# New to area



## snail71 (Dec 7, 2016)

I just moved to Freeport from the central MS area. I have fished fresh water for bream, bass, catfish, crappie, etc.. my entire life. My only experience with salt water fishing has been deep sea fishing on charter boats. I don't have a boat but my wife and I do have kayaks. We are looking for some advice on where we can go and what we can use to catch some fish. We have fished some in the bay from our neighborhood pier (Hammock Bay) but the only thing I have been able to catch are hardhead catfish . I would really like to find something that we can bring back home and put on the table.

Thanks


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

Wait until April and start fishing either the Panama City Pier or the Panama City County pier. Lots of fish caught off these piers from April through November. Tarpon, Cobia, King Mackerel, Spanish, Bluefish, sailfish, redfish, pompano, ladyfish, bonita, etc.. are all caught from these piers.


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## Njydvr (Jan 1, 2008)

Hey snail, 

Sounds like we are in a pretty similar situation. I live in Hammock bay and am pretty new to the area. Use to live in Pensacola and had a boat when I lived there, so I was pretty much starting off fresh when I moved here and got a kayak. 

My father and I have done a decent amount of fishing around and the best spot we found was the mouth of the LaGrange Bayou (right off from Beatrice point road)... google maps it. We last went out about a month ago though... don't know what the weather has done to the bite. 

We put in at marina village and paddled over. Trolled silver and gold spoons... hooked up with monster reds right at the mouth. Couple specks here and there.


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## snail71 (Dec 7, 2016)

Njydr,

Thanks for the information. I had been looking at google maps and decided LaGrange might be a good place to try. I may give it a go in the kayak in the morning.


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## stc1993 (Nov 23, 2014)

This time of year sheepshead is the best fish to try for. Fiddler crabs fished around bridge pilings.

February, March things will pick back up.


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## Fishonbwg (Mar 6, 2016)

Been there, it's frustrating, this is my first year in Freeport (HB) as well.
Putting in my time & learning 
I try & fish the HB dock at sunset, if you see me fly fishing say hey, I'll be glad to pass along some intel


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## NKlamerus (Jan 4, 2016)

If the bite is slow on the yaks you could always bass fish hammock bay 😎


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## Redfisher53 (Dec 14, 2012)

I live inhb as well and never really caught anything off the hb pier either.get a hot spots chart for Choctaw bay and it shows the "hot spots". lagrange is a good spot you could also try alaqua in Portland as well. basin bayou flats @nicks on hwy 20 is a good grassy area too.theres a wreck out there. try&catch trey the owner of nicks and he can make some suggestions.


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## Cynoscion27 (Nov 2, 2016)

Just fish the bayous and rivers this time of year. Work lures slow and use a long fluorocarbon leader when the water is this cold and clear.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk


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## snail71 (Dec 7, 2016)

Thought I would post an update. I fished quite a bit, learned a lot, and finally managed to start catching some fish here and there. I have caught largemouth bass in 4 mile creek on soft jerk baits. Most of them have been small. Trolling spoons and soft baits with jig heads has produced the best for me. I have had the best luck in LaGrange Bayou putting in at Marina Village and fishing towards the bay, and putting in at HB bay club and trolling towards the mouth of LaGrange. I have found that getting out far enough to get into a little deeper water works best for trolling. Here are a couple of fish I've recently caught:










This red was 31 inches.


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## Fishonbwg (Mar 6, 2016)

Nice job, put in your time & you'll get rewarded


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