Report for 01-24-2008
Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
Heavy seas are hindering offshore anglers this week but fortunately, the weather will improve soon. Keep targeting those near shore wrecks for winter Grouper and Amberjack.
ST JOSEPH BAY
REMEMBER! Anglers, Speckled Trout are catch and release only during the month of February. It is time now to target Redfish. The intercostals canal is already showing promise with periodic catches of Bull Reds. Use a live shrimp directly on your jig-head or frozen shrimp on the bottom using a Carolina rig and Mutu light circle hooks size 1/0. Anglers are reporting big Sheepshead in the canal also. Another great place for Sheepshead is the seawall near the PSJ Marina and out around the marker buoys. The Whiting continue to be the fish you can count on in the surf with the best numbers being caught off Cape San Blas around the stump hole area and lighthouse and Crooked Island Beach.
DESTIN
The weather has been on again and off again and that equates to how the fish have been also. Sunday and Monday were really good days on the pier for Bonito. Most anglers were using White Jigs, White Jerk baits and spoons. A few reports of Sheephead were caught on the pier using Shrimp.
In the bay White Trout are still good on D.O.A. terror eyes, while Specks are doing well in deep water holes and in real skinny water using Berkley Gulps. The Reds will also take the gulps but a Gold Spoon worked very slowly off the bottom is also good.
In the surf there is an occasional Pompano and some big Reds. The big Reds go for Shrimp and Pompano for Sand Fleas. Bonito have been coming in range for the surf fisherman on calm and cold mornings. White jigs work best for the Bonito. In the gulf the Flounder bite is still good on the shallow reefs, plenty of Mingos on the edges and Butterfly jigging for the Amberjack is still going off on most of the metal wrecks especially the ones in 120 to 300 foot depths. Glow, Blue and Green butterfly jigs are doing the best.
We have the new Shimano Saragosa saltwater spinning reels in stock and we are taking pre-orders on the new Saltwater manual pickup kit that fits the 14000 and 18000 size reels. The manual kit also fits the 2008 model of Spheros in sizes 14000 and 18000 also. The manual kits will be somewhat limited availability this spring so get yours ordered now.
Also in stock are the new Shimano Tiralejo surf and pier rods. The 8’ and 9’ medium make great King rods for the pier and the 8’ and 9’ medium heavy will make excellent pier rods for Cobia. These are made of the new light weight super strong TC4 graphite used in the Trevala jigging rods.
NAVARRE
Fishing in the Navarre area and West has been good during the last week, despite the weather influence. There have been good catches of Speckled Trout at all river entrances including the East River, Escambia River and most of the feeder creek entrances to their adjoining bays. One Trout caught was over 7 1/2 lbs. It was caught on a gold D.O.A. Shrimp under a popping cork near Milton in Blackwater Bay.
Some small catches of Pompano and Whiting were made off Navarre Beach. Redfish are still in the area around Fort Pickens and Pensacola Pass. There were 2 reports of small to medium Grouper being caught around 3 Mile Bridge between Gulf Breeze and Pensacola. These fish were between 18 and 23 inches and were caught using Cigar Minnows fished on the bottom.
Fresh Water
Take yourself live shiners and head to Lake Wimico as some good size Largemouth Bass are hitting well right now. Put the shiners under a weighted popping cork so you can do some attracting to get the Basses attention.
Half Hitch Tackle
850-234-2621
2206 Thomas Dr
Panama City, Fl 32408
www.halfhitch.com/
Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
Heavy seas are hindering offshore anglers this week but fortunately, the weather will improve soon. Keep targeting those near shore wrecks for winter Grouper and Amberjack.
ST JOSEPH BAY
REMEMBER! Anglers, Speckled Trout are catch and release only during the month of February. It is time now to target Redfish. The intercostals canal is already showing promise with periodic catches of Bull Reds. Use a live shrimp directly on your jig-head or frozen shrimp on the bottom using a Carolina rig and Mutu light circle hooks size 1/0. Anglers are reporting big Sheepshead in the canal also. Another great place for Sheepshead is the seawall near the PSJ Marina and out around the marker buoys. The Whiting continue to be the fish you can count on in the surf with the best numbers being caught off Cape San Blas around the stump hole area and lighthouse and Crooked Island Beach.
DESTIN
The weather has been on again and off again and that equates to how the fish have been also. Sunday and Monday were really good days on the pier for Bonito. Most anglers were using White Jigs, White Jerk baits and spoons. A few reports of Sheephead were caught on the pier using Shrimp.
In the bay White Trout are still good on D.O.A. terror eyes, while Specks are doing well in deep water holes and in real skinny water using Berkley Gulps. The Reds will also take the gulps but a Gold Spoon worked very slowly off the bottom is also good.
In the surf there is an occasional Pompano and some big Reds. The big Reds go for Shrimp and Pompano for Sand Fleas. Bonito have been coming in range for the surf fisherman on calm and cold mornings. White jigs work best for the Bonito. In the gulf the Flounder bite is still good on the shallow reefs, plenty of Mingos on the edges and Butterfly jigging for the Amberjack is still going off on most of the metal wrecks especially the ones in 120 to 300 foot depths. Glow, Blue and Green butterfly jigs are doing the best.
We have the new Shimano Saragosa saltwater spinning reels in stock and we are taking pre-orders on the new Saltwater manual pickup kit that fits the 14000 and 18000 size reels. The manual kit also fits the 2008 model of Spheros in sizes 14000 and 18000 also. The manual kits will be somewhat limited availability this spring so get yours ordered now.
Also in stock are the new Shimano Tiralejo surf and pier rods. The 8’ and 9’ medium make great King rods for the pier and the 8’ and 9’ medium heavy will make excellent pier rods for Cobia. These are made of the new light weight super strong TC4 graphite used in the Trevala jigging rods.
NAVARRE
Fishing in the Navarre area and West has been good during the last week, despite the weather influence. There have been good catches of Speckled Trout at all river entrances including the East River, Escambia River and most of the feeder creek entrances to their adjoining bays. One Trout caught was over 7 1/2 lbs. It was caught on a gold D.O.A. Shrimp under a popping cork near Milton in Blackwater Bay.
Some small catches of Pompano and Whiting were made off Navarre Beach. Redfish are still in the area around Fort Pickens and Pensacola Pass. There were 2 reports of small to medium Grouper being caught around 3 Mile Bridge between Gulf Breeze and Pensacola. These fish were between 18 and 23 inches and were caught using Cigar Minnows fished on the bottom.
Fresh Water
Take yourself live shiners and head to Lake Wimico as some good size Largemouth Bass are hitting well right now. Put the shiners under a weighted popping cork so you can do some attracting to get the Basses attention.
Half Hitch Tackle
850-234-2621
2206 Thomas Dr
Panama City, Fl 32408
www.halfhitch.com/
Fishing Report prepared by Half Hitch Tackle Staff.
The Captains Corner Fishing Report is provided by local charter captains and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Half Hitch Tackle.
This report is dedicated to the memory of Al Hubbard.
Al Hubbard was a field editor for Florida Sportsman magazine, an outdoor writer for the News Herald and a board member of the Florida Outdoor Writer's Association.
Mr. Hubbard was also the owner of Al's Outdoors Outfitting Services.
The Captains Corner Fishing Report is provided by local charter captains and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Half Hitch Tackle.
This report is dedicated to the memory of Al Hubbard.
Al Hubbard was a field editor for Florida Sportsman magazine, an outdoor writer for the News Herald and a board member of the Florida Outdoor Writer's Association.
Mr. Hubbard was also the owner of Al's Outdoors Outfitting Services.
