Panama City Beach

[sweetwater]

I'm not wanting fish to eat just catch a bunch of sporting fish on light tackle. If its trout that's fine as long as you can catch a bunch and they fight. If its red fish that's fine, spanish mackerel, cobia, just something thats running that time of year and put up a good fight. I don't want to drop a bait 200 + feet straight down using a mop handle and then reeling it right back up with a fish on even if I didn't know it was there. So whatever is running the last week of May in the bay or close to the coast is where I want to be.

Actually the reds will be in about 50 feet of water. Huge AJ's are there too, and you'll need more than a mop handle or you'll either lose you rig or go swimming. That's about a sporty as it gets.

Kingfish and dolphin are out there too and they are pelagic. They'll burn off 100 yards of line before you can say huh. That's getting pretty darn sporty too.


If you don't like bottom fishing I'd do a kingfish and dolphin (mahi mahi) trip.

[GobyPuck]

Actually the reds will be in about 50 feet of water. Huge AJ's are there too, and you'll need more than a mop handle or you'll either lose you rig or go swimming. That's about a sporty as it gets.

Kingfish and dolphin are out there too and they are pelagic. They'll burn off 100 yards of line before you can say huh. That's getting pretty darn sporty too.


If you don't like bottom fishing I'd do a kingfish and dolphin (mahi mahi) trip.

Thanks for all the insight..I am a landlocked and don't understand all the salt water fishing.

[sweetwater]

Thanks for all the insight..I am a landlocked and don't understand all the salt water fishing.

It's kinda pricey unless you take a headboat but there are lots of charters available for hire in the PCB and Destin area.

[sweetwater]

Heres a link to a panhandle forum that make help. Panhandle Fishing Reports

[GobyPuck]

Thanks Sweetwater....very helpful!

[KyTrkyHntr]

If you are staying in PCB, then check out Grassy Flat Charters. Capt Daniel Snapp is a standup guy and great guide. I've fished with him a number of times and if the fish are on he will stay out way past his 4hrs so you get your money's worth. If the weather is right he can go offshore for some Kings, but he's mainly inshore and can put you on trout, reds and tons of spanish mackerel. All light tackle fun!!!

[kmwwingbone]

If you are staying in PCB, then check out Grassy Flat Charters. Capt Daniel Snapp is a standup guy and great guide. I've fished with him a number of times and if the fish are on he will stay out way past his 4hrs so you get your money's worth. If the weather is right he can go offshore for some Kings, but he's mainly inshore and can put you on trout, reds and tons of spanish mackerel. All light tackle fun!!!

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I kayak fished with this guy at PCB during spring break. Caught lots of trout, some reds. Good time and he was a good guide.

[Moveon]

A friend of mine had a girl friend that went to school down there. She enrolled in the Florida School in August of 1973.

We drove down to see here and also to go scuba diving off the coast of Panama City Florida. My partner got sea sick so I was paired up with another guy who's partner also got sea sick. I didn't know this guy from Adam but found out that he was an idiot. Before we went down the boat's captain said to bring any speared fish up to the boat IMMEDIATELY after spearing the fish. My new partner must have missed that part.

Went we got down to the bottom in about 50 ft of water my partner started to hunt Amber Jacks with his spear gun. He didn't have to wait long for a huge school to come within range. He speared one AJ and the spear went all the way though the fish so that the fish had the rope going though it's body. The fish was free to thrash around and was bleeding into the water. I thought that the guy would surface and take the fish up to the boat but he reloaded the spear back into his spear gun with the live fish still struggling against the rope. He speared another AJ and now had two struggling fish on his spear guns tether.

That was enough for me. I did a 360 visual and spotted some larger fish swimming in cirlces around us. They were small Blue sharks. I told the guy to surface but he refused. I then singled to the guy that I was out of air and had to surface. He reluctantly followed me to the surface. When we reached the surface the current had pushed us down stream of the boat. They put out a long safety line behind the boat and I was able to catch in and pull and swim back to the boat before the sharks attacked him or me. He made it and was pissed at me until the Captain of the boat blamed him for ruining the entire dive for everyone else. The bigger sharks had moved into the area and the captain of the boat made everyone get out of the water and back into the boat.

Sharks can smell blood in the water from a long ways but they can detect the erratic movement of an injured fish from many yards away. The dying fish on the spear guns tether was like ringing the dinner bell to the sharks. I knew this and separated myself from my partner once we hit the surface. My idea of scuba diving is not being shark bait. I figure that if the sharks hit anyone it would be the guy close to the dying struggling AJ on the spear guns tether. And that was my new partner. I'd never dive with that idiot again.


I'm not sure how far out in the Gulf we went. I think it was about a hours trip but that was many years ago.

The boat had two engines but one of them was broken when we started to leave the dock. So on the way back the captain of the boat had trouble getting the boat to maneuver with only one engine. He came in to the dock at the wrong angle and too fast and plowed right into the wooden dock breaking the wooden decking. I was glad that the trip was over and was ready to go home. On the way home my friend wrecked my brand new Sports Car. He got into a 4 car pile up and my car was smashed up in the front and hit in the back by another car. He never even offered to help pay for the wreck. I should have never let him drive my car but I was so tired that I could not drive another minute. He and his girlfriend keep us up most of the night as the Baseball team came over to party at the pool where the girlfriend lived. The baseball team was rowdy and loud and didn't leave until around 3 am. I only got about 4 hours of sleep and had to be back home on Monday to work.


I remember this event every time I hear the word Amber Jacks. So I'm pretty sure you will find some of them AJ down there in August. Not sure if they will be in the shallows or not.

In July at Clear Water Beach Florida in 1958 my dad caught a bunch of sea trout right off the beach using regular fishing tackle. I saw them after he came back home. He was pictured in the local paper and they did a story on him catching those sea trout. I still have some slide pictures of those fish some where.

Actually the reds will be in about 50 feet of water. Huge AJ's are there too, and you'll need more than a mop handle or you'll either lose you rig or go swimming. That's about a sporty as it gets.

Kingfish and dolphin are out there too and they are pelagic. They'll burn off 100 yards of line before you can say huh. That's getting pretty darn sporty too.


If you don't like bottom fishing I'd do a kingfish and dolphin (mahi mahi) trip.

[huntingteacher]

Guide recommendation - Osprey Charters, Capt Greg. Been out with him several times. 2nd choice, and cheaper, rent a boat for 275 or less, troll for Spanish around the jetties and the pass. We caught 26 in 4 hours trolling silver spoons. Half Hitch Tackle posts weekly fishing reports. I took my kayak down, caught a nice red fish in the bay. That is really fun way to fish there. Do it every year.

[sweetwater]

Guide recommendation - Osprey Charters, Capt Greg. Been out with him several times. 2nd choice, and cheaper, rent a boat for 275 or less, troll for Spanish around the jetties and the pass. We caught 26 in 4 hours trolling silver spoons. Half Hitch Tackle posts weekly fishing reports. I took my kayak down, caught a nice red fish in the bay. That is really fun way to fish there. Do it every year.

I go to the Half Hitch Tackle in Destin and PCB all the time. Both locations are great shops with friendly and helpful employees.

[JUSTINHALL]

Gobypuck,
I will be down in Destin for a week and a half in mid June. If you are down there in that time I can take you out. I do go out though and fish for red snapper and grouper not in shore. We go 14-16 miles out and fish in 75-90' of water. I have Gloomis rods so its not like using a broom handle but they are heavier rods than you are used to and I promise you it is one heck of a fight. They will wear you out and maybe make you holler for momma but I can promise you it is a lot of fun. It is action packed not send it to the bottom and wait 20 minutes, you send it down fill the weight thump and hold on and start cranking. If you are in the right spot they grab it as fast as you can get it to the bottom.

[Duayne]

Not sure if you want to leave Panama City, but a short drive east and you could hook up with a quality guide from Robinson Brothers. I've used a few. David Heinke and Chris Robinson are both awesome. Tommy Robinson is the best flats guide, probably in all of FL but he's almost impossible to get. His brother isn't far behind him. Dave Heinke also works for the FL wildlife biology department and he's an unbelievably cool guy to talk to.

I would rather fish Apalachicola bay than anywhere in the world.

http://flaredfish.com/