# North Choctawhatchee by Mid-Bay Bridge



## boomyak

I've had some days off work and have been spending probably way too much time fishing. I've spent most of that time near home; White Point launching from Maxwell-Gunter Rec. area. 

By and far the most active and voracious fish out in that area during all times of day are the hardhead cats and gafftop cats: they are taking anything and everything I throw (not at them, but they have some nice interception skills) from live shrimp, cut bait and to the couple that smashed my mirrolure (17MR, wasn't expecting a cat to hit that.) I've caught dozens of these suckers in the past week and managed to get my first stab in the leg when one flopped onto me as he was dehooked (not fun, I always use lip-grippers to control them while dehooking now.)










I've managed a few trout thanks to some good advice and pointers from you guys here and I appreciate that. In the last week I've caught more trout than I have the last year and a half I've been fishing here. All have been keeper size (more than I can eat, so half are released to fight again), but no gator trout seen or landed (yet!) The blues that were in this morning were a blast, I kept one of them thinking I could use it for my crab trap or cut-bait, but the meat is waaay to squishy to survive on the hook as cut-bait. So he's gonna hopefully bring me some blue-crab dinner.










From what I have found lately the wind shifts in the afternoon really make this spot ideal and mostly feasible for morning fishing. Glass-like surface condition are amazing. You can see even the tiniest fish out here, and there are TONS of gar out there in the morning snapping everything up. Whereas the evenings are usually extra choppy and the water is too turbid so usually you end up with a few cats and that's about it.










The bait is moving in hard to this area in the mornings and with it everything else. Flipper has been out in force and something large has knocked my kayak hard a few times when flipper wasn't in the area. Today I saw my first blue fish frenzy for that area and they were getting tore up moreso than they were tearing it up. Saw a couple go up in the air in red splashes. Rays are schooling in the area and are a helluva sight to see right next to your yak as they churn the top water flapping by.

One of the crappy things is that redfish don't seem to exist anywhere on the flats for this area currently. The couple that I have caught were all immediately under the Mid-Bay bridge in 15+ feet of water and all too large to keep, but a blast to land. I have tried multiple mirrolures, gotchas of different colors, multiple spoons, spinning rigs, plugs, gulp shad-looking things, gulp shrimp, DOA, live shrimp free-lined and on bottom rigs and on popping cork and never hooked up with a red on the flats anywhere from 10'-3' of water. The last red I caught was on half a fresh blue crab freelined to the bottom under the bridge, he was just barely over regs so he was safely released. Most of the time crab doesn't work though because the tiny fish strip the meat out of them within a couple minutes unless you're in deeper water, and considering the hassle, cost or effort involved in getting them I wouldn't go out of my way to use crab. One day before I get stationed somewhere else I WILL find a slot red and see how they taste. Here's the 29" that took the crab:











Awesome fishing, great weather and good eating. Can't ask for much more. (A slot red would be a blessing though!)


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## Fisherwill

Great report for the area. Most of the reds do hang out around the bridge and are all mostly over slot. Need to go into the channels that feed into the inlets around that area and fish with live shrimp on the out going tide. This is where the big gators should be. Also should try in rocky bayou off of the points.


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## boomyak

Fisherwill said:


> Great report for the area. Most of the reds do hang out around the bridge and are all mostly over slot. Need to go into the channels that feed into the inlets around that area and fish with live shrimp on the out going tide. This is where the big gators should be. Also should try in rocky bayou off of the points.


 Thanks. I just don't get why the reds are so hard to find over here (for me at least) seems like I fish similar waters to what they're fishing over in Escambia and East Bay (salinity, tides, depth, grass cover and structure) but we just seem to have less reds here.


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## parrothead

Nice Reds and Specks!!!!!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Scott


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## 60hertz

Awesome report!


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## Hobart

It was a beautiful day by Mid bay bridge today wish I was on the water. I have never fished that area. I drive out there almost daily so when I have time off I don't want to make the drive. Nice job and thanks for the report.


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## Ga Transplant

A friend was telling me about that area today....he also said bait was abundant and so were the catfish. Good report and hang in there, you'll find that slot! Fish-on. GT


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## Fisherwill

boomyak said:


> Thanks. I just don't get why the reds are so hard to find over here (for me at least) seems like I fish similar waters to what they're fishing over in Escambia and East Bay (salinity, tides, depth, grass cover and structure) but we just seem to have less reds here.


Not to sure either. I have seen some real small juveniles around there though.


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## Wolfithius

I don't have a kayak, I have been wanting to go wading off of white point. Does this make any sense or be productive? Please give me some tips. I was told that this area was good for trout. What tactic short I use?


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## boomyak

Wolfithius said:


> I don't have a kayak, I have been wanting to go wading off of white point. Does this make any sense or be productive? Please give me some tips. I was told that this area was good for trout. What tactic short I use?


All of the trout I have caught been mostly outside range of wading/shore casting. With that said in the right tide you can wade out off the point like 50+ yards and be able to cast east/west into some deeper grass off the sides. I have had a couple hook ups on some VERY strong fish on both cut bait and artificials from shore there, otherwise its mostly catfish that close in my experience from the last week. I don't know how shallow the trout will end up in the grass as the water continues to warm up.


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## Trucki-n-ihsiF

Good stuff Boom! I also fish that area a lot,I was out there last Sunday but the water was so dirty I ended up with catfish.I usually go the opposite side of the bridge to the inlet of grassy lake.About half a mile down then take a sharp right when you see the golf course.I normally go from 4pm-7pm and anchor right in the middle of the lake entrance.Popping cork with live shrimp usually produces for me.
And yes,there are indeed sharks out there.
Thanks for the reports man.


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## comparin

Thanks for update, Glad to hear water clearing up some and trout are in! Sadly I've been out of town, but look forward to fishing the White Point area when I return next week.


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## hooknpaddle

Awesome report! Plan to be out there in the morning myself. I've never fished the area and have always wanted to, so hopefully I'll get bit!


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## boomyak

No point making a new post... But managed two trout in that area even with the strong wind and turbid water today in the flats in maybe 3' of water. This kind of blew my mind because in the two dozen or so times I've fished this area in windy and turbid water trout aren't there. Kind of shocking, they must be starving. I even had a couple follow the lure all the way to kayak but didn't strike. Guess I better work on that retrieve. Anyway, they were nothing huge, but keepers (16 and 18") and also those trout were within shore casting distance an were caught using a mirrolure. Also battled FOUR different bull reds off the east side of the midbay bridge on live shrimp. They totally ignored my fresh blue crab for the live shrimp. Pics of a couple to come in the edit. All released to fight another day.




















Also for anyone who reads this, suppose, hypothetically I was using using 3/0 circles for those reds and one of them still completely inhaled the hook into his stomach. What's more ethical: take him home for chow, cut the line, or destroy his guts getting the hook? I know the last two will kill the fish but with Uncle Sam being over zealous and frequently in the area is it better to leave the fish than face being caught with an overslot whose got a hook somewhere inside him?


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## MTBbrewer

boomyak said:


> Also for anyone who reads this, suppose, hypothetically I was using using 3/0 circles for those reds and one of them still completely inhaled the hook into his stomach. What's more ethical: take him home for chow, cut the line, or destroy his guts getting the hook? I know the last two will kill the fish but with Uncle Sam being over zealous and frequently in the area is it better to leave the fish than face being caught with an overslot whose got a hook somewhere inside him?


I also have wondered this. Would they let you slide if you could prove that the hook was swallowed?


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