# Are there fish in Panama City Beach?



## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Hi, new guy here looking for suggestions. We are on vacation in Panama City Beach right now from Texas. Staying in the Grand Lagoon and brought our boat down. For 3 days now I have fished my butt off and haven't caught one fish. Sunday we trolled/drifted cigar minnows around the whistler buoys and then tried to find the Liberty Ship wreck, but didn't see anything on the fishfinder at the spot I was given. Yesterday, tried topwaters (badonk-a-donks) in the checkerboard water on the north side of grand lagoon past capt anderson's before getting to the pass, also tried drifting around the whistle buoys again. Didn't try going off shore yesterday cause it was a little rougher. Today I went out this evening at 5 and hit the checkerboard water again, then tried ratl traps around the jetties in the pass, then drifted cigar minnows around the whistle buoys again for thirty minutes, then tried drifted cut cigar minnows on the bottom through the pass since the tide was going out (just one drift through), then I headed to the big bridge that connects the beach with Panama City and tried anchoring and fishing bottom there. Then headed in and tried a gold spoon across the checkerboard water in Grand Lagoon until it was too dark to see. Oh and then I stopped and tried the spoon at some underwater lights in the lagoon. All this and nothing. We are leaving on Saturday and would like to catch a few fish. 
Any suggestions?

PS, sorry, I know this is a Pansacola forum. 

Thanks


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

Gold and copper spoons in West Bay. Redfish City.


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## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Thanks, over grass in shallow water or...?


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## Mrtakeoff53 (May 17, 2010)

*hope this helps*

Fishing for 3 days and not catching anything sucks. I feel for ya. Here is my $0.02. I hope it puts at least one fish in your boat. If you want to try your luck offshore, I found a website for public numbers for reefs that might hold a snapper or two on them for you. I suggest an 6-8 oz weight to get it to the bottom above a 30-60 lb, 6 foot leader with a circle hook, rigged with live/dead cigar minnows or squid. I've always had luck with both those baits, especially the minnows. http://www.co.bay.fl.us/community/fishing.php 

I've also had a good amount of luck trolling a simple silver spoon on a 6 foot leader with a 3-5 oz trolling weight out in 45-75 feet of water. Bonita are all over the place out there and they are a fun fight. They might not be the best eating fish but catching a fish and releasing it beats not catching anything at all. Plus, you don't need to go too far out to catch Bonita and who knows, maybe you'll hook up a nice spanish or king while you're at it.

I don't do a lot of inshore fishing but from what I've heard about this time of year, I'd find yourself a nice grass flat in the backwater sections of the bay and pitch some live shrimp in hopes of a nice redfish or trout. 

I hope this puts at least on fish in your boat. Good luck tomorrow and enjoy your vacation. Remember, a bad day fishing beats a good day working


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## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Thank you Mrtakeoff! We will be out trying again tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes.


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## 85okhai (Mar 15, 2010)

kings at the whistle buoy has been really slow lately. best time to go right now is early early in the morning or late in the afternoon right before the sun goes down. try to catch some live bait and anchor and just freeline baits out. you could also fish the pass for big reds. the outgoing tide is the best time for big reds and anchor up where the rocks are barely sticking out of the water. if you can catch some big pinfish those would work really good or if you have time to catch some small crabs that would be even better.


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## aroundthehorn (Aug 29, 2010)

cbump said:


> Thank you Mrtakeoff! We will be out trying again tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes.


If you fish for snapper etc, make sure you know the florida rules for reef fish.

No stainless steel hooks. Must use a non-offset circle hook. Required to have a venting tool and a hook remover on board.

Good luck!


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## Ruger7mmmag (Jun 3, 2011)

Don't know what size boat you have, but definitely pick up a book with the public numbers. This time of year if you go out to the "bridge spans", there's always something biting there whether kings, bonita, shark etc. Brought up a MONSTER hammerhead there during a king tournament years ago that was longer than the beam of our 37' topaz. He hit a diamond jib we were jerking there. If you can get some live cigar minnows, free line a few over the spans and hold on!

I've caught a ton of kings this time of year just running the beach outside of the second sand bar with big silver spoons. If they aren't at the whistler buoy, just head west and enjoy the scenery. Shoot, we hooked a sail fish doing this once and we could see the bottom!

(talk about inflating expectations you couldn't meet on a short 6 hour bottom fishing trip and hooking that bad boy on the high speed rig on the way out)...

Catch a bonita and then break out the shark gear. Just drive a mile or so off the beach and they'll find you...I've caught a number of tiger sharks doing this and there's no specific spot you need to be. It's scary how close you can catch big ones not far from where everyone is swimming. Take a parasail ride and you'll see what I mean.


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## alexandra (Jun 8, 2011)

I love fishing, but I do not know is a good spot to start


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## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Well guys, my wife and I limited on Snapper today! Also caught about a 35" AJ, this weird fish with a suction thing on the top of its head, and what looked like some sort of dogfish. Also got broke off drifting a live cigar minnow while we were snapper fishing. 
The wife caught the AJ and after about 10 minutes handed me the pole. Best fight I have ever had. 

Ruger, I have a 20' Bluewave bay boat. Thanks for the tips on the big spoons. Definitely going to try that. Do you use wire leader? How fast do you troll?

Thanks!


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## Ruger7mmmag (Jun 3, 2011)

Awesome comeback! That fish you described is a remora. They hang around sharks, turtles etc. If you want to have some fun, drop one on your deck and try to get him loose! You can even have them "suck onto" your arm with that think on their head. It won't hurt ya, maybe scratch ya a little if you panic, but it makes a great picture. 

Yes, wire leaders. On speed? Just have to try out a few different speeds as it will vary. I tend to start about 4 knots and try different speeds if I don't catch anything in 30 minutes or so.


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## Mrtakeoff53 (May 17, 2010)

Nice work today!!! Glad to hear the fishing was good for ya!!


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## Jaybird (Apr 27, 2010)

small crabs freelined up close along the west jetties on an outgoing tide. No weight. Big redfish everytime. look for the eddy at about the halfway mark of the jetties. I prefer to power drift instead of anchor. 

For snapper, the live cigar minnows in 90+ feet of water should work for you


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