Report for 08/10/2007 Salt Water
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS - The King Mackeral bite has remained slow this week on the inshore structures. They are very spread out so troll large areas to find a concentration. Better reports are coming from hard bottom areas well offshore. Troll Dusters and free-line live or dead bait for the most action. Try a large Drone Spoon with 4-6 oz.s of lead for bigger kings. The Tarpon bite has remained good. There are fewer fish now but they seem to be more willing to bite. Use live mullet, pin fish, pogies, cigar minnows or menhaden on a 7 to 10/0 circle hook with 60 to 100# fluorocarbon leaders and 20 to 30# main line. The Wahoo are being found in greatest numbers far offshore around the Squiggles and Nipple. High speed trollers like the Panhandler and Yo Zuri Bonita in back and purple colors are working best. Also, try slow trolling rigged ballyhoo or live hard tails. Mahi Mahi are showing up in greater numbers. Lots of chicken dolphin are being caught around many of the offshore wrecks and bigger dolphin are being caught from 25 miles out. The Grouper bite has been very good lately. Best catches have been in the 100 to 200 foot areas on mainly hard bottom. 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. Live cigar minnows or pinfish will entice the larger fish, while jigs (Williamson Jig or AJ Jig) will trigger the most bites. Snapper action is still going strong. Squid, cigar minnows and chunks of northern mackerel are working well. The bag limit for state waters remains four snapper per person and 16” length, however in federal waters only two snapper per person and 16” length. Federal waters start basically nine miles from land, and is noted on your maps as the Natural resources boundary. Ladyfish, Bluefish and Bar Jacks are everywhere up and down the beaches right now. Throw Pompano Jigs, Gotcha’s and Spoons on light tackle for a lot of fun. Half Hitch Tackle
ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM - Flounder are being caught on drop-offs in the bays and on the edges of grass flats. Use a Carolina rig with live bull minnows for the best results. For artificial bait fishermen, use an 1/8 oz. jig with Gulp Curl Tail Minnows in a variety of colors. The Trout bite is very good early and late in the day. Target spotty bottom grass flats in the 1-3 foot range. Big trout can be caught early in the day on topwater plugs close to the shoreline. When the sun gets up, throw a Rebel Jointed Minnow in Gold or Silver. Redfish are all over the jetties right now. Gulp, Gold Spoons, Bull Minnows and Cut Bait are working well. Late in the day, when the tide is rolling out, the reds are coming to the surface. Throw a topwater plug and hold on! Half Hitch Tackle
DAN RUSSEL PIER - Spanish mackerel and a few Kings are being caught every day at the pier right now. Sharks, Pompano, Whiting, Blue Fish, and Lady Fish are also being caught. Call 850-233-5080 for the latest pier fishing information.
DESTIN - Fishing has slowed somewhat with the heat but there are still opportunities. For kings make sure you fish early and fish deep with trolling leads, planners or downriggers. For snapper size down the line, lead and to no larger than a 4/0 owner mutu light hook. for grouper and amberjack the same holds true, no more than a 7/0 Owner mutu light hook, 60lb leader and lighter leads. some of the reason for this is that the live baits in the live well are not as active with the heat and do better on lighter rigs. On the pier a few tarpon and kings mixed with ladyfish and hardtails. Sharks and blues are good in the surf at night on northern mackerel. On the jetties lots of ladyfish and some blues. In the bay mostly reds and sheepshead. Offshore is still hot for wahoo, dolphin, marlin and swordfish at night.
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE - Reports indicate good bottom fishing inshore. If you have a favorite hole inside twenty miles, there is a good chance fish will be there. If you are fishing public numbers, head out around the thirty-mile mark or so. It will be challenging finding the fish, but once found they are biting strong. Live baits are the way to go and are plentiful and are around the inshore wrecks, but if you must, drop frozen bait like Cigar minnows or Boston mackerel. Jigging with Braid slammer jigs or better still use the Shimano butterfly jig are action-filled option. The king mackerel bite is strong with many fish being caught over the inshore wrecks and with a flat line while bottom fishing. Half Hitch/PSJ
ST JOSEPH BAY - The trout report has not changed much with good fish caught at first light and late afternoon around the middle grounds and the flats between Pigs Island and Pompano Point. They are hitting on topwater lures like the Heddon Spooks but the number one bait is a live LYs. The redfish are still with us and using live LYs or finger mullet will bring them in at the outskirts of the grass flats. If you rather use artificial use a Capt Mike’s spoon or Calcutta flash-foil bait. The flounder are now in their summer haunts. This means you can catch them in the sand outside the grass flats and in the little deeper sand holes on the edge of the flats. Bull minnows Carolina rigged with a size 1 circle hook using fluorocarbon leader material and a 1 oz or smaller egg weight is the prevalent rig. Half Hitch/PSJ
Fresh Water
APALACHICOLA /WHITE CITY - Bass are foraging along the over grass beds. Fish wild shiners along the grass lines, or if you want to use an artificial, your best beat will be shallow running jerk baits and topwater along the shore. Shell cracker and Bluegill bite is going strong this summer. Bottom fishing in 3-4 ft. with a cricket is producing good numbers, but a fly rod is more fun.
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.
Half Hitch Tackle
850-234-2621
2206 Thomas Dr
Panama City, Fl 32408
www.halfhitch.com/
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS - The King Mackeral bite has remained slow this week on the inshore structures. They are very spread out so troll large areas to find a concentration. Better reports are coming from hard bottom areas well offshore. Troll Dusters and free-line live or dead bait for the most action. Try a large Drone Spoon with 4-6 oz.s of lead for bigger kings. The Tarpon bite has remained good. There are fewer fish now but they seem to be more willing to bite. Use live mullet, pin fish, pogies, cigar minnows or menhaden on a 7 to 10/0 circle hook with 60 to 100# fluorocarbon leaders and 20 to 30# main line. The Wahoo are being found in greatest numbers far offshore around the Squiggles and Nipple. High speed trollers like the Panhandler and Yo Zuri Bonita in back and purple colors are working best. Also, try slow trolling rigged ballyhoo or live hard tails. Mahi Mahi are showing up in greater numbers. Lots of chicken dolphin are being caught around many of the offshore wrecks and bigger dolphin are being caught from 25 miles out. The Grouper bite has been very good lately. Best catches have been in the 100 to 200 foot areas on mainly hard bottom. 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. Live cigar minnows or pinfish will entice the larger fish, while jigs (Williamson Jig or AJ Jig) will trigger the most bites. Snapper action is still going strong. Squid, cigar minnows and chunks of northern mackerel are working well. The bag limit for state waters remains four snapper per person and 16” length, however in federal waters only two snapper per person and 16” length. Federal waters start basically nine miles from land, and is noted on your maps as the Natural resources boundary. Ladyfish, Bluefish and Bar Jacks are everywhere up and down the beaches right now. Throw Pompano Jigs, Gotcha’s and Spoons on light tackle for a lot of fun. Half Hitch Tackle
ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM - Flounder are being caught on drop-offs in the bays and on the edges of grass flats. Use a Carolina rig with live bull minnows for the best results. For artificial bait fishermen, use an 1/8 oz. jig with Gulp Curl Tail Minnows in a variety of colors. The Trout bite is very good early and late in the day. Target spotty bottom grass flats in the 1-3 foot range. Big trout can be caught early in the day on topwater plugs close to the shoreline. When the sun gets up, throw a Rebel Jointed Minnow in Gold or Silver. Redfish are all over the jetties right now. Gulp, Gold Spoons, Bull Minnows and Cut Bait are working well. Late in the day, when the tide is rolling out, the reds are coming to the surface. Throw a topwater plug and hold on! Half Hitch Tackle
DAN RUSSEL PIER - Spanish mackerel and a few Kings are being caught every day at the pier right now. Sharks, Pompano, Whiting, Blue Fish, and Lady Fish are also being caught. Call 850-233-5080 for the latest pier fishing information.
DESTIN - Fishing has slowed somewhat with the heat but there are still opportunities. For kings make sure you fish early and fish deep with trolling leads, planners or downriggers. For snapper size down the line, lead and to no larger than a 4/0 owner mutu light hook. for grouper and amberjack the same holds true, no more than a 7/0 Owner mutu light hook, 60lb leader and lighter leads. some of the reason for this is that the live baits in the live well are not as active with the heat and do better on lighter rigs. On the pier a few tarpon and kings mixed with ladyfish and hardtails. Sharks and blues are good in the surf at night on northern mackerel. On the jetties lots of ladyfish and some blues. In the bay mostly reds and sheepshead. Offshore is still hot for wahoo, dolphin, marlin and swordfish at night.
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE - Reports indicate good bottom fishing inshore. If you have a favorite hole inside twenty miles, there is a good chance fish will be there. If you are fishing public numbers, head out around the thirty-mile mark or so. It will be challenging finding the fish, but once found they are biting strong. Live baits are the way to go and are plentiful and are around the inshore wrecks, but if you must, drop frozen bait like Cigar minnows or Boston mackerel. Jigging with Braid slammer jigs or better still use the Shimano butterfly jig are action-filled option. The king mackerel bite is strong with many fish being caught over the inshore wrecks and with a flat line while bottom fishing. Half Hitch/PSJ
ST JOSEPH BAY - The trout report has not changed much with good fish caught at first light and late afternoon around the middle grounds and the flats between Pigs Island and Pompano Point. They are hitting on topwater lures like the Heddon Spooks but the number one bait is a live LYs. The redfish are still with us and using live LYs or finger mullet will bring them in at the outskirts of the grass flats. If you rather use artificial use a Capt Mike’s spoon or Calcutta flash-foil bait. The flounder are now in their summer haunts. This means you can catch them in the sand outside the grass flats and in the little deeper sand holes on the edge of the flats. Bull minnows Carolina rigged with a size 1 circle hook using fluorocarbon leader material and a 1 oz or smaller egg weight is the prevalent rig. Half Hitch/PSJ
Fresh Water
APALACHICOLA /WHITE CITY - Bass are foraging along the over grass beds. Fish wild shiners along the grass lines, or if you want to use an artificial, your best beat will be shallow running jerk baits and topwater along the shore. Shell cracker and Bluegill bite is going strong this summer. Bottom fishing in 3-4 ft. with a cricket is producing good numbers, but a fly rod is more fun.
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.
Half Hitch Tackle
850-234-2621
2206 Thomas Dr
Panama City, Fl 32408
www.halfhitch.com/
