Report for 03/28/08
Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
We have had the first reports of Spanish Mackerel caught trolling Christmas tree rigs and Clarkspoons or sight cast using Gotcha plugs and double speck rigs.
Reports say Grouper are around the 25-mile mark with the bigger fish biting in about one hundred fifty feet of water.
Anglers are landing Cobia’ to the west of us and we should start seeing them in our area soon. A good place to look for that first Cobia is around the gulf side of Crooked Island, have a live eel or ling jig ready. Use 30 lb tackle with 60 lb fluorocarbon leader for the cobia and if you are using live bait, we recommend a 6/0 Owner SSW live bait hook.
ST JOSEPH BAY
Trout, Redfish, and Flounder, catches were steady before this last cold front lowered the water temperature back to the sixties. Look for the temperature to rise again with the fish moving back to the flats.
For the flounder, the deep holes near the head of the bay and around Black’s island was the hot spot.
Anglers fishing beneath the George Tapper Bridge (hwy 98) have seen a rise in the number of fish also. Live bull minnows Carolina rigged on a mutu light circle hook is a simple and effective rig. If you use artificial lures, try tipping them with Berkley “Gulp” bait strips. Live shrimp on a jig head slowly dragged along the bottom will work also.
Trout are moving out to the flats and you can target larger ones first thing in the morning on topwater lures such as the Mirrolure top pup and the new Rapala X-Rap. During the afternoon, use a live shrimp directly on your jig head or use the new Mirrolure 19M’s.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS
The Grouper bite is on fire! Excellent reports coming out of the 15-20 mile mark. Several Black and Red Grouper and Scamp are being caught within state waters over hard bottom areas also. Live bait is the best bet. Amberjack remain plentiful over several of the bridge spans with larger fish being caught farther offshore. Spanish Mackerel are moving around quite a bit. Several are being caught off the jetties and inside St. Andrews Bay. Cobia are starting to make an appearance. A few fish have been spotted but no catches so far.
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Sheepshead are very plentiful around the jetties. 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 quiet 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
Grouper are definitely the catch of the week fishing from about 15 to 30 miles the Grouper are very plentiful using frozen baits or butterfly jigs. We have also had good reports of Black Fin Tuna near the south and south west edge. Other reports on bottom fishing are a few Mingos and Triggers.
Closer to shore the Spanish are picking up on the east beaches and should reach the pass and harbor by this weekend or early this next week. Lots of Bonito action is also going on while trolling.
On the Cobia circuit there were 2 fish caught near Portofino on Pensacola beach Thursday. Very few have been seen this week due to the cool nights and north winds but the rest of the weekend is forecast to have warm nights and even warmer days and some south wind. A few Spanish and Pompano are being caught on the Pier. No Cobia have been spotted this week. At night, reports of catching fresh squid are very good. On the surf, the Pompano bite has been fair at best with the weather but should also improve this week with the nice weather coming. There have also been some very large Redfish in the surf lately on spoons and cigar minnows. I should have you a nice picture of the large Reds but me being clumsy deleted them from my email where a customer was grateful enough to send them to me. Maybe he will resend and I can post the pictures next week.
NAVARRE
Fishermen are still catching some Trout and Redfish in the rivers using jigs with curly tails, Gulp and live shrimp. Most of the action has been at the river mouths, especially for Redfish.
There have been reports of Sheepshead being caught on the bridge pilings, deep water docks and rock piles using small live shrimp and fiddler crabs. Redfish can be caught in the same places using live shrimp, fresh dead and cut bait. Trout and Redfish have moved up on the grass flats. Trout can be caught using live shrimp, finger mullet, pinfish and a host of artificial baits. Redfish can be caught with the same live baits, but don't be afraid to throw the tried and true gold spoon. Shallow water should hold some Redfish. The passes are holding Flounder right now. Bull minnows and Pinfish on a fish finder rig will catch them. The Pompano bite has steadily increased over the last two weeks in the surf. Fresh dead shrimp, frozen shrimp, frozen sand fleas and live sand fleas will catch them. Pompano jigs fished by themselves or tipped with shrimp will take their share as well. Cobia season is upon us. A few fish have been caught already by boat and pier anglers. As the water temperature increases the number of fish spotted will increase. Live Eels, Pinfish and Catfish are all worth trying. Jigs tipped with squid or naked jigs work too. Spanish Mackerel should be in our area very soon. Small spoons, mackerel trees, Spanish dusters and Gotcha plugs are all good choices. The Grouper and Amberjack bite should be good in deep water over live bottom or structure. The Shimano Butterfly jigs have been used successfully for sometime on both species. Taylor your jigs weight to the depth you are fishing at. Don't overlook live baits this time of year as well.
Fresh Water
We are sorry, no fresh water report this week.
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.
