Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
The March winds are still playing havoc with offshore fishing. If the weather cooperates suggest using Mann’s Stretch 25’s in 50’ or shallower water over wrecks like the Lumber Ship and the Stretch 30’s in 60’ plus over the car bodies. Pay attention to the weather forecast and be safe.
ST JOSEPH BAY
Schools of trout and redfish have been seen in the bay. The Redfish are showing up in greater numbers in shallow water, 2-3 feet, and aren’t hesitating to take a live shrimp or a Rapala Skitterwalk twitched across the surface. Pompano are also appearing in the surf off Windmark Beach. A fly fisherman had a great time catching and releasing several nice Pompano in that same area.
The canal continues to deliver ample numbers of Sheepshead, Redfish, and Trout; the bait of choice is live shrimp. A few large Bluefish have also been caught, that indicates Cobia and Spanish Mackerel aren’t to far behind.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS
Grouper season opens in Federal waters Saturday! Several Grouper and Scamp are still being caught within state waters over hard bottom areas. Live bait is the best bet. Amberjack remain plentiful over several of the Bridge Spans with larger fish being caught farther offshore. 12 lb.
Sheepshead caught by Mike McGraw
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Sheepsheads are all over the jetties right now. They will take live shrimp readily, but the bigger fish are hammering Fiddler Crabs. Several fish between 9 and 12 pounds have been caught within this past week. Use a Carolina rig with a #4 hook, 15-20# fluorocarbon leader and light lead for best results.
Trout have just started to move back onto the flats. Many will remain in the creeks for the next month or so. Use live Shrimp on the bottom in the creeks and under a popping cork on the flats.
Redfish are still working the pass in good numbers. Live Shrimp and Pinfish are the baits of choice. There are several schools of Reds swimming along the shorelines of East and West bays. The water color is still quite stained from the storms a few weeks ago, but fish can be seen by working down the banks slowly. These schooling fish can be very spooky, so a quite approach with long casts will work the best. Throw a live Shrimp on a light lead head or weightless for best results. A few 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 and shrimp, rigged on a 2 hook leader and pyramid sinker.
DESTIN
To my disbelief no one has caught a Cobia yet, but it is not because they have not put fourth the effort. The Full Pull is out again today and as of the time I am writing this they have not spotted a Cobia yet. Tuesday report was that the water was clearing to the West and the temp was down to 63o. Last week it was up to almost 66 o in places. Thursday’s forecast for good weather should increase water temperature to 64 or 65 o.
I just had a customer come in a say a friend of there’s spotted a pair of fish late today between the pass and the pier but could not get a bite and they only had jigs to throw at it. They felt like if they would have had live bait that they may have gotten a bite. This is of course rumor and not a dead fish but with the weather and the date it is plenty believable.
As for the Spanish, a few have been showing up in the surf and the harbor. I have not heard of any at the jetties or the pier in well over a week. On the pier they have been getting a few Pompano bottom fishing with shrimp and sand fleas. There are a few Sheephead on live fiddler crabs and an occasional Red. In the surf good reports are coming in on Pompano and some very large Reds. Most of the Pompano are being caught on frozen sand fleas and fresh shrimp. The best catch I heard of this week was from Tuesday afternoon in Navarre, a couple of anglers had a total of 6 Pompano and three Blues. In the bay the Trout are beginning to bite and there are still plenty of Sheephead and Reds around the bridges. In the Gulf the Amberjack bite is still strong jigging over large wrecks. There are plenty of Mingo Snapper and still a few Grouper on the east beach. Luckily the federal Grouper season opens back up Saturday march 15th, this should make a huge difference in the Grouper catches when everyone can fish deeper water now that it is starting to warm up.
Fresh Water
APALACHICOLA /WHITE CITY
Not to much to report in the freshwater department, most of the fishermen have been busy catching fish in the canal. A few Largemouth Bass have been caught way up the creeks that feed Lake Wimico.
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.
