Tell me about Tampa

[TheBigCountry]

I find myself down there every other week or so for work, days at a time. Usually Brandon/Ybor City. Posted in the Hunt/Fish section about fishing there, but wanted to know what else I can check out after work rather then sit at the hotel.

I know Ybor City has a lot, but I’m more into country-ish leisurely activists, but am a sucker for GOOD Cuban food.

 

[Spblademaker]

Tarpon Springs pier. Shoot Straight gun shop and range. There’s always a short drive to Clearwater beach and Honeymoon Island.

 

[Mike Casselton]

The Columbia restaurant in Ybor, 7th and 22nd street.

Brocattos for the best Cuban sandwich. 50th street and Columbus drive.

@Geno C. can tell you about the bbq joint there in Ybor.

Circles restaurant in Apollo Beach for seafood.

For the best tacos, Chicken Taco Loco in Brandon. Hwy 60/Brandon Blvd at the junction of Lithia Pinecrest rd.

I have a Hewes Tailfisher built for shallow water. I'd be more than happy to get you on the water. We can chase reds, snook and trout. You just need a fishing license.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I would keep my distance from anything on the coast.
The red tide has pushed into southern Pinellas county and it's killing everything.
Not only that, but if you suffer from asthma or have a sensitive respiratory system or skin, the red tide will mess you up.

I live just south of Brandon and have not seen it on our side of the bay so far. Some people are noticing fish kills along the east side of the bay, but they could just be brought in by the changing tides.

 

[Jethro3898]

If you are a steak person (and don’t mind paying for a good meal), go over to Charley’s Steak House in Tampa on West Cypress.
Always a crowd pleaser! Ocean Prime is also really good.

Fishing in Tampa or St. Pete is sketchy in my experience....could be good, could be bad. Tampa Bay especially is really over fished. I usually fish there 3 or 4 times a year. Good guides can put you on fish, but North of Tampa (Tarpon Springs area) and South of St. Pete (Manatee River) have always treated me better.

 

[_Windrider_]

Lots of strip clubs

 

[usmcmad]

People that live in Tampa are called Tampons, people that used to live in Tampa called Tampex.

 

[_Windrider_]

People that live in Tampa are called Tampons, people that used to live in Tampa called Tampex.

??????

 

[Geno C.]

http://www.alsybor.com/
Gaspar's Grotto, I think that's the name of the joint is pretty good too.

Ybor city cigars it the best shop there. Steer clear of the Long Ash, I have yet to have one out of there that was any good.

 

[Geno C.]

And Al's opens at 11:30. If you are hungry, show up at 1/4 after or you're going to be waiting in line a while...

 

[Waorani]

Second the Columbia in Ybor City. Go in the evening so you can catch the Flamenco show. Doubt it's still there but I had some fun times at the Tonga Club in another life.

 

[TheBigCountry]

The Columbia restaurant in Ybor, 7th and 22nd street.

Brocattos for the best Cuban sandwich. 50th street and Columbus drive.

@Geno C. can tell you about the bbq joint there in Ybor.

Circles restaurant in Apollo Beach for seafood.

For the best tacos, Chicken Taco Loco in Brandon. Hwy 60/Brandon Blvd at the junction of Lithia Pinecrest rd.

I have a Hewes Tailfisher built for shallow water. I'd be more than happy to get you on the water. We can chase reds, snook and trout. You just need a fishing license.

Sir, will be sending you a PM. Thanks much!

 

[TheBigCountry]

View attachment 6937211
http://www.alsybor.com/
Gaspar's Grotto, I think that's the name of the joint is pretty good too.

Ybor city cigars it the best shop there. Steer clear of the Long Ash, I have yet to have one out of there that was any good.

I’m a sucker for good BBQ, and cigars so I will definitely be checking them out.

 

[bogeybrown]

Sir, will be sending you a PM. Thanks much!

Man, if you have the chance to get out on the water with @Mike Casselton DO IT!!!! Whether you catch or not it's still a fantastic day fishing with a great guy and guru of the local waters. I've never had a day of fishing like it, and we didn't even boat anything worth keeping.

For round two, wait till rush hour and head to the farthest corner of Tampa from him and drink beer and fuck shit up with @oneshot86. Last visit I did rush hour in both directions to opposite sides of the Bay, and it was more than worth it.

Hell, if I can get my act together and get on the road you may just find me down there with a beer, a fishing pole, a welding lead, a chainsaw, or some combination thereof in my hands.

 

[Mike Casselton]

If you can throw a cast net (I can't, bad shoulders and back) we can get some green backs for bait.
With green backs, I'll get the snook eating.

Thanks for the kind words @bogeybrown but I owe you another trip. That was a tough day fishing.

 

[bogeybrown]

If you can throw a cast net (I can't, bad shoulders and back) we can get some green backs for bait.
With green backs, I'll get the snook eating.

Thanks for the kind words @bogeybrown but I owe you another trip. That was a tough day fishing.

Thanks man, but the joy I found being a shitty fisherman most of my life is that I don't judge a day on the water by what I catch. And who wants to clean fish after every trip anyway?

 

[sirhrmechanic]

There was a fantastic military museum in nearby Tampa, but it may have closed down. i don't think they have anything on base that is open to the public.

There is one of the only surviving liberty ships that is now a museum floating in Tampa. It even 'goes out' now and then for cruises. I was there years ago (and went to the one in San Francisco) and they are both fantastic to visit. Very few liberty ships survive and this one saw action in the Pacific and in Korea. And when I say 'action' it was used in the war zones. Very cool history. The one in San Fran was used in the movie Titanic to recreate the engine room. To create the 'scale' of the Titanic engines in the much-smaller Liberty ship, the set designers removed all the railings and 'human scale' things and replaced them with 1/3rd scale models that made the engine look 3x as big. The engine rooms are incredibly impressive even in 'normal' scale!

Cuban Sandwiches... and visiting a hand-rolling cigar place and getting cigars rolled for you. Tampa at its best.

Last, I hear that it is Python-hunting season out in the 'glades. Wonder what a non-resident license costs? Always thought it would be a fun Snipers Hide event to get a bunch of folks together for a python hunt. Eradicate those bastards... not that it's possible at this point.

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[FS1]

I don't know if it's still there but every year the pirates would raid and old ww2 sub parked downtown.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I don't know if it's still there but every year the pirates would raid and old ww2 sub parked downtown.

The sub is long gone. I got to go into it when I was about 8yrs old.
That area near Curtis Hixon park is now called the river walk and the grassy areas are covered in people doing yoga and others blasting salsa...
I'm sure they moved the sub because it offended some shit bird.
Too bad because it was cool.

 

[Mike Casselton]

@sirhrmechanic
Is this the ship you're talking about?

I've never gone on it, but keep meaning to.

I haven't heard of any museum on Macdill, AFB. I worked on base for a couple of years, so I'm sure if they had one I would have seen it.

Ellsworth, AFB in SD has a pretty cool air and space museum. I got to prep a few of the aircraft on display.

@geno c
Mentioned the cigar shops. I don't smoke, but I do pick up my coffee at one just a block west of the Columbia Restaurant.
The shop smells so good when I go into it though.

I'd love to do the python hunting thing. I know a guy with an air boat. I wonder if he would be up for it?

 

[oneshot86]

go for a drive and check out the green swamp, the polk high, a little to the north.
you also have the hillsborough river, rent a small boat
fresh water fishing is the nuts here if you like bass fishing.

im in for a snake hunt and i also know someone w an airboat.

 

[oneshot86]

lets have a snipershide airboat race in tampabay

that would be the shiznet

 

[Mike Casselton]

lets have a snipershide airboat race in tampabay

that would be the shiznet

That would be cool as hell to watch them flying up the little manatee.
If I hung a jackplated 150 on my Tailfisher, I could keep up with them.

 

[oneshot86]

i will build a fucking boat
you will not be able to catch me...
with my good looks, undaunting courage and the need for speed, im a sure win...

please excuse me while i go slow dance w my ego, lol...

 

[bogeybrown]

Count me in for airboats, although the Bay is not where you'd enjoy one. They like shallow water but are miserable bitches out of their element.

Jules and I are heading home to SW Louisiana in October for the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff in New Iberia and if the plan holds I think I've lined it up to have access to an airboat for a morning of marsh running. Of all the jobs I've had, running an airboat for a living was the undisputed tits.

i will build a fucking boat
you will not be able to catch me...
with my good looks, undaunting courage and the need for speed, im a sure win...

please excuse me while i go slow dance w my ego, lol...

When you get ready let me know. I'll carry a coonass buddy who builds airboats over there as a technical advisor.

 

[oneshot86]

i forgot you did it for a living, awesome, awesome, you pilot, i throw shit at anyone who thinks they can pass us...

how do you cheat in an airboat race???
cant throw nails in the road
no windshield washer pump spraying oil, nope...

i think we will need pointy things on our boat and ram the fuck out of everyone

 

[bogeybrown]

i forgot you did it for a living, awesome, awesome, you pilot, i throw shit at anyone who thinks they can pass us...

how do you cheat in an airboat race???
cant throw nails in the road
no windshield washer pump spraying oil, nope...

i think we will need pointy things on our boat and ram the fuck out of everyone

It's been almost twenty years, but if I don't kill myself in October I may come back with the newest dirty tricks

 

[sirhrmechanic]

@sirhrmechanic
Is this the ship you're talking about?
View attachment 6937426

I've never gone on it, but keep meaning to.

I haven't heard of any museum on Macdill, AFB. I worked on base for a couple of years, so I'm sure if they had one I would have seen it.

Ellsworth, AFB in SD has a pretty cool air and space museum. I got to prep a few of the aircraft on display.

@geno c
Mentioned the cigar shops. I don't smoke, but I do pick up my coffee at one just a block west of the Columbia Restaurant.
The shop smells so good when I go into it though.

I'd love to do the python hunting thing. I know a guy with an air boat. I wonder if he would be up for it?

Thats the ship... Yeah mcdill is pretty closed down.... No museum there. Pensacola has a great museum. And udt museum at ft. Pierce is great, too. Go to the liberty ship for sure!

 

[Mike Casselton]

i forgot you did it for a living, awesome, awesome, you pilot, i throw shit at anyone who thinks they can pass us...

how do you cheat in an airboat race???
cant throw nails in the road
no windshield washer pump spraying oil, nope...

i think we will need pointy things on our boat and ram the fuck out of everyone

If they have a wide screen covering the propellers, we can just throw golf ball sized rocks. That will take a prop out in short order

 

[oneshot86]

i fucking love throwing rocks

 

[TheBigCountry]

Man, if you have the chance to get out on the water with @Mike Casselton DO IT!!!! Whether you catch or not it's still a fantastic day fishing with a great guy and guru of the local waters. I've never had a day of fishing like it, and we didn't even boat anything worth keeping.

For round two, wait till rush hour and head to the farthest corner of Tampa from him and drink beer and fuck shit up with @oneshot86. Last visit I did rush hour in both directions to opposite sides of the Bay, and it was more than worth it.

Hell, if I can get my act together and get on the road you may just find me down there with a beer, a fishing pole, a welding lead, a chainsaw, or some combination thereof in my hands.

Only if you can try to juggle all at once lol.

 

[TheBigCountry]

If you can throw a cast net (I can't, bad shoulders and back) we can get some green backs for bait.
With green backs, I'll get the snook eating.

Thanks for the kind words @bogeybrown but I owe you another trip. That was a tough day fishing.

That I can do. Sent ya a PM back.

 

[TheBigCountry]

go for a drive and check out the green swamp, the polk high, a little to the north.
you also have the hillsborough river, rent a small boat
fresh water fishing is the nuts here if you like bass fishing.

im in for a snake hunt and i also know someone w an airboat.

Thanks for that. Never got into bass fishing, but any fishing is better then none.

Green Swamp I think I heard has some good pig hunting?

 

[oneshot86]

bass fishing everywhere, just always consider the source of water, golf course, mcmansions w ponds...no...the fish are awesome, but i wouldnt eat them.
if you cant catch a bass here, maybe fishin aint for you, but other wise holy dog shit...

even drive through the green swamp, or the polk high as it is sometimes called, it is where all the main 5 rivers systems come from, real cool

lettuce lake park by the VA, real cool.

ill drive around on google maps and dig up some cool spots...

go to skippers smokehouse for chow beer and ent, cool