Bellyboat Fly-Fishing

Question
I am going to be in Tampa for several weeks and I am looking for places I can use my float tube to fly-fish for bass without worrying about what is in the water with me.  Any suggestions?

Answer
WT, Probably most if not all of the lakes and ponds in Central and South Florida have alligators.  While alligators are generally not aggressive and will leave a person alone in a boat I am not so sure about a belly float.  I do not think I would feel good about being in the water with some of them that I have seen.  Even as far north as I am, (very southwest corner of Georgia) the lake I live on has gators that are over 12' long.  There have been occasion when these toothy critters have attacked people.  Mostly this is around small ponds or lakes where the gators have been fed and have lost their fear of people.  I still would not trust myself in a belly float.

Another thing swimming in Florida waters is the cotton mouth which is one of the four poisonous snakes in the United States.  Not as bad as the cobra of your area they are still considered dangerous.  They, like the gators, does not go around looking for people to bite as in the movies, but when you invade its world it will certainly defend itself even if you know you mean it no harm.

To be perfectly honest I would not go into any Florida lake or stream in a belly float.  Sorry to give you bad news but I would not want to tell you someplace is safe and have you get bitten or worse.

Thanks for calling on me to answer your question.

I am
Jack L. Gaither
Lake Seminole, Georgia
U. S. A.