10/14 – Weekly Fishing Report by Half Hitch Tackle
Salt Water
MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE
The King mackerel bite improved this week and were hitting flat lines or trolling Mann’s Stretch 25’s and 30’s. Spanish mackerel and bluefish schools are at the buoy line and around the Air Force tower. A few schools of Spanish are scattered along the beaches and in St. Joe Bay. You can catch them by throwing gotcha lures, spoons, or any variety of plugs.
ST JOSEPH BAY
Redfish are the hot bite right now. Fishing a live shrimp under a Cajun thunder is working the best. A real hot spot for reds as reported are the grass flats and sand bars around Black’s island. Using this same rig in the same areas is also producing some decent trout. For artificial, use a gold spoon or a topwater plug at first light. A few more pompano catches reported along the shore of Mexico Beach using a pink pompano jig, and inside crooked island sound are some large Spanish mackerel working and are being caught on live LY’s and rattletraps.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS
Schools of Bonita can be found all over inshore right now. Free-line cigar minnows or herring, or throw jigs and spoons for a lot of action. The King mackerel are still biting very well from the beach out to 40 miles. Grouper have slowed way down. To find them, fish well offshore from 20 plus miles out. Use large live baits. Wahoo are being caught from 20-40 miles out. Hi speed trollers, like the Yo Zuri Bonita, are a sure bet. Lots of AJ’s are still being caught around the 100’ mark over bridge spans and large wrecks. Big hard tails are the best bet for keeper AJ’s.
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Flounder are just beginning their migration out of the bay and some smaller fish have been found around the inshore buoys. Slowly drag live bull minnows across the bottom to catch these fish. The Redfish action is heating up on the flats in East and West Bays. Slowly and quietly drift the flats in 3 feet or less water using a ½ ounce Gold Spoon or your favorite Top-water Plug. The Bull Reds are still being caught with live shrimp and pinfish around the jetties. Trout are biting well on the flats in 3 to 5 feet of water with top-water lures early and live shrimp or Gulp under a popping cork later. Larger Trout are being caught free-lining live Alewives. Mangrove Snappers are very plentiful under the bridges and at the jetties. Use live shrimp. King Mackerel are being caught regularly off the new city pier along with Spanish, Bluefish, Lady Fish, Redfish and a few Flounder. Ladyfish, Bluefish, and Spanish mackerel are biting well at the jetties on spoons and Gotcha Plugs.
DESTIN
Fishing is very good right now over the past week there have been some very nice catches of Yellowfin tuna, Blackfin tuna and Dolphin on the off shore scene. Trey Windes caught a nice blue marlin on Wednesday at the knuckle.
Kings and blackfin tuna are still good near shore mixed with a few dolphin. The bottom fishing has been good for amberjack and grouper. In the bay the reds are very good with some nice trout but not many numbers of them. Plenty of flounder are in the harbor but there are some throwbacks there.
The pier is getting a few kings, ladyfish and blues.
FRESH WATER
The largemouth bass are at the tributaries and hitting spinner baits regularly. For the big boys, fish big 10-12” worms in dark colors around the tree trunks
For more information on Panama City Beach fishing go to www.halfhitch.com
