Report for 08/17/2007
Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE - Bottom fishing is still good; however, larger fish are caught around the thirty-mile mark. Live baits are bringing them up, but cut bait and frozen mackerel/cigar minnows work well. The king mackerel bite is strong with and lot of fish are caught over the inshore wrecks by putting out a flat line while bottom fishing. Reports say larger king and a few Wahoo are being caught beyond the number thirty buoy and south over the hard bottoms. Trolling big drone spoons or dusters with cigar minnows will produce for you in this area. Reports also say trolling further offshore in about 110’ of water is consistently producing Wahoo. Yozuri Bonita baits Panhandlers and blue & white Island skirts with a fresh ballyhoo will do the trick.
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 Zara Spooks. The redfish are still biting, and using live LYs or finger mullet along the edges of the grass will work well. Sheepshead are cruising the wall at the PSJ marina and up the intra-coastal canal. Catch a few fiddler crabs and put them on a short shank live bait hook for this species. The flounder are now at their summer haunts. This means you can catch them in the sand outside the grass flats and in the little deeper sand holes in the grass flats. Bull minnows Carolina rigged with a size 1 circle hook using fluorocarbon leader material and just enough weight to cast.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS - The King Mackeral bite is still spotty. 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 Stretch 25 or large Drone Spoon with 4-6 oz.s of lead for bigger kings. Tarpon are showing up in smaller numbers now. There are fewer fish 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 bite has remained good and they 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 out there but you have to find them. Lots of chicken dolphin are being caught around many of the offshore wrecks and bigger dolphin are being caught from 25 miles out. Chicken Dolphin can be caught using small hair jigs tipped with shrimp or gulp. The Grouper bite has been steady. 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 still 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.
Fresh Water
For Bass, fish wild shiners along the grass lines, or if you want to use an artificial, your best bet would be shallow running jerk baits and topwater along the shore. Shell cracker and Bluegill bite is going strong. Half Hitch Tackle
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.
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE - Bottom fishing is still good; however, larger fish are caught around the thirty-mile mark. Live baits are bringing them up, but cut bait and frozen mackerel/cigar minnows work well. The king mackerel bite is strong with and lot of fish are caught over the inshore wrecks by putting out a flat line while bottom fishing. Reports say larger king and a few Wahoo are being caught beyond the number thirty buoy and south over the hard bottoms. Trolling big drone spoons or dusters with cigar minnows will produce for you in this area. Reports also say trolling further offshore in about 110’ of water is consistently producing Wahoo. Yozuri Bonita baits Panhandlers and blue & white Island skirts with a fresh ballyhoo will do the trick.
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 Zara Spooks. The redfish are still biting, and using live LYs or finger mullet along the edges of the grass will work well. Sheepshead are cruising the wall at the PSJ marina and up the intra-coastal canal. Catch a few fiddler crabs and put them on a short shank live bait hook for this species. The flounder are now at their summer haunts. This means you can catch them in the sand outside the grass flats and in the little deeper sand holes in the grass flats. Bull minnows Carolina rigged with a size 1 circle hook using fluorocarbon leader material and just enough weight to cast.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS - The King Mackeral bite is still spotty. 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 Stretch 25 or large Drone Spoon with 4-6 oz.s of lead for bigger kings. Tarpon are showing up in smaller numbers now. There are fewer fish 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 bite has remained good and they 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 out there but you have to find them. Lots of chicken dolphin are being caught around many of the offshore wrecks and bigger dolphin are being caught from 25 miles out. Chicken Dolphin can be caught using small hair jigs tipped with shrimp or gulp. The Grouper bite has been steady. 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 still 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.
Fresh Water
For Bass, fish wild shiners along the grass lines, or if you want to use an artificial, your best bet would be shallow running jerk baits and topwater along the shore. Shell cracker and Bluegill bite is going strong. Half Hitch Tackle
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
