Report for 08/25/2011
Salt Water
PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE AND INSHORE
This week’s report includes an increase in flounder caught in the gulf canal and Intracoastal Waterway on live bull-minnows fished on a Carolina rig style. Scalloping remains good with the easiest and best scallop numbers coming from the flats between Presnell’s Marina and Oak Grove on the east side of the bay. On the west side, try between Blacks Island and Pigs Island in water waist-deep and deeper.
Reports of redfish are coming from the west side of the bay along the channel, starting outside the fire tower all the way to Pompano Point. Hit the flats early morning and late afternoon for your best chances at both the trout and redfish. A few flounder caught in the channels off Blacks Island and in the intracoastal canal on live bull-minnows fished on a Carolina rig along the drop-offs.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE
There are a lot of King mackerel catches being reported from both wrecks and around the buoys. Further out some nice sized Wahoo catches trolling high speed lures like the Yo-zuri bonito or a panhandler. A fair amount of Cobia have showed up lately. A welcome surprise for all involved. Most have been in the forty to fifty pound range but a few were pushing sixty pounds. Amberjack are definitely on the menu, lots of nice sized fish being jigged up or live baited. You will catch a few short fish but you will be able to get your keeper as well. There is nothing like a few reef donkeys to top off an offshore trip. There are plenty of Black snapper, Trigger fish, White snapper, and Bee liners to help fill the box on your bottom fishing trip, and on your way out or back in you will likely find some weed lines with Mahi-mahi or Triple tail on them. So many fish, so little time!!
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Still a good Bull Redfish bite in the deeper channels and the pass, outgoing tide seems to be the best time to find them. They will hit just about any live bait, but a small live blue crab will definitely get slammed. Do not be surprised to see Tarpon rolling in the bay, or in the pass. It is also worth slipping up on crab balls and buoys in the bay looking for Tripletail. A few have been spotted recently and I am sure some have hit the dinner plate. A wily target for sure, but well worth the effort. Smaller Reds and Speckled trout are hitting well in the early morning, but can still be coaxed into a strike later in the day. Three to four feet of water seems to be their preferred depth, unless it has just rained and cooled the top layer of water down. Plan your trip for moving water, by that I mean a rising or falling tide, not slack tide. Remember, you need to run the boat so the gas does not go bad (here is your next excuse to skip mowing the grass!!).
PANAMA CITY BEACH SURF & PIER
The piers have been holding a lot of Spanish mackerel with some Bluefish and Ladyfish mixed in. A few King mackerel reported in the morning and late afternoon. Undersize Cobia are hanging around the pilings teasing everyone and feeding on the pretty good sized schools of baitfish (cigar minnows and herring). But there have been a couple of keeper sized fish caught. A pretty good run of Pompano came through last week and the week before. Some are still getting caught but the action has slowed a bit. Some Whiting are within reach of the surf anglers who have persevered through the August heat and the seaweed. Yes we are still battling the “green stuff” in the surf; doesn’t the June grass have a calendar? Some days are better than others and lately it seems to be clearing up.
DESTIN
Bottom fishing for Triggers and Mingo snapper in water 85-150 feet has been pretty good. The Amberjack have been good fishing live bait or butterfly jigging on the edge and big offshore wrecks in water 150-300 feet deep.
Trolling has been producing a few Kings near shore but many more trolling in the Nickey grounds, 18’s and timber holes. There are a few Blackfin tuna but they should be getting better by the day. For Wahoo and Dolphin the only pretty water I know of is a small patch running from the Ozark out towards the nipple.
Surprisingly the trout have started to bite pretty good at night under the dock lights even though it is very hot, Plenty of reds around most of the bridges. I would also expect the flounder to start to bite here any day.
On the jetties a few ladyfish, some blues and a few hard tails. In the surf and on the pier things have been fairly slow.
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.
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