Report for 05/30/2008
Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
The bottom fishing is good. Getting a good chum line started using chum blocks and chopped Northern Mackerel are working extremely well. Make sure you have fluorocarbon leaders attached, as the Snappers are getting smarter by the day. Big Grouper to include some 50 pounders were brought in from 40 miles out on the ledges due south of Cape San Blas. Be careful of the no fishing zone by the Swanson and Madison... 16 oz Braid jigs are working great along with Northern Mackerel butterflied.
More King Mackerel caught this week in the 10 to 20 lb range. Use a duster with a frozen Cigar Minnow and slowly troll it on the buoy line and over the car bodies. Small Dolphins are being caught starting at 12 miles. Troll small Boone jet baits until you find a school and keep the first dolphin in the water to attract the others to the boat, then toss jigs or cut bait. In addition, some Wahoo caught at 30-mile range, trolling panhandlers and Islander lures with Ballyhoo.
ST JOSEPH BAY
Not much change in the bay except the Trout fishing has improved with the best catches occurring early morning and late evening just before sunset. Live LY’s is the bait of choice and live shrimp a close second under a Cajun thunder float or just enough weight to keep it on the bottom. Choice spots are around Black’s island and in the channel by Pigs bayou.
Redfish schools are working the flats between Eagle harbor and the tip, but be prepared to catch some Ladyfish and Bluefish as they are pretty thick. Gold spoons are the top artificial and live shrimp is definitely your best live bait option, but even frozen shrimp has been working on the larger schools. Some Flounder are still being picked up under the George C. Tapper Bridge and off the oil docks at PSJ marina. Bull minnows Carolina rigged with a size 1 circle hook using fluorocarbon leader material and a 1 oz or smaller egg weight is the bait of choice.
Pompano are still with us and the hot spots are still the stump hole at Cape San Blas and along the Beach of St Joseph Park and a few at east beach and Mexico Beach. Most fish were caught using shrimp on a double hook Pompano rig.
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 with some better fish taken over the hard bottom to the west. 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
Great week of fishing was on tap for the holiday weekend. First of all there was a 700.8 lb Bluefin Tuna caught on the Annie Girl out of orange Beach while fishing in the Mobile Big Game Fishing Tournament.
Closer to home Ted Gorder (hope I Spelled it right) caught a 30lb Cobia form his Kayak fishing a few miles off shore at the Miss Louise Tug boat. They beach launch the kayaks near Chrystal beach and make the several mile paddle offshore on many weekends.
The Kings have been steady now that the moon is not so full. You can get them trolling plugs and cigar minnows near the sea buoy, southeast rocks and broken bottom.
Bottom fishing is good for Snapper, Grouper and Amberjack. Also this weekend the Federal snapper season will open. Make sure you have a Venting Tool, De-hooker and circle hooks as of June 1st for all reef fish.
On the pier, things have been slow, a few Pompano, Spanish and a Red or two. They did have a nice catch of Kings on the pier Monday morning when it was very windy. I have a nice picture of a little girl and a Hardtail at the pier on Tuesday afternoon.
On the jetties good catches of Ladyfish, Blues and Hardtails.
In the bay the Reds are still good in the sound and the Trout have been very good on the flats around the mouths of the bayous very late in the day.
For offshore where the water is dirty green near the edge, nipple and 131 hole; a few reports have pretty water from the Ozark and back to the east towards the squiggles.
Fresh Water
APALACHICOLA /WHITE CITY
Bluegill fishing is still going strong. A nice wiggler on the bottom is producing the numbers in 3-4 ft of water. The bass anglers are finding them on the sandy bottoms and at the mouths of the tributaries right along shore. They are hitting the bait about 2 feet from shore so be ready to set your hook quick. They are also starting to hit the soft baits like the Zoom brush hogs really well around structure and on sandy bottoms as the bass are starting to get ready to spawn.
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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