Panhandle Fishing Report 7-25-08

Report for 07/25/2008

Salt Water

PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS
The Cobia bite has tapered off significantly. Some are still being caught over structure within 10 miles from shore. Throw a live bait to them and hold on!
Grouper and Snapper are being caught consistently over hard bottom areas from 18 miles out. The baits of choice are live Squirrel Fish, Cigar Minnows, and Hard Tails.

Wahoo are still biting from 20 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.

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.

King Mackerel are plentiful offshore and near shore. Trolling has picked up while most of the fish are being caught free-lining live baits.

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 spread out 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
The hottest bite as of late has been bottom fishing for Red Snapper and Amberjack. A former employee Jay Riordan who now lives in Tampa was visiting over the weekend and had a very nice catch of Red Snapper with quite a few fish over the 15 to 20 lb mark.
The King Mackerel bite is once again turning on trolling near shore with live Cigar Minnows and Yo-zuri plugs. We had one customer Jeromy Page and his wife Amy catch a very nice Red and a large Jack Crevalle fishing just offshore trolling with live Threadfin Herring. Take a look at these pictures!!





On the pier the bite has slowed a lot this week. Only a couple Kings and a Tarpon or too have been caught. Most of the action has been Ladyfish and Hardtails but even those are slow due to lots of seaweed and jellyfish. The same is true in the surf as the seaweed is very bad in some areas and so are the jellyfish making if difficult if not nearly impossible to fish. I think we are at least into the worst of the seaweed now and it should start to clear over the next several weeks.

In the bay, the Ladyfish and Blues have been active on the flats. There are a few reds and trout if you fish first light and at dusk. The best things for bait are live shrimp, ly?s and Gulps.

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.