About Bonds

Discover New Smyrna

New Smyrna Beach's fishing is ascolorful and exciting as its history!

Evidence points to aboriginal populations on Florida's eastcoast as early as 2000 BC. Centuries of oyster feasts contributedto an estimated 33,000 cubic yards of shells covering 2 acres andabout 50 feet high at the historic Turtle Mound, located 8 milessouth of New Smyrna Beach on A1A. It is the largest, and one ofmany found in this region.

By 1769, Dr. Andrew Turnbull, a Scot, had recruited 200 Greeks, 110Italians and 1190 Minorcans to homestead his royal land grant of101,000 acres where present New Smyrna Beach now stands. He namedthe colony "New Smyrna" after his wife's birthplace inSmyrna, Turkey. Shortages, mosquitoes and disease led to thefailure of that colony ten years later. Turnbull started a secondoutpost on yet another shell mound on the mainland but only got asfar as the "coquina" block foundation. The foundation to thatstructure can be seen today at the corner of Julia and NorthRiverside Drive, a short distance from FishStockactivities.

Throughout its history, the rough New Smyrna settlement saw thedepredations of the wars between Spanish, British, the nativeSeminoles and Union and Confederate troops. Its identity changed asoften as the state itself. The Spanish briefly gained control ofthe New Smyrna area by swapping the Bahamas for Florida in 1783then they sold it to the new United States in 1819. An "elegant"hotel built on the original Turnbull foundation was shelled tooblivion by Union sailors. After the Civil War, a hotelier namedSheldon rebuilt that hotel which served as the local "shoppingcenter" until 1896. Throughout the 1800's, military necessitycaused the construction of several roads; one road led from St.Augustine in the north to the New Smyrna stone wharf. Later, twomore were added from Forth Mellon on Lake Monroe to the south,where steamboats offloaded their commerce and where Sanford nowthrives.

With the Civil War behind them, railroad and steamboattransportation spurred development of sleepy little New Smyrna. Asearly as 1835, settlers Kemble, Depeyster and Cruger from New Yorkbuilt a sugar mill near town to process the sugar cane of nearbyplantations. The mill ruins are preserved for viewing today justoff Route 44 and Old Mission Road.

In March of 1887, small, local railroad companies from Blue Spring,Orange City and Atlantic Railroad reached New Smyrna, bringingsteady growth. The city was formally incorporated in 1903 and itbecame a regular vacation spot for Orlando, Deland and Enterprisefamilies in search of a beachside retreat. Between 1900 and 1920,the town grew 400% by adding churches and many businesses.

The 20's were rough on the local orange groves and after the stockmarket crash of 1929 almost one-fourth of all Floridians were onrelief. The war years with limited travel gave way to unprecedenteddevelopment both in small beachside developments and high risetowers.

A CASUAL, BEACHFRONT LIFESTYLE
New Smyrna Beach has quietly grown to its current population ofapproximately 17,500 while Daytona has attracted the glitter andcrowds. The city proper measures approximately 19.5 square milesincluding its 13.2 miles of beachfront. Turtle Mound and thesouthern end of A1A blend right into the additional 22 miles of Canaveral National Seashore Park. New Smyrna's downtown has seen atasteful renewal. Tight control of beach traffic and protection ofnesting sea turtles helps maintain the natural beauty that is NewSmyrna. Along A1A, Route 44 West and U.S.1, shopping centers serveabout every commercial need.

New Smyrna Beach is perfect for surfing, and it has enjoyed a longhistory of outstanding surfing and surfing events. Local surf shopslike Inlet Charley's, Quiet Flight, Nichols and Red Dog arefavorite hangouts and provide local surf reports as well as thebest boards and equipment to enjoy this activity.

Parks built near natural springs provide a day of fun andadventure. Swimming with manatees during the cooler parts of theyear is a common escape. Sky divers and hot air balloonists alsouse this area to enjoy their aerial pursuits. Historic St.Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S., is an hour drive north andprovides an enjoyable day of sightseeing. Racing enthusiasts willfind Daytona's International Speedway an excitingdestination.

If you feel like exploring, try visiting the Turtle Mounds,Turnbull Ruins, the Sugar Mill Ruins, Ponce de Leon Lighthouse orCanaveral Seashore State Park

Today, New Smyrna is a modern city with a great heritage.Historical sites and remains have been preserved and incorporatedinto the city's character. Canals that were constructed inTurnbull's day are still in use today. For escape andexcitement, residents visit nearby attractions in Orlando and CapeCanaveral to the south and Daytona and Jacksonville to the north,all within an easy one hour drive.

ART and CULTURE
New Smyrna Beach is one of the top cities in the United States forart. Home of the Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna hasseveral art shows during the year, including the annual juriedImages Art Festival. Galleries in New Smyrna Beach include Arts onDouglas, Artist Workshop Gallery, Harris House and the LittleTheater, which offers live performances most of the year. TheAtlantic Center for the Arts, located just north of the municipalairport, provides artists of all disciplines meeting and galleryspace and the opportunity to work with masters in a secludedresidential program.

Live, breakout performances by the London Symphony Orchestra add tothe list of cultural arts activities. The orchestra visits our areaevery other year. An annual jazz festival featuring world renownjazz artists is held at Riverside Park each spring.

DINING
Dining in New Smyrna Beach is never boring. From the famous Americahot dog to the most tantalizing mouth watering steak and lobster,dining in New Smyrna Beach is a highlight of anyone'svacation. Fresher seafood just cannot be found.

There are more than 450 quaint restaurants and cozy bars located along Flagler Avenueon the beach and within a thirty minute drive of downtown.Everything from fast food drive-ins to elegant dining featuringtraditional, Italian, Mexican and Chinese fare awaits you. Feellike sampling the local fare? Try Norwoods or the Riverview forfun, but be sure to call ahead for reservations. Some places havelate night entertainment but if you prefer more variety, you canfind night-life alive and well in neighboring Daytona and Orlando.For the romantic or the star-gazers, nothing compares to a latenight walk on the wide, moonlit beach.

FISHING
Marinas along the north causeway and in downtown are convenient toFishStock. Ramp access to the Indian River and scores offine riverfront dining spots make New Smyrna a prime fishingdestination. You can launch from the New Smyrna Beach Public BoatRamp on Washington Street next to FishStock and in a half anhour, you can be in the Atlantic where everything from dolphin,wahoo and billfish await you. If your boat requires a lift, use theFishin Cove or Smyrna Marina on Riverside Drive, the Inlet CoveMarina in Daytona Beach or head over to the Ponce Inlet LighthouseMarina, which offers a picturesque backdrop for your outing. Forlight tackle action, head south on the Intracoastal Waterway todiscover the backwaters of Mosquito Lagoon where you can get lostin some world-renown shallow water fishing for trophy reds andtrout. As always, check with the local tackle shops and captainsfor what's biting on what rigs. If you're seriouslyconsidering a fishing trip while taking in FishStock, hereare some suggestions.

OFFSHORE
Out of Ponce Inlet, anglers find good numbers of dolphin in the 5-to 10-pound range starting at about the 180-foot mark. Sailfish andwahoo action remain good in the 220- to 300-foot zones. Amberjack,red snapper, and gag grouper hit live pinfish on the 21 and 28Fathom ridges and on most of the wrecks in these same depths.

INSHORE
Flounder, jack crevalle, bluefish and pompano hit live shrimp,finger mullet and mud minnows at the inlet and along the beaches.Black drum to 10 pounds and sheepshead to 4 pounds feed on fiddlercrabs and oysters around area bridges. Redfish, black grouper,speckled trout, tarpon, triple tail, snook, spots and Spanishmackerel are just a few of the species found in the IntracoastalWaterway and the Mosquito Lagoon. They can be taken year round onlight tackle, using live bait or artificial lures and with a flyrodusing a medium tippet and a chartreuse clouser.

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