SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – Midnight Pass has been a topic of conversation in Sarasota for over forty years, but after three storms in one year, that changed the landscape forever. The debate on Midnight Pass and its future continues. Midnight Pass is a gateway to the Gulf with a narrow channel that provides boaters with a way to exit Little Sarasota Bay into the Gulf. Without it, boaters have to travel miles north or south to exit the bay. However, for decades, this shortcut was closed.