Pintail in December, largemouth in September. Like many Wildlife Management Areas, the Broodmoor/T.M. Goodwin complex offers year-round options.
October 09, 2024
By Matt Badolato
Hidden Gems : Roads less traveled & waters less fished in Florida. Florida Sportsman magazine’s 'Hidden Gems’ project in the August-September 2024 issue featured 14 hotspots for Florida’s hunters and anglers, from the Keys to the Panhandle. This installment highlights hunt/fish opportunities at T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area.Dream Hunting and Fishing Broadmoor is a duck-hunter’s paradise. It’s also an off-season gem for fishing.
More Hidden Gems Florida Sportsman's 'Hidden Gems.' As we ride our bikes along the gravel-sand levee, fishing rods bouncing on our handlebars, my brothers and I stop to let a wild hog cross in front of us. It’s a well-fed boar, a couple hundred pounds and sleek black. It grunts and shuffles down the hill, disappearing into tall grass.
We ride on. Flocks of blue-winged teal take off from a lily-filled marsh below us. Coots dip their beaks under the surface to feed on tiny scuds in the weeds. Tilapia burst from their shoreline nests as our shadows float over. A blue heron squawks in protest as we pass. We lean our bikes against a lone cabbage palm beside a wide ditch. Fish flip in the current as a culvert pipe streams water. My brother lands a jerkbait in the current and gets an instant strike from a micro bass. His next cast produces the same. I work a small plug along the shoreline and two twitches later the water flashes gold and a decent 3-pounder boils and smacks the lure. We’ve been fishing all of three minutes.
T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area—located in Fellsmere—is known across Florida as the crown jewel in the state’s duck hunting portfolio, but it also boasts untapped fishing potential.
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Known by locals as simply “Goodwin” or “Broadmoor,” the nutrient-rich waters of this shallow, man-made marsh on the St. Johns River produces vast forage for migrating waterbirds. Topped-out hydrilla and other subaquatic vegetation provide food for ducks and coots. This same water pumps out great quantities of phytoplankton and zooplankton which support a grand underwater food chain.
We catch a couple more small bass, then mount our bikes and ride on. The area’s levees provide easy access to miles upon miles of fishable shoreline. Bike traffic is allowed all days except hunt dates, but vehicle access is limited to Thursdays and Sundays. In other words—there’s very little fishing pressure.
I see an explosion along some cattails, and slam on the brakes. I pitch a weedless black salamander at the still-frothing surface and get slammed. A solid 5-pounder clears the water and lands with a flop. He digs down into the hydrilla and frees himself. A two-foot gar stares up at me, mockingly.
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During the coveted waterfowl hunts, by late morning it’s usually photo time. At right, from top, are two green-winged teal, a blue-winged teal and four pintail (three males not fully elipsed). Weedless lures are pretty much essential except in the rim canals, which are deeper and mostly free of vegetation. We fish until the morning sun chases us back to the truck, landing a couple dozen bass and a few giant tilapia. It’s simple, no-boat-needed fishing from the bank, but a kayak or canoe opens up more possibilities. Goodwin Lake, a humble little reservoir in the center of the area, allows boats with small outboards.
This 6,270-acre marsh wasn’t always a sportsman’s dream. In the early 1900s, most of the floodplain marshes within the Upper St. Johns River Basin were ditched, diked and drained for urbanization and citrus, sod, or cattle production. The fragile wetlands were destroyed, water supply was choked off during the winter dry season, flooding increased downstream, and water quality went downhill. Over time, the mantra of engineers and scientists changed from “progress” to restoration.
To restore these valuable wetlands, the St. Johns River Water Management District acquired the area land beginning in the 1980s and leased it to FWC to develop Florida’s first and only waterfowl management area. The management area is named after Thomas M. Goodwin, a dedicated FWC biologist and waterfowl enthusiast who passed away in 1990. The objective of the WMA is to provide high quality wetland habitat for wintering, migrating, and resident waterfowl and other wetland wildlife, while providing recreational opportunities to the public.
Duck hunts are limited to 30 parties of up to four hunters each on Tuesdays and Saturdays during the statewide waterfowl season. Quota permits go up for application in phases starting in August. On the morning of each hunt, a random draw is held at the check station for priority of choosing a spot for the day. Snipe hunts are also offered on a first-come, first-served basis in late January and February. Jason Whitehead, a Palm Bay native, grew up duck hunting and fishing in the area. He offers sage advice for any duck hunters new to this area.
“You’ve really got to go in there before the hunt and scout the place out on a day it’s open to the public,” said Whitehead. “Learn the roads and where you are allowed to drive. Bring a printed map and make notes of the spots you would like to hunt.”
Whitehead drives the levee with binoculars, making notes on what species of ducks are present in certain blocks and sketches areas with the open water and cover necessary for a successful hunt. “Be prepared and have backup spots in case someone else picks the spot you want to hunt before it’s your turn to draw,” he said.
The area is made up of two large blocks of marsh—the 3,870-acre T.M. Goodwin Unit and the 2,400-acre Broadmoor Marsh Unit. On days closed to hunting, public recreational access is allowed year-round (excluding state holidays) from 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset and only by foot, horse, bicycle, or boat (40 hp or less).
Vehicles are also allowed on certain dates and times, and a ride up the levees shaves off an extra 5-mile bike ride to access the better fishing areas to the north. The T.M. Goodwin Unit is open to vehicles and boats on Sundays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Broadmoor Marsh Unit is open only on Thursdays.
Also, certain levees cannot be used, so it’s wise to review the area’s regulations summary and map before visiting.
