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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
PANAMA CITY BEACH OFFSHORE AND INSHORELast week had a lot of wind and kept a lot of us either in port or close to shore, but there were a couple days that a few anglers got out far enough to try the bottom bite. Fairly good reports on Red grouper and Amberjack as well as the stringer fish (Trigger fish, Bee liners, and White snapper). A few King mackerel have showed up and there have been some Bonita finally coming around. However most anglers are focused on the Cobia migration and there are quite a few getting caught most days. There have even been a few Triple tail picked up free floating so keep your eyes peeled. Not much out there yet for live bait so plan ahead accordingly, most are either purchasing live bait or setting traps in the bay a couple days ahead of time.
Pictures sent in my Joe McNeal and David Mitchell with their King Mackerel catch from this morning. Nice catch!
In the surf and at the local piers the Pompano have really showed up in some pretty good numbers but you have to be there at the right time because it is not an all day event. You can also expect to find plenty of Spanish, Blues, and a few Redfish, Sheep head and Flounder. At the piers you will find most anglers are there for the Cobia run we are currently experiencing and there have been some very nice fish landed.
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEMThe bay fishing is really starting to get good. Both Redfish and Speckled trout are on the move in the grass, Spanish are all over the place (especially in the early morning), and you can count on filling out your inshore slam with a Flounder if you know where to look. We are also still finding some Sheep head but they seem to have moved into deeper waters. Hopefully the weather man will give us a break and let the wind lay down, ‘till then I guess we will have to just have take what we are given. Certainly compared to our friends in Boston and now in Texas we have nothing to complain about!!!
NAVARREThe unpredictable weather tried its best to reduce our time on the water this week, but the bite inshore and off has really picked up and it is only going to get better.
Inshore the sheepsheads are still going strong and the trout bite has exploded this week. Redfish, spanish and the occasional flounder are also available. The sheepsheads are on deep structure in the sound and bays. Live shrimp, fiddler crabs, and fresh oysters are the go to bait. The trout bite is about as good as it gets, especially if you are targeting gator trout. The females are full of roe and starving, so please release the larger females. They can be found around the large schools of mullet that are pretty much everywhere right now. MirrOlures Top Dog, Heddon’s Super Spook, Rapala’s Skitter Walk, and Bombers Badonk-A-Donk have been the go to top water baits this week. MirrOlure’s MirrOdine in 17 and 27MR in black and gold for when the water is muddy and chartreuse and silver as well as Yo-Zuri’s Crystal 3D Shrimp are the go to suspending baits. Plenty of fish are also being landed on the old reliable live shrimp under a popping cork presentation. The same baits are also working for reds on the flats, but along the deeper docks you will need to switch to a shrimp and split shot presentation. There has also been good number of Spanish showing up in the sound and bays. All of the above baits will woke for them, but be sure to increase you leader size or you will be going through a lot expensive lures.
The cobia bite remains rock solid with plenty of fish sighted and landed every day. Jigs and live eels have been the preferred baits. The king bite has begun to heat up in the last couple of days with the south east winds we have had. Cigar minnows and threadfins are also starting to show up around the pier. Spanish, sheepshead, bull reds, black drum, and pompano are also available. Got-Cha lures and Salt Slayer jigs have been to go to baits for targeting Spanish this week. Sheepsheads, reds and pompano are hitting live shrimp fished on the bottom. On the beach the pompano bite is going strong with many reporting that they are catching their limit as well as the occasional red. To go to bait has been live sand fleas and live shrimp, but frozen fleas and shrimp will also do the trick.
Paul Gambrell caught this 51.8lb cobia off the Navarre Pier this Tuesday on a custom cobia jig
Off shore the cobia bite is about as good as it gets. Most of the fish are ranging from 30 to 40 pounds. Jigs and eels have been the top baits. The amberjack bit is still going strong with most of the bigger fish being caught in at least 150 feet. King mackerel are also starting to make a good showing as the follow the bait that is being pushed in by the south east winds the last few days. Most are being caught by slow trolling around the schools of live baits and around many of the near shore wrecks. Those bottom fishing are also getting in the action with trigger fish, red and scamp grouper, mingo snapper and red porgies.
Until next week tight lines!
This Fishing Report was submitted on 4/18/2013 4:20:30 PM by Seamus and last updated on 4/19/2013 4:20:30 PM.
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