06/26 – Weekly Fish Report Presented By Half Hitch Tackle
Report for 06/26/2009
Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
The Snapper and Grouper bite is steady this week. Reports have the best numbers at 25-40 miles out. The Mangrove or grey, Snapper bite is good on near shore structures. Live bait is plentiful and will continue to be easy to catch at the buoys and over wrecks and reefs close in.
The dolphin bite reports have been steady, and reports have put them 20 to 40 miles out. Look for the weed lines and then troll small Boone jet baits or ballyhoo.
The king mackerel bite is in full gear with good numbers caught near shore and on off shore structures. Look for bait schools around the bottom structure and along the buoy line. Your best bet is trolling dusters and flat lining over structure where bait is holding.
The Spanish bite has been good this week, but trolling with a mackerel tree and Clark Spoons is working.
Wahoo are patrolling in 30-50 mile range, trolling panhandlers and islander lures with ballyhoo are working.
ST JOSEPH BAY
The trout bite has really turned on both in the head of the bay and over near the peninsula side. Your best bet this week will be along the St. Joe side of the bay along hwy 98.
Redfish numbers have been great this week. Live shrimp are working best, but if you throw artificial lures, try a Capt Mike’s spoon. Fish the flats from Pig Island all the way to pompano point and you should be able to catch nice redfish and trout on top water lures like the Mirrolure or Rapala X-rap. A good hotspot again this week is 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 Spanish mackerel numbers have improved over the past week. The larger Spanish have moved in and are being caught on live bait rigs and using a double speck rig or a gotcha plug for casting.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS
The Red Snapper bite is still real good over the wrecks and hard bottom areas. Wahoo are being caught from 20-40 miles out. Hi speed trollers, like the Yo Zuri Bonita, are a sure bet. King Mackerel are being caught in great numbers. They are being caught steadily around the Whistle and Weather buoys trolling and free-lining cigar minnows. Several reports of Mahi Mahi being caught from 6-8 miles out are coming in. Grouper are biting well from 20-30 miles out. Use large live baits to get past the Snapper! Lots of AJ’s are still being caught around the 100 foot mark over bridge spans and large wrecks.
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Tarpon have shown up on the beaches for their annual migratory run. Be stealthy, throw live baits, and keep your fingers crossed for a hook up! Ladyfish, Bluefish, and Spanish Mackerel are biting good at the jetties on spoons and Gotcha Plugs. Mangrove Snappers are still being caught off the rocks with live shrimp. Redfish have been found on the flats in East Bay; while Bull Reds are still being caught with live shrimp and pin fish around the jetties. Trout are being caught on the flats with topwater lures early and live shrimp under a cork later.
DESTIN
Cobia again!! Well just like last year we are getting a better run of cobia in late June than we did in April. I have fished all my life and have never seen anything like it. The Motherload had 14 on Thursday.
On trolling, seen the kings are on fire near shore with some nice Dolphin. Farther offshore there are real good numbers of Wahoo, Dolphin and Tuna. On Saturday the Jaspertime won the Emerald Coast classic with a 714lb Blue Marlin.
As for bottom fishing the snapper, grouper and amberjack have all been good.
Near shore there is a good supple of Tarpon. Paul Del Wagner caught 6 over the last week.
On the pier there has been a good bite of kings. John Pearman said he gaffed over 25 for customers on Friday morning.
In the bay the reds are very good and some trout early in the day and at night.
NAVARRE
SURF
We are now into June. Hopefully the weather will stabilize a little this month and offer some fishing opportunities. Area fisherman have been experiencing some of the best fishing in recent memory. We should see good numbers of Jack Crevalle in the 20# range as well as small schools of bull Redfish. The Jacks are hitting best on top water poppers and Rapala Skitterwalks. The Black Tip Shark bite is also heating up. Live Hardtails or cut mullet have been the go to bait. The Pompano bite has remained steady with most fish being landed on fresh dead shrimp and live sand fleas when you can find them. On calmer days Kayak fisherman can reach the King Mackerel just at the drop off in 20’ of water. Look for the schools of threadfins and cigar minnows and troll with deep diving hard baits. Try trolling live baits around these baitfish schools as well.
SOUND AND BAYS
Area anglers can expect to see great Trout fishing around the grass flats from Tiger Point to the grass flats just east of the bridge. Redfish and Flounder are also in the same waters with most of the fish caught on live shrimp under a popping cork. Also try using a 1/4oz jig tipped with a GULP! shrimp or jerk shad under the same popping cork. There have also been plenty of Trout and Redfish landed in East Bay from the Garcon Point bridge up to the power lines crossing the entrance to the East River.
NEAR SHORE – GULF
King Mackerel are still the hot bite near shore and continue to bite strong in and around the passes and inshore reefs in 60 to 80 feet of water. Trolling or fly lining live cigar minnows when anchored up has been the top producer. Dolphin continue to show up in increasing numbers especially around anglers fishing for bottom species. Just remember to have a rod ready and rigged with a pitch bait when they do show up. The near shore reefs and wrecks are also producing good numbers of Amberjack, Grouper, Black Snapper, Lane Snapper and Triggerfish. The Grouper are being caught on large pinfish, threadfins or hardtails with their tail clipped to make it easier for the grouper to catch them.
OFFSHORE – GULF
Red Snapper has been the top predator on most reefs and wrecks this week and we should continue to see more of the same this upcoming week. They are hitting jigs, live bait and deep running hard baits trolled over shallow reefs and wrecks. Amberjack are almost on every wreck from 60’ on out with the largest fish being caught in deeper water of 100’ or more. With all the bad weather last month the Grouper have almost been left alone. Look for them on the near shore reefs and wrecks. Fish in the 10# to 15# range will hit pinfish, threadfins and hardtails. You will have to remove the tails from the Hardtails; otherwise they are next to impossible to get to the bottom on a light weight. The amount of debris in the water has also increased this last week. So has the amount of Dolphin and Triple Tail on it. King mackerel are being caught daily around the mouth of the passes and buoy lines on cigar minnows slow trolled or free lined. If you can get out the blue water bite is still smoking hot. Yellow Fin, Black Fin and Wahoo are being caught around most of the deep water oil rigs. Poppers, jigs and slow trolled ballyhoo continue to be the go to baits. The bigger fish are coming off the bridled Bonito or large Blue Runners bump trolled around the rigs.
Fresh Water
Shell cracker and Bluegill bite is going strong this summer. Bottom fishing in 3-4 ft. with a wiggler is producing good numbers. For Bass you cannot go wrong with a Bangolures. You will find Bass both in sandy bottoms and in mouths of tributaries. They are hitting baits about 2 feet from shore so be ready to set your hook quick. They are also hitting soft baits like the Zoom brush hogs.
Weekly fishing report brought to you by half hitch tackle on Panama City Beach.
