is bull crap....there is NO reason that we cant use the east side and keep it open to foot traffic, last night they were taking the ramp down on the east side bait shop!!

[BigDawg71]

Here is another concern I have. If the east side is not considered safe enough for pedestrian traffic, why not demolish it ASAP? If they think it is so bad that it might collapse, is it really safe to keep it intact? What's going to happen if the east side starts to fall? Ever play with dominoes? If it's really that bad then get rid of it and let us take advantage of both sides of one bridge, otherwise open it up to foot traffic.

Someone else can have the soapbox now. :-)

[havetofish]

Capt Mel update. Just recieved this...

So far John,
I have an extensive interview with Jamie Foster, general manager of the piers -- and will be writing an article-- possibly for the Tampa Tribune --- but have not heard back from them. Whatever the case, we will be publishing more details on the CapMel.com web site very soon.

As for the use of the east side for pedestrian traffic, Mrs. Foster is now negotiating with the state to see if they would agree to some kind of arrangement not only for pedestrian fishing traffic, but also for such occasions like rescuing injured birds, and other emergencies.

So stay tuned.

Capt. Mel Berman

[havetofish]

Update again..

Dear John:

I just learned that Frank Sargeant will be writing a story on the Skyway Piers for next Friday -- and he should have some very pertenent information. In addition, I will be writing my article for Florida Fishing weekly. so we should have some updates on the situation for you soon.

Capt. Mel Berman

[BigDawg71]

Sweet...

[pascosal]

that is so kewl!! ;D

[goindeep]

Aight I aint goin nowhere folks...Ill stick around...but I aint fishing the piers anytime soon...at least not until I know where that money is goin, cuz it sure as hell aint going back into the piers!!!!

[sctaz]

dlkpalmetto has a point. I don't live in Florida so I don't have a vote but for those of you who do, you can make good on a real promise. Contact those congressmen and any other elected official in office now by letter and promise them that if they don't take action to keep the piers safe to remain open you will not only vote for their next opponent, but campaign as hard as you can against them. They're using tax dollars and tourism revenue to bail out insurance companies and fund their own pet projects. Look at what your insurance rates have done. Luckily Florida doesn't have reassessment on property so unless you buy another house or have to replace yours then your property taxes aren't going to force you out. I work for at&t and many Florida employees have been forced to leave because their houses were destroyed and they couldn't afford the taxes and insurance on the new one even though they rebuilt what they had. I don't quite understand that tax loophole in favor of the state. You will have to make believers out of these politicians