MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
Those heading out to the deeper reefs are catching some big Red Grouper and an occasional Scamp. Live bait is working best, but cut bait has also taken a few fish. Red Snapper are ferocious right now and you will have to work to get your baits past them for the grouper. Amberjack catches are strong too.
ST JOSEPH BAY
Whiting are hitting in the surf. Try the Stump Hole and around Indian Pass when the water is clear, if not go the outer shore of Cape San Blas. A simple double drop rig is very productive. Sheepshead and Red and Black Drum are being caught in the St Joe Canal and the ICW. Use shrimp or curly-tail grubs or Berkley “gulp” water temperatures are slowly beginning to rise and we are hearing increasing reports of Pompano catches in the surf along the Cape and West around Crooked Island.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS
Grouper and Scamp are being caught within 10 miles over hard bottom areas. Live bait, whole Boston Mackerel and jigs (Shimano Butterfly or Williamson) are working well. Jigs with a glow color to them are a sure bet.
Amberjack are on many of the inshore wrecks and reefs in good numbers. Try the Bridge Spans for lots of action. The larger fish will be well offshore over hard bottom areas. Live Cigar Minnows or Pinfish will entice the larger fish, while jigs (Williamson Jig or AJ Jig) will trigger the most bites.
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Several Black Drum have been caught lately along the jetties. Live Shrimp or just about any cut bait fished on the bottom will work. Sheepshead are still moving in to the area. Around the jetties are the best spots. We have live Fiddler Crabs. This is the absolute best bait to use. Use a Carolina rig with a small hook and light lead for best results.
Pompano are being caught along the beaches. Throw a jig tipped with shrimp, sand fleas, or gulp. They are also being caught using frozen sand fleas, rigged on a 2 hook leader and pyramid sinker.
Silver Trout are being caught in large numbers under the Hathaway and Tyndall bridges. Use live shrimp on the bottom for best results.
Trout season is closed for the month of February. For catch and release, try the hot water canal in Warren Bayou.
Bull and Slot Reds are still in the pass. Gulp, Gold Spoons, Live Shrimp, LY’s, Bull Minnows, Pinfish and Cut Bait are working well.
Redfish caught on Perfect Cast Charters with Capt. Dan Van Treese. 850-227-5149
Fresh Water
APALACHICOLA /WHITE CITY
Bass fishing is good if you know where to look. Reports say that anglers who are reading the water correctly are more successful. The secret to their success is seeking out areas with just a couple of degrees variation in water temperatures to the surrounding areas. It is easier than you might think too. Look for scour hole in the bends of rivers, these areas very often will have warmer water that the main current. Another excellent place to fish will be dark water with muddy bottoms. These areas heat up much more quickly than open water. One more suggestion is to fish the west side of the shore. The sun warms these areas much more quickly.
Fishing Report prepared by Half Hitch Tackle Staff.
Half Hitch Tackle
850-234-2621
2206 Thomas Dr
Panama City, Fl 32408
www.halfhitch.com/
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.
