fishin in panama

[skeeter185]

i gota question about fishin off the pier ill be in florida in a month or so was just gona take a decent rod and reel thinking about throwing gulp shad with a jighead i have know idea really on what to do for fishing like that any help would be appreciated also would i have to buy a fishing license to fish in the ocean ????


thanks
brad

[JD7.62]

If you pay to fish off the pier you will not need a liscense.

The time of year you are going, there wont be much running. Just bring you a medium action spinning outfit and that should be fine. Purchase a couple chrome with red head gotchas, use a THIN steel leader if you are getting cut off. You should have a blast with the lady fish though they are really only good for chum and/or shark bait after the catch.

Throwing out live shrimp on a fish finder rig could bring in a myriad of different fish species from whiting (great fried) to flounder, the occasional blue fish and lots of cats!

[artcarney_agr]

The fish finder rig mentioned above is nothing more than a carolina rig. I was in Florida last week and used it extensively with fresh shrimp. I used a steel leader, and a 1 oz. weight. You just cast it out, and drag it along the bottom like a carolina rig. They usually nail it pretty quickly. I filled a cooler each day with whiting and sand trout. I also caught a few baby sharks, a stingray, and several catfish. The catfish aren't your normal catfish - they look exactly the same as your freshwater cats, but they can hurt you a heck of a lot more...do not touch them if at all possible!

The Gotcha lure is definitely one to try! I used the 7/8 oz size heavily last week, and caught a few ladyfish and several spanish mackerel. Those spanish mackerel are some fighters! I hooked into one that was well over 5 lbs - had him almost the beach, then he made a mad dash back out, so fast that my drag didn't give him any line!

As for the license, you better research that. It's always been a requirement of non-residents to possess a saltwater license. Residents didn't need one, but that changed this year, and now everyone must have one. Before, the law didn't fool with just looking for non-residents, but now that everyone needs one, they're actually out looking now.

[JD7.62]

Oh yeah, in the middle of summer that area is FULL of sharks! If you want a real challenge bring a heavier outfit, get a big circle hook, steel cable for a leader and heavy weight. Cut up a lady fish in nice chunks and wade out as far as you can and wing it (kind of eery wading when you are shark fishing!! haha). Best times are at dawn and dusk for this and you WILL get a shark. My family has a boat down there and its amazing how many sharks we see just yards of the beach, big ones too!

My biggest fish was a 7ft nurse shark caught in three feet of water about an hr east of Panama City in Cape San Blas. I had only 15lb line and it took me nearly three hours to get her in!

If you are lucky, the spinner sharks will be in the area. These look very very similiar to black tips but when hooked they take to the air. Im talking jump after jump after jump! Nothing will get your heart pump like a 5ft shark tail walking across the surf as your running down the beach to keep up with him!

Just please dont fish for sharks around people!

[skeeter11008]

I just got back from Gulf Shores, Alabama. It is right down the road and also in the Gulf of Mexico. I caught several Pompano on a Pompano rig with whole shrimp and used either a casting spoon in chrome or a chrome Gotcha and caught several Ladyfish (poor man's Tarpon). When you get the Ladyfish cut it into steaks like you would a salmon and then bait it on a bottom rig and we filled a cooler every day with Bluefish. Probably brought home 25 pounds of Bluefish and Pompano filets. All you really need is a light spinning outfit on a 6'6 or 7 ft. rod 10 lb. test with a wire leader ( 16.00 at Wal-Mart for a Diawa G-Shock outfit). Wade out in the surf about hip deep and cast out. The local tackle shops should be able to point you in the right direction in regards to bait rigs. I would not recommend casting the cutbait until dusk when the swimmers start thinning out or early in the morning at dawn.

[JD7.62]

Pompano are fantastic fish! My favorite. They work their way north and west though the spring/summer and back south and east during the fall/winter. If you are lucky you may tangle into the late Pompano or two and if you do throw that baby on ice immediately, fillet but dont skin and grill it on the halfshell...WOW!

[skeeter185]

hey thanks for the detail in the post guys ...... atleast now i can have some kinda strategy and not look so much like a tourists lol yeah right ..... never even thought of a steel leader .... is that gotcha bait some kind of spoon like bait (kastmaster) ??? the carolina rig would i use that with a circle hook instead of my normal setup ???

[JD7.62]

I like circle hooks for cut baits and khale hooks for live/fresh dead (avoid frozen if possible) and live sandfleas (pompano candy if they are still in the area.

Gotchas are sort of like a casting spoon but jigged erratically when retrieved as the eye is on the top about a 1/4th of the way back. The trick is jig fast and hard! Spanish love the erratic motions and will ignore a slow or lightly jigged gotcha.

[artcarney_agr]

Here's the Gotcha bait:
http://www.seastriker.com/gotcha/got.../300series.htm

Should be available at any Wal-Mart for around $3 each

Yes, go with the circle hook - I used a 2/0 and it worked fine for whiting and anything else. If you're going after sharks, a bigger hook like a 7/0 would be better.

Another technique is a popping bobber - caught a lot more trout with the popping bobber than I did dragging on the bottom.

[artcarney_agr]

Oh yeah, you work the Gotcha like you would a jerkbait on a fast retrieve. The strikes you'll get are amazing! They knock the fire out of it!

[skeeter185]

thanks for the pic i hadnt any idea what the gotcha lookd like hadnt googled it yet ....... i cant wait to get down there in try this out ..... thanks again guys for the info .....you ve been really helpfull now if i can make it work for me

[Yank]

I think your best bet would be take a Heavy duty Rod and Reel , 15 to 20lb. test line . Some Spoons, Bucktail Flies . I don't think you will need a licence . I would go to the nearest Tackle Store also Contact Fla. Game and fish. Inter Net. I fished the area of West Palm beach for many years .. Piers Etc. Never bought a license to fish the Ocean. Yank