Report for 06/27/2008
Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
The Snapper and Grouper bite has been steady this past week, and that pattern should remain constant throughout this week. Reports have the best bag limits at 25-40 miles out. The Black Snapper bite has been good on near shore structures. The Mahi-Mahi bite reports have been steady and reports beyond thirty miles look for the weed lines.
The King Mackerel bite is in full gear. Virginia reef and the car bodies both are hot this week. Look for bait schools around the bottom structure and along the buoy line.
Good reports came in of Wahoo catches in the 30-50 mile range, trolling panhandlers or islander lures with ballyhoo.
ST JOSEPH BAY
With popup thunderstorms in the afternoon, watch yourself. The trout bite has really turned on both in the head of the bay and over near the peninsula side. Redfish numbers have been great this week.
Choice spots are around Black’s island and in the channel by Pigs bayou. Flounder is still going strong, but the numbers are not as good as weeks past. The hot spot is still George C. Tapper Bridge, or the PSJ marina.
The Spanish mackerel numbers dropped over the past week however, the ones caught were much larger fish. Indian Pass anglers are reporting a steady increase in the number and size of tarpon feeding in the area.
APALACHICOLA /WHITE CITY
Tripletail fishing is reported to be excellent in the Apalachicola bay along with Tarpon and trout.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS
Wahoo have started to show up in better numbers lately. Most fish are being caught from 30 miles and further offshore. Look for weed lines or large clumps. High speed trollers are working well, as well as ballyhoo and large live baits.
“Half Hitch's own Jason Rhinehart with a nice Wahoo he caught using a Shimano Butterfly Jig on a Trevala Jigging Rod with a Spheros 8000. Way to go Jay!”
Tarpon are running the beaches in schools. These fish are very wary and will spook easily. Get in front of the school or anchor and wait for the schools to come to you. Be very quiet and pitch live baits ahead of the lead fish.
Chicken Dolphin are all over the place offshore. Tons of weed lines and clumps are present from 3 miles out. Small jigs, spoons and cut bait work well.
King Mackerel are plentiful offshore and near shore. Trolling has picked up while most of the fish are being caught free-lining live baits.
Below is angler Jay Cohen with a 35lb Black Grouper and a 24 ½ LB Snapper caught Monday July 23rd with Clint King and Capt. Brian Beighey
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Trout are all over deep grass beds in all of the bays. Live alewives will produce better sized fish, while grubs and topwater plugs will yield the most strikes. 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. Bluefish, Spanish and Ladyfish are plentiful on all of the major points around St. Andrews Bay, the Middle Grounds, and Camel Back Shoals.
DESTIN
This was another great week fishing with lots of exciting catches. Things look good for the Emerald Coast Classic fishing out of Sandestin this weekend.
I had a very good friend and his 8 year old son visit this week. While Cory and Clay were here we made a trip with Captain Phill Rooks on the Charter Boat Fish Finder Monday morning. The weather was perfect, seas 1 foot or less and a slight overcast sky to keep it cool. We made a stop at the live bait boat for a scoop of bait and then off to the east beach for a shot at live baiting some fads. Our first fish was a King about 25-28 lbs. It was Clay’s biggest fish ever and was almost as tall as he was. Over all we had a great trip landing about a dozen Kings, one shark, one Bonito, and a Dolphin. It was a perfect day on the water and we were back in time for lunch. Captain Phill was a delight to fish with. His number is 850-699-1033 if you would like a trip on his boat.
We had several customers report good Wahoo catches this week. The water offshore is starting to clean up and fishing is getting good. Wahoo and dolphin are scattered all along the 100 fathom curve, the 131 hole and the Nipple. Out to the rigs there has been a steady bite of Tuna and some good Swordfish action around the spur.
The Snapper and Grouper are good in water 125 to 300 foot deep. Amberjack are good if you have live bait and fish the larger wrecks in water over 150 foot deep.
The bay action has been fair with Trout and Reds biting best at night or late afternoon. The flats east of the coast guard station are holding lots of Ladyfish, Blues and some Spanish.
Out on the pier there are some Kings right at sun up and then again in the mid afternoon when the wind comes up. Tarpon are showing up in better numbers and starting to bite. Ladyfish, blues and Hardtails are plentiful most all day and especially late in the afternoon.
Along the beaches there is a good tarpon run happening, make sure to have a good supply of live bait and anchor up just off the sand bar and be very quiet and wait for the tarpon to swim by. If you fire up the motor they will spook. It is best to fish several miles east or west of the pass to avoid the boat traffic that spooks the tarpon.
In the surf there are just a bare few Pompano, plenty of Ladyfish and Hardtails and some sharks and blues in the evening.
Fresh Water
Shell cracker and Bluegill bite is going strong this summer. Bottom fishing in 3-4 ft. with a wiggler is producing a full stringer. Bass are haunting both sandy bottoms and in mouths of tributaries. They are hitting baits about 2 feet from shore so be ready to set your hook quick.
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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