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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
DESTINCan I say with ease we have the best new bait to hit the market in 10 years, the Manic Shrimp (see below) by Savage Gear. The new Manic Shrimp is the most realistic bait to come along in a long time. It already appears that it will change the way we fish for Trout, Redfish, Flounder, Black Snapper, Red Snapper, Pompano and many other species. One customer reported catching 16 trout, 3 redfish and 3 flounder Thursday on one of the new shrimp and it was still fishable. Come by to see them and let us demo how they work.
TrollingKings and blackfin tuna are picking up near the pass and the broken bottom along with reports of a few sailfish.
Bottom FishingGrouper are good on the rocks south and southeast of the Ozark in 185-360ft. Amberjack are good on the southwest edge. Mingos and trigger are abundant on Mingo Ridge and the south edge.
OffshoreA good amount of dolphin are being caught off scatter grass patches, Wahoo on the edges and Swordfish near the spur at night.
Pier and JettiesLots of ladyfish, some blues, some reds and a few Spanish are biting.
NAVARREInshore the water clarity has improved somewhat over last week. This along with the large schools of glass minnows everywhere is presenting numerous opportunities to stretch your line. Ladyfish, bluefish, Spanish, and jacks are tearing up these schools and will hit just about anything presented in front of them. The trout and redfish bit is on fire as well. Most are being caught on live shrimp and finger mullet, but artificials such as black and gold Mirror Deans and the new 3D TPE shrimp from Savage Gear and Vudu shrimp are producing larger fish without having to mess with the pinfish. Black snapper are thick around bridges, deep docks, and rock piles. Small live shrimp, small pinfish and live pilchards are the top live baits for the snapper. The flounder bite is improving daily as more are showing up each day. The most productive presentation has been to drag a few tiger minnows or finger mullets around deeper docks and bridge pilings when you fish those areas. Other options would be Gulp, Vudu or Savage Gear artificial shrimp.
Its ground hog day at the pier right now, with not much if any change since last week. The king bite is slow most days with a few Spanish caught in the morning and then maybe another round in the afternoon. Pompano whiting and reds are being caught in the surf. Live sand fleas and live shrimp are the top baits in the surf for the redfish, pompano, or whiting. There is also plenty of ladyfish, bluefish, and small jacks to be had if you are just looking for a tug.
Offshore the dolphin bite is on fire right now from as close in as the 131 hole to as far south as the spur. Most are being caught around weed lines and are ranging from chicken on up to 40lb bruisers. The grouper and amberjack bite is still going strong. Mingos, triggers and red porgies are also available. The hottest action is on reefs and wrecks in 150 to 200 feet of water. Live hardtails, pinfish, and red porgies have been the top baits for grouper and amberjack with the triggerfish, mingos, and red porgies preferring small pieces of cut squid. King mackerel are available closer to shore around the Destin and Pensacola passes as well as nearshore wrecks that are holding bait. Slow trolling with live baits on flat lines just behind the boat or on planers or downriggers are deadly presentations for the kings. Deep diving plugs such as Mann’s Stretch 25’s, YoZuri deep diving 3D minnows, and X’Rap are also a great alternative.
Until next week tight lines and get out there!
PANAMA CITY BEACH
OFFSHOREThe waters are clearing up nicely, blue water can be found about ten to fifteen miles out. Of course that can change rather quickly but now that the Monsoon season has let up maybe we can count on more normal conditions for this time of year. You can still find plenty of King mackerel and Bonita trolling the beach and out towards the buoys and you may also find Mahi-mahi like a few lucky anglers I talked to last week. They weren’t bulls but they weren’t little bitty either. Bigger Dolphin and Wahoo are getting caught but they were out around the drop off. A few Black fin tuna have been caught in the mix and there have been a few sightings of Sailfish. Bottom fishing is good too especially in deeper water, like a hundred twenty feet or more. Gag grouper, Scamp and Red grouper are responding to live baits best but will hit frozen as well. AJ’s and Trigger fish are running small within ten miles of the coast but if you get out a bit further to something like the Leroy or one of the trusses near there you can count on keeper size Jacks and larger Trigger fish. Also keep your eyes peeled out there because there have been several Cobia caught coming back through our area headed south.
SURF AND PIERFishing from the beach is improving with water clarity, early and late are best but if you are the patient kind it is still worth doing as the day progresses. Pompano are few and far between, more likely on the Whiting and even more so on Spanish, Blues and Ladyfish. Occasionally some Jack crevalle will come along crashing schools of rain minnows. Also don’t be surprised to see Tarpon rolling along with their backs coming out of the water momentarily, they are also working on the rain minnows but will not pass up a Ladyfish or Mullet properly placed.
Pier fishing is still better at day break but again if you are not the early rising type you can entertain yourself out there. Add to the above list King mackerel though they are not plenty. Sheep head, Redfish and Flounder are also the occasional catch.
ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEMThere are a lot of Speckled Trout around early, most are small but for every ten or so small ones you can usually find one worth keeping. Work a point of land that has some tidal flow and if you really want to up your odds, use some chum. Take plenty of bait with you, you’ll need it. It also would not hurt to have some artificial as a plan B like the new Manic shrimp. It is the most life like artificial shrimp I have seen, the legs move very much like a live shrimp. If you find the bite dwindling up on the flats, move on to a seawall or dock and try for Mangrove snapper, Redfish or maybe a Flounder.
RUSSELL-FIELDS PIER & M.B. MILLER PIERSurf conditions are still a little sketchy due to the rain we received on Tuesday. It has the water slightly murkier at the shore than ideal. Reports of Whiting have been made, but they are few and far between. Hard tails and other bait fish are proving plentiful. You’ll need to cast out farther than normal to reach a sweet spot; aim for the blue.
Pier fishing early this week has proven slow despite the clearer water and cooler weather conditions. Don’t despair; there are still plenty of king and Spanish mackerel to be had. They are head over fin crazy about the Gotcha lures. They respond almost immediately to the variety with silver bodies and red heads, tails or no. They are also inclined to take a voracious nibble of the abundance of bait fish we are seeing right now, so bring your Sabiki rigs. Live minnows are also producing good results, if you are able to find them. If not, frozen will work just fine. Mackerel enjoy the tepid water temperatures provided by dawn, so grab your rod and reel and be at the piers early. Timing is everything.
Many reports confirm that Bluefish are still being reeled in. We are seeing them in the 3lb. range. Redfish and flounder are also available, although few in number, their weight more than makes up for the extra time spent catching them. The Redfish are responding well to both live and frozen bait and they don’t need much coaxing to enjoy an early morning or late evening snack. Flounder are biting frozen shrimp and squid. Lady fish are out in good number and make excellent bait when chunked.
Shark fishing is proving to be a worthwhile venture. Right now, it is the guaranteed catch. Many sand, black tip, and nurse sharks are still plentiful around the pier because of the numerous bait fish that have been available. Over the past week some nice size ones have been landed, some as large as 6-8 feet long.
Below left to right a 7.5 foot Bull shark and a 8ft Nurse shark caught by Glenn Formby of Whitehall, Arkansas.
This Fishing Report was submitted on 9/8/2013 11:20:18 AM by Seamus and last updated on 9/19/2013 11:20:18 AM.
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