Panama City-End of June

[JimDi]

I am going to Panama City at the end of June and staying on the east end. Was wanting suggestions on deep sea fishing. I think the red snapper are in season then..... Please let me know of any ideas or suggestions for good charter boats.

[sweetwater]

Fisheries Council is meeting this week in Mobile to set the Gulf red snapper season. Rumor has it the season will be only 27 days this year. As far as a charter goes. most of the boats in PCB are tourist oriented. It would be worth the hours drive from PCB to Destin for a charter from there. There are lots of reputable Captains out of Destin and it's closer to the best fishing grounds.

[huntingteacher]

I've been going to Panama for years fishing. Most boats are as good as another. Red snapper fishing is pretty much the same everywhere. They go to a wreck or reef , fish bottom with squid, fish, and reel reel reel. I get tired of reeling to tell you the truth. Fishing 80 foot down wears me out. But I'm getting some age on me. I enjoy kayaking the bays now fishing on my own. Good red fish, trout in the bays. I also get a guide for bay fishing usually. Last year, couldn't find a bay guide to fit our schedule, so we got a guide and trolled for king makeral. I enjoyed that. I usually fish St Andrews Park Jetty once or twice. The piers can be productive too.

[Carter1]

I've been there once back in early 80's. I went on a headboat by Capt. Anderson's which was a restaurant if it is still there. The food there was good too. The day I went fishing everything was going great. Until I learned that I get seasick. While I was in the concession area near the head, everyone else was catching big amberjack. Have a good time. The jetty, as mentioned, can be good too. Oh, I also got sun poisoning my first day there. So I found a shady spot back in a cove area if I remember right and went fishing. This was my first time in Floriga so I bought a container of chicken livers to fish with. I put a chunk on a hook and hurled it out. It wasn't long and I had a bite. I caught what I thought was a 12 pound carp so I let it go. Later, I saw some boys near a dock and I described to them what I caught. They told me it was a redfish and that they are good eating. Live and learn.

[Rob1678]

I spend a lot of time in St Andrews park. the jetti is great. I have caught some really good fish. Lots of mangrove snapper, blues, spanish mackeral, and reds. Ans pelicans, and gulls and hammerhead sharks

I get live shrimp from local tackle shop and a pound of fresh shrimp and have a system to put it all on my back in a backpack to head out to the jetti end. I like being there at sunrise and sunset. The greenies used as live bait work well too. Just don't fish in the kiddie pool, even if the mangrove and bedding in there. The Fish and Wildlife do not think that it is very funny...at all!!!!
Good luck

Pierpark is good too. Read your tide charts. 2 hours before and after high tide is usually best. Ane whenever the sun is touching the water....whether am or pm.

[Jabbo]

That's easy.. Drive inland after making your reservations with a fishing guide for TOHO

[GobyPuck]

Watched guys off the pier throwing plastic jerk baits wearing spainish mackrel out. Any type of shiny/gliterry jerkbait plastic or hard should work imo.
My only personal experience fishing there was about 12 years ago off the jetty in the park. Went to the local tackle store and asked them how to catch some fish and they will tell you everything they know plus set you up (oceans a big body of water lol). I was throwing my bass rods, baitcaster with m/h action rods so they told me to use a inline spinner rigged like a carolina rig. Went at daybreak and saw schools of fish busting on bait (watch for the birds) in casting range and let her go. Guy said reel as fast as you can and he was right, spainish mackrel will rip the pole out of your hand. Also told me to buy these shiny plugs that look like a top water chug bug but they sink and you kind of fish them like a hard jerkbait. I caught 1 large redfish with that bait but that was about it. Bottom line is you need a rod that cast far imo...most used large spinning rods which did get the baits out there but I managed well with my baitcasters.

[Carter1]

Goby, that shiny bait you are talking about sounds like a Gotcha. I have a couple of those. One thing I do when I go to Florida or some other beach area is go to Bass Pro Shop or other sporting goods store and buy some saltwater baits and terminal tackle. Bass Pro usually has a few baits on sale. I am really getting a good saltwater tackle bag filled one trip at a time.

[sweetwater]

Could be a windcheater too.

[GobyPuck]

I forgot what they call it but about a 1/4 of it was glo red and it sunk fairly quick and if I remember right had mono through it or something like that. Anyway I just threw it out and let it sink then would jerk it or even sometimes straight retrieve it I think..but like I said it caught 1 fish which was a solid 8 pound redfish.

[clc]

check out charisma charters at they are located just south of panama. i have used them a couple times.

Charisma Charters - Fish the Gulf of Mexico with Chuck Guilford, Mexico Beach, Florida

[JUSTINHALL]

I 2nd the 1 hr drive to Destin, the fishing is better out of Destin and you don’t have to go as far from Destin. I drag the boat to Destin to fish about every 6-8 weeks and it is amazing. Grouper, red snapper and Amber jack are the most plentiful. The farthest I usually go out is 16 miles which is just loaded with red snapper, I have many spots closer that have more AJs or more grouper but the mother load is at 16 miles. The ledge is about 20 miles from Destin and farther from Panama but like the other guy mentioned if you don’t like reeling 80 ft you really aint going to like reeling 250-275 ft that is a chore. My suggestion to you is don’t pay to go out past the ledge it is brutal. If the weather is bad you can go less than 2 miles and catch good fish out of Destin.
Good days are 85-100 fish of red snapper, grouper and AJs. 15-30+ lbs doing it at 85 feet is one thing doing it in 250’ is not fun at all. Another thing, everyone wants to catch a shark until I hook them up with a shark. It is a lot of work to catch a 6’ shark so unless you are dying to catch one fish for others cause odds are you will get hooked up with one anyways not even trying.
Normal day is catch live bait in the pass which is roughly 75 bait fish with rod in reel on sebiki rig ranging from 6"-10" then head out. We use all live bait and about 50 pieces of cut bait between 2-3 guys and you arms will say I am done about the same time the bait is gone around 1:30-2:00 then head back in. It really is an amazing trip.

I put a few pictures up just now under photo board if you want to see what we catch out of there.