The Merry Pier

You probably have grokked by now that Pass-a-Grille is one of my very favorite places in the Sunshine State, being a laidback, low-key, low-traffic spot at the very end of that massive outcropping of land that starts at Clearwater Beach and takes you all the way down through St. Pete's Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, past the Don CeSar Hotel, Route 666 and more, until you reach Mile Marker Zero, end of the line: Pass-a-Grille. There is literally nowhere to go at that point, and no way to get back to the mainland without retracing your steps and doing a lot of driving. This is partially why the dead-end locale is shunned by so many, and yet also precisely why it's so popular among those in the know.

It's there that you'll find The Merry Pier, where you can either just drop your hook and fish off the side, or enlist one of its noble Captains to escort you out into deep water. Miss Pass-A-Grille is a fine craft perpetually available to haul you and your buddies on fishing excursions for both half-day and full-day jaunts. Says here on its website:

Miss Pass-A-Grille is a 51' Twin Diesel with an A/C cabin for everyone. We fish for Red Grouper, Gag Grouper, Triggerfish, Sea Bass, Mangrove Snapper, and Gray Snapper. We supply the Rod, Reel, Bait, Tackle and Fishing License. Parking Passes are available inside the bait shop. Call and reserve the entire boat for your next company party, church outing, or family reunion.

There's also the Shell Key Shuttle, a boat that'll get you to where you wanna go, that is, if where you wanna go is the remote unspoiled island called Shell Key and other nearby islands including Sister Key, Summer Resort Key, Panama Key, Sawyer Key and God's Island. (I went there, but didn't see him.)