Fishing Report
Report Courtesy of Half Hitch Tackle
Report for 1/13/12
Salt Water
PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE AND INSHORE
Inshore
Fishing for sea trout has been good all week. Many anglers are reporting catches from the Tapper Bridge, (intra-coastal canal) to the “tee” and beyond. Wetappo Creek is also a hot spot. Drift with live shrimp until you locate the fish, then anchor up and get your bag limit filled.
Redfish have been caught on the grass flats in St. Joseph’s bay this week. Reports still have a lot of redfish activity along the miles at Indian Pass.
Flounder are returning to the bay and some very nice ones were caught this week. Anglers are using bull minnows, which are easily cast, netted thru out the bay.
Offshore
Inside state waters, anglers are enjoying black sea bass and triggerfish catches between nuisance catches of red snapper. Plenty of gray snapper and many large flounder caught this week near inshore reefs and structure.
No reports from further off shore this week.
PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE
Very little has changed from last weeks report. Amberjack, Bee liners, Red grouper, Trigger fish and Black sea bass are all viable targets. Flounder have become pretty scarce lately. Still lots of Bonita along the beach and out a couple of miles so if you do get the chance to go be sure to plan on getting a few fresh Bonita to cut strip baits from. Short of a large live bait, Bonita strips are definitely a great bait.
ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Water temps have fluctuated up a few degrees and back down lately. Just about the time you dial in on the location of a few fish they move. Sunny days have proved to attract Specks and Reds up into some fairly skinny water on an incoming tide. but they are easy to spook. The Intra Coastal creek mouths and bayous have had good reported catches as well. Up at the Deerpoint Dam local anglers reported catching their limit fairly easily on live shrimp. The hot water canal of course is holding lots of fish (please note this fishery is catch and release only during this time of year). Larger Reds are getting caught in their usual haunts (bridge channels and the jetties). Lots of Bonita and some Bluefish in and around the pass. They can be entertaining for young and old, besides you have to “exercise” the boat every now and then or it will get mad at you!
PANAMA CITY BEACH SURF / PIER
Reports from the local piers are that Bonita and a few Bluefish are pretty dependable catches and those working the bottom have picked up some Whiting. A few reports of Pompano and Sheep head sighted but they are not co operating too well. It seems they have a case of lock jaw. Remember that clear water conditions dictate the use of a stealthy rig in order to fool these wary fish into biting. Large mono or worse yet, wire leaders are not going to work here. Surf anglers have reported some Flounder, Whiting and a few Pompano out to the west end of the beach (Camp Helen and Laguna beach and out into Grayton beach areas). The best reported catch of Pompano I heard about was from someone using small live crabs for bait.
Fresh Water
Fishing Report prepared by Half Hitch Tackle Staff.
The Captains Corner Fishing Report is provided by local charter captains and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Half Hitch Tackle.
This report is dedicated to the memory of Al Hubbard.
Al Hubbard was a field editor for Florida Sportsman magazine, an outdoor writer for the News Herald and a board member of the Florida Outdoor Writer’s Association.
Mr. Hubbard was also the owner of Al’s Outdoors Outfitting Services.