Snapper & Grouper Close, Flounder In Sand

Report for 09/20/2007 Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE

The seas are rough, but you do not have to go far to catch snapper. Wrecks and reefs just a few miles out are holding nice fish. Go further out and the Grouper are easily caught on live pinfish or frozen cigar minnows rigged Carolina style. For red snapper, start a chum line and utilize light tackle with a Mustad live bait hook and a fluorocarbon leader buried in a chunk of bait and just free-line your bait down with the chum. The King Mackerel disappeared for a few days, but are slowly showing up again along the buoy line, above the car bodies’ reef, and over Virginia reef. Trolling or drifting a live hard tail, or slow trolling dusters/widgets with cigar minnows will also catch kings.
ST JOSEPH BAY

Trout are hitting well, and redfish too, but the story this week is the flounder. Hit the sand flats inside the tip of the St Joseph peninsula, right outside the entrance to the Gulf canal on the outgoing tide, or just inside the cut on crooked island. You can catch these fish on live bull minnows, LY’s, or shrimp all rigged Carolina style with ½ ounce leads and a 1/0 Kale hook on fluorocarbon leader. If artificial baits are your favorite, use Gotcha grubs or the DOA shrimp under a popping’ cork, and last but not least, Berkley gulp. The Redfish bite is steadily improving. Use any of the aforementioned artificial baits, or a gold sidewinder spoon. The larger fish are in deep holes, and along the drop offs. The grass flats between Eagle Harbor and the tip of the peninsula is a popular spot with the flats south of Presnell’s producing too.
Destin

The offshore bite has been good when the wind has been light enought to get off shore. There has been a steady bite of wahoo and some white marlin. The wahoo are close to the edge and the white marlin just off shore of the nipple. Scamp and amberjack are plentyful in the natural bottom inshore of the steps. Closer to home red grouper around the funnels and red snapper good in water from 80 to 160ft. Kings have started to bite also with the cooler mornings we have been having. In the surf the pompano bite has become fairly steady with good numbers on whiting. In the bay flounder gigging has been good, reds are very good around the Destin Bridge and jetties and trout have picked up especially around hogtown bayou. On the pier tuesday there were 5 kings caught for the first time in over a week. Lots of hardtails, ladyfish and blues are around most days. Several days there have been quite a few bull reds at the pier and some pompano are starting to show but in small numbers.

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.

Half Hitch Tackle
850-234-2621
2206 Thomas Dr
Panama City, Fl 32408
www.halfhitch.com/
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.