John's Pass Fishing: Jetty, Tides and What Bites (Madeira Beach, FL)

John's Pass is the inlet between Madeira Beach and Treasure Island, where Boca Ciega Bay drains into the Gulf. Strong current, rock jetty, a bridge, a boardwalk full of charter boats, and more lost leaders per square foot than anywhere we know. This is our home water. Here is how it fishes.

BROKE OFF™ painterly snook under the John's Pass dock lights at night

Where to fish from shore

  • The jetty at John's Pass Park. Madeira Beach side, Gulf side of the bridge, off Gulf Blvd near 129th Ave. The concrete walkway was wrecked in the 2024 hurricanes, so expect bare, uneven rock and obey any fencing or construction signs. Wet rock plus current is how phones go swimming.
  • The pass edges and the bridge area. Current funnels bait under the John's Pass bridge. Snook, sheepshead, mangrove snapper and flounder hold on the structure. Check posted signs for where fishing is allowed.
  • The Boca Ciega side. Calmer water, docks, mangroves, grass. Redfish, trout and snook push up on the flats with the tide.

What is around, by season

  • Fall (Sep to Nov). Snook moving back from the beaches. Redfish through the pass. Spanish mackerel at the mouth. Snook harvest is open in the Tampa Bay region Sept 1 to Nov 30. Details: Snook season, Tampa Bay region.
  • Winter (Dec to Feb). Sheepshead on every piling and rock. Snook go deep and sulk. So do we.
  • Spring (Mar to May). Mackerel, pompano along the beach and pass, snook waking up on warm afternoons.
  • Summer (Jun to Aug). Tarpon rolling at dawn, snook on the beaches and in the pass. The fish are big. The leaders are not big enough.

Tide is the whole game

Outgoing tide pulls bait out of the bay and past the rocks. That is when snook and tarpon eat. Slack is when you can actually keep a bottom rig in place for sheepshead. Our John's Pass tide chart lists every high and low through November.

License

Florida residents fishing from shore or a land-attached structure need the no-cost resident shoreline license. Non-residents need a regular saltwater license. Get it from MyFWC.

Parking and the Village

Metered parking at John's Pass Park and paid lots around John's Pass Village. Bait, tackle and fuel are on the boardwalk. Weekends fill early. During the Seafood Festival the Village lot closes.

What we wear while losing fish here

The Snook Set, $42: snook trucker and a sticker 6-pack. The Smug Snook Tee, because he is not even thinking about you anymore. The Tarpon Trucker for summer mornings at the jetty.

Updated 8 Oct 2026. Rules and access change. Check the official source before you go.

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BROKE OFF™. Madeira Beach, FL.

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