Report for 05/23/2008
Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
Grouper fishing picked up a little this week with some twenty to thirty pounders brought to the docks. The bite is over some natural bottom starting at about 180’. Live baits or butter flied northern mackerel working well. Snapper bite is still going strong with the bite starting at 10 miles out. Dolphins are hanging on the weed lines and flotsam.
The king mackerel numbers are rising on the buoy line with dusters and cigar minnows. Closer inshore, the Spanish mackerel are still being caught along the buoy line and over at crooked island. Trolling just the Clark spoon seems to be the best option for the bigger Spanish.
ST JOSEPH BAY
Big trout, up to nine pounds caught this week on live LY’s and many Redfish as well. The head of the bay is the place to go given the wind direction this week. In the head of the bay, the best area seems to be right between Black’s island and the shoreline drifting live baits under a Cajun thunder or free lining the baits while drifting.
Some Spanish Mackerel are still moving around inside St Joseph Bay from the buoy line to Blacks island and huge schools of ladyfish and bluefish being reported outside Eagle harbor. Trolling mackerel rigs and Clark spoons about 5 knots will work nicely, or sight casting gotcha plugs and double speck rigs work well too. The Flounder bite continues in and around the deeper holes near the head of the bay and around Black’s island and better numbers caught this week under the George Tapper Bridge in the gulf canal and in the Mexico Beach canal also.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS
Chicken Dolphin are still making their presence known offshore. Look for weed lines or clumps. Small jigs and spoons work well.
King Mackerel are being caught more frequently now. Several are being caught around the Whistle Buoy and many have been seen running the beaches. Most of the fish are being caught free-lining live baits.
The Red Snapper bite is still going strong with fish being found in all depths of water. Best baits include chunked cigar minnows, squid, live shrimp and small pinfish. The boundary line for State Waters is out to 9 miles. Be sure to go outside of 9 miles for your Grouper and AJ’s before catching your Snapper limit! FNG will be watching.
The Federal Snapper season opens June 1st. At that time all boats fishing for reef fish will be required to use a Venting Tool, De-hooker and Non-Stainless Steel Circle Hooks.
Grouper are being caught over hard bottom areas from 7 – 25 miles out. Live bait and butterflied Spanish Mackerel are the best bet.
Amberjack remain plentiful over several of the Bridge Spans with larger fish being caught farther offshore. Live bait, Williamson Jigs, and Butterfly Jigs will bring savage strikes!
Spanish Mackerel are being caught in large numbers. Try the jetties, inside St. Andrews Bay and along the sand bars off the beach.
Ladyfish have moved onto the beaches in droves. For lots of fun and excitement, cast spoons and gotcha plugs for these jumpers.
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Trout are feeding on the flats now. Bayous with nice grass points are producing well and target the deeper grass flats with live shrimp under a popping cork for best results.
Redfish are being caught all over the bay systems. Throw a live shrimp on a light lead head or weightless for best results. On a high tide, the Redfish will be laying up in the flooded Spartina Grass. Weedless jerk baits and gold spoons will take these fish out of the grass.
Pompano are still being taken along the beaches in good numbers. Most fish will be on the inside edge of the first sand bar. 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
Offshore is turning on nicely. One boat returned from the rigs with 4 Wahoo, 4 Dolphin about a dozen Blackfin Tuna and released a Marlin.
The charter boat No Alibi caught a Swordfish in the 270lb range. Another customer Kevin Almodovar caught a nice 20lb Dolphin trolling 20 miles offshore near the edge Saturday. He said the fish put on a nice show jumping several times before being boated.
The bottom fishing has been good when you can fish as it has been very rough and windy. Snapper are still biting and good numbers of Red Grouper and Amberjack. The charter boat Big John had an incredible catch of Black Groupers over the weekend with several fish over 30lbs.
The Trout and Reds are becoming more active over the flat and in the sound. They are mostly taking live shrimp and gulps.
On the pier and the jetties they are getting Reds, lots of Ladyfish and Hardtails and an few Spanish.
For the surf fisherman they are still getting fair numbers of Pompano, a few Whiting and some Reds. At night using pogies for bait there are plenty of Blues and Sharks to be had.
Trolling for Kings and Spanish has been a little slow right now as the water is still a little cool and we are on a full moon. Expect the Kings to get better all of next week as we begin to get away from the full moon and the temps warm.
Kevin Almodovar caught a nice 20lb dolphin
Fresh Water
Great shell cracker/bluegill action happening in the rivers. Live crickets or wigglers fished outside of structure are working great. The fly-fishing action is really turning on in the river. The best color fly to be throwing right now seems to be orange. The bass action is a little slow. There have been some reports that the bass are biting buzz baits in the Dead lakes. If you cannot seem to get bit using the buzz bait try throwing a bang-o-lure. Look for offshore weed lines, humps, channel bends, and just anything that could attract the baitfish right now. That is probably were the bass are. Also, try Howard’s creek the bream are still biting in Bear Man creek. The Dead Lakes is also a good place to try for bream and shell cracker.
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.
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