PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE
Well guys and gals, not much of a change in the report for this past week from the week before. As you can imagine, we don’t get as many reports this time of year with all of the Christmas preparations going on. We have heard however that the Amberjack are around and not too far out. Some locals reported that they were able to land a few over thirty inch fish as close in as the Black Bart and there were some nice sized Trigger fish in with them. On the bottom, Black snapper, Red grouper, White snapper and Vermillion were biting. We are still getting good reports on Flounder as well.

In the surf the Whiting bite is still going strong, everything from dead shrimp to artificial baits like gulp and fish bites will do the job. Redfish, Bluefish, Flounder, and some Pompano are also still being reported.

Below is Chris with a nice Redfish he caught Saturday while out fishing with Gary in the pass.  Way to go Chris and Gary!

ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
No big changes here either, Speckled trout are being found around the canal and creek mouths on a falling tide. With the strong low tides we are having in the morning, your daybreak bite will be best, but will die off as the tidal flow turns around. Water temps are in the high fifties lately and the trout are on the move. Redfish are being found in all of the deeper channels, everything from dead cigar minnows to live shrimp and pinfish will get you bit. Mangrove snapper, Black sea bass, even a few Sheep head and Flounder are being caught in these same areas. At the local Marinas, we are starting to hear of some squid being caught so be sure to have a squid jig with you. Now could be the time to load up on them for either bait or fresh Calamari (or both). If Santa was listening, you have some new fishing gear you have to break in, what a perfect way to ring in the New Year! Share your latest fish story with us along with some pictures, we love to hear and see what you have been up to.

NAVARRE
This will be the last fishing report for 2012 and frankly I find it hard to believe the year has flown by so fast.  This year as with almost every year has seen its ups and downs. Thankfully this year had way more ups than downs.

Inshore anglers are going to have it pretty tough this weekend. With north winds forecasted to be as high as 20mph through Saturday you will be limited to fishing the rivers and deeper structures in the bays and sound. The trout, both specks and white will be stacked up around the bends and deeper holes in the Escambia, Black and East Rivers as well as the deeper canals in the sound. Because of the cold weather the fish will be lethargic and in order to get them to bite you will have to slow down your presentation.  Live shrimp is hard to beat, but DOA Shrimp and soft plastic grub tails fished slowly along the bottom are a deadly presentation. Suspending twitchbaits such as Mirrolure’s MirrOdine, YoZuri’s 3D Minnow. Rapala’s XR-8 Albino Shiner and XR-10 Moss Back Shiner as long as they are fished slowly will produce some spectacular catches. The exception to this is when targeting redfish in the bay. School of bull reds should be in and around the passes this time of year and all you have to do to find them is first find the birds. Slow trolling deep lipped diving plugs around the Pensacola pass has traditionally been one of the best methods to target them this time of year. You can also target them in the passes on live bait such as pinfish or finger mullet, but cut mullet and cigar minnows will work just as well most days. Sheepshead catches continue to increase every day with most being caught around the bridges in the bays and sound. Live fiddler crabs and live shrimp fished on the smallest hook and lightest weight is what it will take to land these professional bait thieves.

Pier and surf fishermen are catching whiting, redfish, pompano, bluefish, and sharks for the most part with the occasional bonita thrown in. The whiting and pompano are all hitting on live or frozen shrimp, with live shrimp producing the most strikes. The redfish in the surf and around the pier are hitting pinfish, live shrimp and cut mullet.

Offshore the bite has been good to those of us able to get out with the best bite coming from amberjack, grouper, vermillion snapper, as well as flounder on the near shore wrecks. The amberjack bite is about as good as it can get out along the edge with most fish tipping the scale at around 30 pounds. Just stop on an inshore reef such as the bridge rubble out of Destin or wreck such as the Russian freighter out of Pensacola and load up on red porgies and sand perch before heading out. Live bait is defiantly the top producing presentation, but vertical jigs are landing more than their fair share. For vermillion snapper, small pieces of squid or bonita fished on or near the bottom will deliver the best results. Leader size can play a role when the bite slows so moving down in size may be the ticket when you need to firing up the bite. Blackfin tuna have been reported as close in as the edge. However, the best tuna reports are coming for out around the oil rigs in particular out around the Nakika and the adjacent drilling ship. Vertical jigging, chunking and trolling both work for tunas, but those who are jigging seem to be producing the most strikes. In addition to tuna, a few wahoo and swords can be had.

Until next week tight lines and have a Wonderful and Safe New Year!

PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE
There have not been a lot of reports from offshore, guess most are preoccupied with other obligations and the weather has been less than ideal most days. However a few boaters that have had the opportunity to go when the conditions allowed found the bite to be good. Amberjack, Red grouper, Scamp, Black and Vermillion snapper were among the species kept. These reports came from places like the B. J. Putnam, Leroy and Hathaway Bridge trusses out around twenty miles out. Frozen bait was working fine for bottom dwellers but the AJ’s lit up for live pinfish or squirrel fish. Anglers are still able to find Flounder around local wrecks and they are getting a little larger. Anchor if you can so you can effectively work the area, if you are drifting too fast you won’t do as well.

In the surf the Whiting bite is still going strong, everything from dead shrimp to artificial baits like gulp and fish bites will do the job. Redfish, Bluefish, Flounder, and some Pompano are also being reported. Lots of sharks around too so be quick to get your catch reeled in or you will likely lose all or half of it to one of the toothy critters.

The below picture is a shot of Roy Bryant with a nice Redfish caught in the St. Andrews Pass yesterday!! Nice catch, Roy!! 

ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Speckled trout are being found around the canal and creek mouths on a falling tide. Not quite a winter pattern yet but the water temps are in the low sixties. Top water and suspending plugs are producing as well as popping corks especially if the water is stained. You may also land a puppy red in the same areas but if you are gaming for reds, try around deeper docks and drop offs that have a good tidal flow. The channels at both bridges and the pass have been real good for larger Redfish, Mangrove snapper, Black sea bass and even a few Sheep head and Flounder are being caught. The mangroves and sea bass have been mostly small but every now and then a keeper comes along. Don’t be a stranger, stop in and see us to share your fish story.

PORT ST. JOE/MEXICO BEACH
No significant changes in this week’s fishing report. Trout and sheepshead' along with stripped bass are still represent the major biters in the intracoastal canal system with the White City area being the hotspot. However, steady reports are coming in from all along the canal. Bull redfish are still around and with they are scattered from the rivers to the beaches, making it challenging anglers to locate them. Covering lots of water will be your best tactic. Flounder anglers in our area will find a few remaining around the passes and jetties, but the big numbers will likely be offshore a few miles. The offshore bite has been good too, mostly and amberjack, grouper, and vermillion snapper are the focus for local anglers.

These pictures were sent in by Tom McDowell of him and his grandson with these Redfish caught in the Port St. Joe Intracoastal sytem.

PORT ST. JOE/MEXICO BEACH
In the past few days, fishermen have had cold windy and rainy conditions to with which to contend. Those who ventured out in these less than ideal conditions were rewarded with bag limits of speckled sea trout, sheepshead, and black drum. We all enjoy balmy breezes, blue skies and calm water during our fishing adventures, who doesn't? However, if you are an angler, it is all about the catch. Fishing, while others stay at home will most certainly provide you with a great opportunity to bring home the fillets or better still, the fish of a lifetime. Bad weather translates into fewer anglers and less pressure on a given day of fishing and with today's high-tech outerwear like "Under Armour" and "Colombia" you can stay warm, dry, and comfortable in the worst of conditions. Get out there! the fish are waiting.

NAVARRE
The weekend weather outlook has another cold front coming through on Thursday which will make it challenging for anyone getting out on the water this weekend.

Inshore anglers can expect to find the trout stacked up around the bends and deeper holes in the Escambia, Black and East rivers as well as the deeper canals in the sound. Live shrimp is hard to beat when targeting them, but DOA Shrimp and soft plastic grub tails fished slowly along the bottom are a deadly presentation. Suspending twitchbaits such as Mirrolure’s MirrOdine, YoZuri’s 3D Minnow. Rapala’s XR-8 Albino Shiner and XR-10 Moss Back Shiner have also been producing some spectacular catches when fished slowly along the bottom.  

Pier and surf fishermen can expect to find whiting, redfish, pompano, bluefish, and sharks ready to test their tackle this weekend. The bonita bite on the pier continues to be one of the highlights this time of year. The action is fast paced and will surely test your tackle.  A few great baits for them are 1.5oz Got-Cha jig, fish jigs, YoZuri 3D crystal minnows, and white bucktail jigs; however, the top bait for them right now is a casting gig created by local angler, Doug Walborn, a regular at the Navarre Pier. The whiting and pompano are all hitting on live or frozen shrimp, with live shrimp producing the most strikes. The redfish in the surf and around the pier are hitting pinfish, live shrimp and cut mullet.

Offshore the bite has been good to those of us able to get out with bites being from amberjack, grouper, vermillion snapper, as well as flounder receiving the most attention. The amberjack bite this past week has been good with the top bait being live pinfish and red porgies, but vertical jigs are landing more than their fair share. Amberjack consistently hold around mid depth, but they have been known to follow live bait or jigs to the bottom. So working the entire water column will ensure you have the most success. For vermillion snapper, small pieces of squid or bonita fished on or near the bottom will deliver the best results. Leader size can play a role when the bite slows and moving down in size may be the ticket to firing up the bite. Blackfin and yellowfin tuna have been reported out around the nipple, but the best reports are coming from out around the oil rigs.  Vertical jigging and trolling both work for tunas, but those who are jigging seem to be producing the most strikes.  In addition to tuna, a few wahoo and swords can be had.

Until next week tight lines!

PORT ST. JOE/MEXICO BEACH
Another fine week of fishing along the forgotten coast.

Weather conditions were a bit windy, but otherwise perfect for anglers. The intracoastal canal proved itself again with fishermen. Speckled sea trout are becoming more and more bottled up in the canal system and the catching is great, it is likely you will catch a dozen shorts for that one keeper, but it makes for a lot of fun and the action is always welcome. Gray Snapper "mangrove" are biting very well too. Again, keepers are few but the action is stellar. The bulk of the activity seems to be from the White City Bridge to Lake Wimico. Lack of freshwater influx has given saltwater species more areas to forage. Along this stretch, you will find plenty of holes pockets and structure from which to cast. The Wetappo creek area, west of the Overstreet Bridge is also producing excellent results for sea trout and redfish. Otherwise in the canal system black drum are actively feeding as well as a population of Sheepshead. So grab a few dozen live shrimp, fish'em slow and have a lot of fun.

PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE
The only good reports I have on Red grouper, Scamp, Black snapper and the like have come from thirty miles or more offshore. Amberjack catches were plenty out there as well but the sharks made their presence known. Some rather large fish were being brought up only to be bit in half on the way up. Bait like squirrel fish have been easy to find on spots like the PCMI Barge and Chickasaw (perfect bait for AJ’s or Red grouper). A lot of anglers have had their focus on Flounder and rightly so, there are plenty of them out there. The marker buoys just outside the pass were holding plenty of small cigar minnows. Either bring along some bull minnows or catch some of the cig’s and drag them around for Flounder, you can try around the markers but better fish have been found around the outside of larger structure like the above mentioned wrecks.

In the surf the Whiting bite is pretty much on fire. Fish bites, small Gulp baits or just fresh dead shrimp is working. More Pompano reports everyday, fiddler crabs, live shrimp and sand fleas are the go to baits for them. Lots of Bluefish around, some Redfish and Flounder too and if you play your cards right some version of a surf slam could be yours.

ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Redfish and Speckled trout are doing pretty good up in the flats, the reds are feeding on crabs but won’t turn down a live shrimp and neither will the trout. They are easily spooked in the skinny water so put it in stealth mode. One angler I spoke to who fishes out of a kayak said he has had to just use a hook with his Gulp shrimp (no jig head) in order to land his bait near them without spooking them. There are still a lot of reports of Redfish, Mangrove snapper, Black sea bass, some Black drum and Sheep head in areas like the bridges and pass. We are also hearing of some nice hauls on the Flounder in the bay but mostly from the spearing / gigging set. Anglers on the other hand are catching some but not reporting as nice a fish. That being said, there is nothing like a snapshot of your catch to bring your fish story to life. If you do take a good “action” shot to preserve the moment and you don’t mind sharing it, send it in to us. We would appreciate it and give you your “fifteen minutes of fame “on facebook and on our website.

DESTIN

Flounder---flounder are biting near the pass, in the Harbor and on the lee side of most near shore wrecks on bull minnows.

Reds---Reds are biting around the Destin Bridge, Coast Guard jetty and the channel around Crab Island.

Speckeled Trout---Trout are biting in the mouth of the river, Alaqua Bayou and the Santa Rosa Sound.

Bonita---Bonita are being caught in the surf and on the pier on white jigs and spoons. Also trolling dusters, feathers and Yozuri lures near shore will work.

Pompano and Whiting---Pompano and whiting are biting in the surf using sand Fleas, Shrimp and Fishbites.

Amberjack---Amber jack are biting butterfly jigs and cigar minnows on wrecks in water over 150ft deep.

Mingo Snapper---Mingo snapper are biting cut squid and cut mackerel on natural bottom in water 80 to 200ft deep.

NAVARRE
It’s looking like we are going to have another great weekend weather wise, with mostly light south east winds and little chance of rain. The tides are also looking pretty good with incoming tides during the day for the next week.

Inshore not much change from last week. White trout are still stacked up around 3-mile Bridge along with bull reds and the occasional sheepsheads. Cut bait and live shrimp are the top producing bait for the trout, with the reds hitting on live pinfish, croakers, cut bait, live shrimp and small white trout. For the sheepshead small live shrimp and fiddler crabs fished on a size 6 to size 2 Mustad short shank live bait hook. Bull reds, bluefish and sheepshead are also in and around in the Destin and Pensacola passes, and will hit any of the natural baits mentioned as well as 1 to 2oz bucktails bounced along the bottom. Trolling stretch 25’s and YoZuri deep diving 3D minnows are also hard to beat especially when trying to locate the deeper schools. Specks continue to seek out the deeper canals in the sound as well as heading up into area rivers. Flounder, trout, redfish, and sheepshead can be found around the power lines in East Bay. As stated above the reds are hitting almost any live baitfish or shrimp presented to them. These same baits are also landing a few stray flounder that are still in the bays. If you are looking for trout head to the Escambia, Black and East rivers or into the deeper canals in the sound. DOA Shrimp or soft plastic grub tails fished slowly along the bottom has been deadly as well as Mirrolure’s MirrOdine and YoZuri’s 3D Minnow suspending twitch baits.

Seaweed in the surf is making it challenging at the very least, to downright impossible to fish the surf at times. If you can find a clear spot you can expect to find whiting, redfish, pompano, bluefish, and sharks ready to test your tackle. . The bonita bite on the pier continues to be erratic and I don’t see anything changing there.. A few great baits for them are 1.5oz Got- Cha jig fish jigs, YoZuri 3D crystal minnows and white bucktail jigs, but the top bait for them right now is a casting gig created by local angler Doug Walborn a regular at the Navarre Pier. The whiting and pompano are all hitting on live or frozen shrimp, with live shrimp producing the most strikes. The redfish in the surf and around the pier are hitting pinfish, live shrimp and cut mullet. Not getting as many reports of sheepshead and flounder around the pier pilings as usual, but a few are still being caught. Small live shrimp and fiddler crabs will land the sheepshead and live finger mullet or bull minnows for the flounder.

Offshore wahoo, black fin, and yellow fin are available from as close in as the edge, with the hottest action out around the oil rigs. Deep dropping is producing plenty of action for bottom fishermen. Barrelfish, snowy grouper, long tail sea bass, tilefish and yellowedge grouper are being landed in 400 plus feet of water. Closer in around the edge good numbers of amberjacks, red grouper, and scamps can be found. Live pinfish is the bait of choice although if you can catch a few dozen sand perch or red porgies they will work just as well. Jigging for the amberjacks with Williamson, Bomber or Shimano Butterfly jig is extremely productive, but to avoid most of the smaller fish out there large live baits such as ruby redlips, pinfish, and red porgies will save a lot of time weeding through most of the smaller fish. Lastly many of the near shore wrecks just outside the passes are loaded with flounder right now. Live shrimp, pinfish, finger mullet, bull minnows and tiger minnows are the top baits. The key to finding good numbers of flounder has been to find wrecks holding plenty of baitfish. Most of the time you can have one rod in the water baited up for flounder and another rod with gold hooks targeting the juvenile cigar minnows and goggle eyes that are on the wrecks this time of year.

Until next week tight lines!

PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE
The only good reports I have on Red grouper, Scamp, Black snapper and the like have come from thirty miles or more offshore. Amberjack catches were plenty out there as well but the sharks made their presence known. Some rather large fish were being brought up only to be bit in half on the way up. Bait like squirrel fish have been easy to find on spots like the PCMI Barge and Chickasaw (perfect bait for AJ’s or Red grouper). A lot of anglers have had their focus on Flounder and rightly so, there are plenty of them out there. The marker buoys just outside the pass were holding plenty of small cigar minnows. Either bring along some bull minnows or catch some of the cig’s and drag them around for Flounder, you can try around the markers but better fish have been found around the outside of larger structure like the above mentioned wrecks.

In the surf the Whiting bite is pretty much on fire. Fish bites, small Gulp baits or just fresh dead shrimp is working. More Pompano reports everyday, fiddler crabs, live shrimp and sand fleas are the go to baits for them. Lots of Bluefish around, some Redfish and Flounder too and if you play your cards right some version of a surf slam could be yours.

ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Redfish and Speckled trout are doing pretty good up in the flats, the reds are feeding on crabs but won’t turn down a live shrimp and neither will the trout. They are easily spooked in the skinny water so put it in stealth mode. One angler I spoke to who fishes out of a kayak said he has had to just use a hook with his Gulp shrimp (no jig head) in order to land his bait near them without spooking them. There are still a lot of reports of Redfish, Mangrove snapper, Black sea bass, some Black drum and Sheep head in areas like the bridges and pass. We are also hearing of some nice hauls on the Flounder in the bay but mostly from the spearing / gigging set. Anglers on the other hand are catching some but not reporting as nice a fish. That being said, there is nothing like a snapshot of your catch to bring your fish story to life. If you do take a good “action” shot to preserve the moment and you don’t mind sharing it, send it in to us. We would appreciate it and give you your “fifteen minutes of fame “on facebook and on our website.

NAVARRE
Hope everyone had a wonderful turkey day and didn’t over do it too bad! It looks like we are going to have a pretty good weekend if the weatherman is right. The tides are looking pretty good as well with incoming tides all weekend.

Inshore white trout are stacked up at the 3-mile Bridge along with bull reds and the occasional sheepshead. Cut bait and live shrimp are the top producing bait for the trout, with the reds hitting on live pinfish, croakers, cut bait, live shrimp and small white trout. For the sheepshead small live shrimp and fiddler crabs fished on a size 6 to size 2 Mustad short shank live bait hook. Bull reds, bluefish and sheepshead are also in and around in the Destin and Pensacola passes, and will hit any of the natural baits mentioned as well as 1 to 2oz bucktails bounced along the bottom. Trolling stretch 25’s and YoZuri deep diving 3D minnows are also hard to beat especially when trying to locate the deeper schools. Specks continue to seek out the deeper canals in the sound as well as heading up into area rivers. Flounder, trout, redfish, and sheepshead can be found around the power lines in East Bay. As stated above the reds are hitting almost any live baitfish or shrimp presented to them. These same baits are also landing a few stray flounder that are still in the bays. If you are looking for trout head to the Escambia, Black and East rivers or into the deeper canals in the sound. DOA Shrimp or soft plastic grub tails fished slowly along the bottom has been deadly as well as Mirrolure’s MirrOdine and YoZuri’s 3D Minnow suspending twitch baits.

Keith Leshine sent in the photo with the following caption, "25lb Redfish caught on Daiwa medium rod and reel 10lb test bouth in your store."  Thank you, Keith! 

Whiting, redfish, pompano, bluefish, bonita and sharks are available for those fishing on the pier or in the surf. The bonita bite has been erratic all week, but there are still basting through almost every day. The top baits being the 1.5oz Got-Cha jig fish jigs, YoZuri 3D crystal minnows and white bucktail jigs, but the top bait for them right now is a casting gig created by local angler Doug Walborn a regular at the Navarre Pier. The whiting and pompano are all hitting on live or frozen shrimp, with live shrimp producing the most strikes. The redfish in the surf and around the pier are hitting pinfish, live shrimp and cut mullet. Not getting as many reports of sheepshead and flounder around the pier pilings as usual, but a few are still being caught. Small live shrimp and fiddler crabs will land the sheepshead and live finger mullet or bull minnows for the flounder.

Offshore wahoo, black fin, and yellow fin are available from as close in as the edge, but most of the reports have the hottest action out around the oil rigs. Deep dropping is producing plenty of action for bottom fishermen. Barrelfish, snowy grouper, long tail sea bass, tilefish and yellowedge grouper are being landed in 400 plus feet of water. Closer in around the edge good numbers of amberjacks, red grouper, and scamps can be found. Live pinfish is the bait of choice although if you can catch a few dozen sand perch or red porgies they will work just as well. Jigging for the amberjacks with Williamson, Bomber or Shimano Butterfly jig is extremely productive, but to avoid most of the smaller fish out there large live baits such as ruby redlips, pinfish, and red porgies will save a lot of time weeding through most of the smaller fish. Lastly many of the near shore wrecks just outside the passes are loading up with flounder. Live shrimp, pinfish, finger mullet, bull minnows and tiger minnows are the top baits. The key to finding good numbers of flounder has been to find wrecks holding plenty of baitfish. Most of the time you can have one rod in the water baited up for flounder and another rod with gold hooks targeting the juvenile cigar minnows and goggle eyes that are on the wrecks this time of year.

Until next week tight lines!

DESTIN
Bottom Fishing
Plenty of amberjack, vermillion snapper and flounder are being caught.

Bay Fishing
Flounder are in the pass and being caught on bull minnows, Sheepshead are being caught on live shrimp around the Destin bridge, Trout are being caught around deep water docks and a few on the flats, Reds are good around bridges and most docks on live shrimp.

Surf Fishing
Some pompano are being caught on shrimp and sand fleas, a few reds and some bonita.

Trolling
Kings have thinned out but a few are still around, lots of bonita and an occasional blackfin tuna.

Pier Fishing
Some bonita, a few reds, Spanish, whiting and an occasional bluefish are being caught.

PORT ST. JOE/MEXICO BEACH
The "stump hole" at Cape San Blas is holding hungry whiting and activity at the Indian Pass beaches is excellent too. The redfish are being caught sporadically in the same areas. The Intracoastal Waterway from the Tapper Bridge is again a hotspot this week for trout. The colder weather has them biting strong. Gray Snapper continue to feed readily on live and frozen shrimp offerings', so be sure to work the structure on your way to the "T". Beyond the T, you will find activity on all species increasing in action as you approach Lake Wimico. Due to lack of fresh water from the north, the lake is increasingly salty. While that is bad for local oystermen is good for anglers wanting to increase their reach into typically fresh water areas that whole a mixed bag of saltwater denizens.

PANAMA CITY BEACH OFFSHORE & INSHORE
Well we had a brief spurt of King mackerel come through last week along with droves of small cigar minnows and Bonita. Pretty surprising given the 66 degree water temps along the coast. We are also hearing of some nice sized Wahoo seen and caught out about thirty miles out. Water temps out there are a little warmer but not much. Red Grouper, Scamp, White snapper, Beeliners, Black sea bass and Black snapper are out there in good numbers. With a little persistence and willingness to try different techniques and areas you can still make a trip offshore worth while. Red snapper and Gag grouper being closed right now does make targeting certain species necessary and no one wants to catch fish all day you can’t keep. This time of year try fishing reefs and not wrecks or at least don’t anchor right on top of the wreck. Amberjack reports have been spotty, a lot of shorts caught and not so many keepers. Flounder have stacked up on the inshore stuff and the divers and anglers have really taken advantage of it, all of the close places are getting hammered but you can still find some keepers. A better bet is to head out a little further to a spot that probably has not been hit so hard.

In the surf the Whiting bite has been great. Not huge fish but lots of them and good table fare. Pompano are starting to show up in better numbers, and the cold fronts coming through our area will only improve our chances. Last week had a surprise run of Spanish mackerel along the beach but I am sure that will be the last hoorah for them. Redfish, Blues, Flounder and even some small Jack crevalle were also recent reported catches.

ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Well here come the Speckled trout, time to find the coveralls and set the alarm for zero dark thirty. We are getting better reports every day on the yellow lipped beauties. Once the sun gets up high you can still find some but the bite does slow a bit. Six or eight feet of water off the edge of a grass flat seems to be a common thread in the reports I have been hearing. Of course exactly where remained a secret but a quick reference of likely spots for this time of year can be had on a Florida Sportsman or Top Spot map of our area. Redfish, Black drum and a few Sheep head are working the bridge channels and the pass. Lots of Black sea bass and Mangrove snapper in those areas too but most have been small. Flounder reports have been good for both the gigging and angling crowds, placemats and doormats are hitting the filet tables everywhere. Stop in and share your “fish story” with us!

PORT ST. JOE/MEXICO BEACH
Big whiting caught in the surf at Indian Pass and bull redfish too! The intracoastal canal continues to provide great action for anglers. Sandwich size gray snapper are biting around rocks, pilings and sunken shrimp boats. Trout are becoming more numerous in the intracoastal as winter approaches. Black drum seem to be on the increase too, while the flounder bite steadily decreases. Overall, the fishing in gulf county waters is very productive. Blue water fishing is slow in this area; however, there were a few significant catches this week of Amberjack over high relief wrecks along with Bonita. Beneath the Bonita were Blackfin tuna. That is always a plus and a lot of fun.

Pam Kilday sent in this picture of a 40" Redfish caught in St. Joe Bay, November 20th. on the "Sophia Creek".

NAVARRE
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! The weather this week has been especially pleasant and hopefully the next cold front coming through on Saturday is not as bad as the weatherman has forecasted.

Inshore white trout are stacked up at the 3-mile Bridge along with bull reds and sheepsheads. Bull reds, bluefish and sheepshead are in the Destin and Pensacola pass. Specks are laying low in the deeper canals and bayous in the bay as well as heading up into area rivers. Flounder, trout, redfish, and sheepshead can be found around the power lines in East Bay. The reds are hitting almost any live baitfish presented to them during the outgoing tide in area passes and on live shrimp around the deeper docks in the sound. The flounder bite has continued to slow down somewhat in the sound and bays. The reports I’m still getting are from folks fishing around deeper structure and drop offs in Santa Rosa Sound, East Bay, Blackwater Bay and in and around the Pensacola and Destin passes. Finger mullet, bull minnows and tiger minnows are the go to bait for flounder in those areas.

Whiting, redfish, pompano, bluefish, bonita and sharks are available for those fishing on the pier or in the surf. The bonita bite has slowed down some since last week, but there are still a few basting through almost every day. The top baits being the 1.5oz Got-Cha jig fish jigs, YoZuri 3D crystal minnows and white bucktail jigs, but the top bait for them right now is a casting gig created by local angler Doug Walborn a regular at the Navarre Pier. The whiting and pompano are all hitting on live or frozen shrimp, with live shrimp producing the most strikes. The redfish in the surf and around the pier are hitting pinfish, live shrimp and cut mullet. I’m also getting reports of sheepshead and flounder around the pier pilings. Small live shrimp and fiddler crabs will land the sheepshead and live finger mullet and bull minnows for the flounder.

Offshore wahoo, black fin, and yellow fin are available from as close in as the edge to on out around the oil rigs. Deep dropping is producing the most action for bottom fishermen. Barrelfish, snowy grouper, long tail sea bass, tilefish and yellowedge grouper are being landed in 400 plus feet of water. Closer in around the edge good numbers of amberjacks, red grouper, and scamps can be found. Live pinfish is the bait of choice although if you can catch a few dozen sand perch or red porgies they will work just as well. Jigging for the amberjacks with Williamson, Bomber or Shimano Butterfly jig is extremely productive, but to avoid most of the smaller fish out there large live baits such as hardtails, pinfish, and red porgies will save a lot of time weeding through the smaller fish. Lastly many of the near shore wrecks just outside the passes are beginning to load up with flounder. Live shrimp, pinfish, finger mullet, bull minnows and tiger minnows are the top baits.

Until next week tight lines!

NAVARRE
The cold fronts have pretty much driven most inshore species into their fall pattern as well as driven most pelagic species further off shore or even further south. This means sleeping in and letting it worm up some when fishing inshore and layering up for those long cold runs off shore.

Inshore white trout are stacking up at the 3-mile Bridge, bull redfish are in the pass, and specks are laying low in the deeper channels in the bay as well as heading into area rivers. Redfish, speckled trout, and stripers are starting to show up in greater numbers in local rives. Lastly flounder, trout, redfish, and sheepshead can be found around the power lines in East Bay. Cut bait is the top bait for the white trout right now. The reds are hitting almost any live baitfish presented to them during the outgoing tide in area passes. If you are luck enough to happen upon a school along the beach almost any artificial bait presented to them will do the job. Working ½ to 1oz bucktail jigs, 4 to 6 inch crank baits, gulp shrimp and jerk baits and even flies are producing well when you can find the school along the beach. The flounder bite has begun to slow down somewhat in the bay, but I’m still getting reports from folks fishing in East Bay and in and around the Pensacola pass. Finger mullet, bull minnows and tiger minnows are the go to baits for flounder. Lastly sheepshead landings are on the rise with most being caught around area bridges.

Whiting, redfish, pompano, bluefish, bonita and sharks are available for those fishing on the pier or in the surf. Bonita have been blasting through almost every day with the top baits being the 1.5oz Got-Cha jig fish jigs, YoZuri 3D crystal minnows and white bucktail jigs. The whiting redfish and pompano are all hitting on live or frozen shrmp. The redfish will also hit pinfish and cut mullet. I’m also getting reports of sheepshead and flounder around the pier pilings. Small live shrimp and fiddler crabs will land the sheepshead and live finger mullet and bull minnows for the flounder.

Offshore deep droping is producing the most action for bottom fishermen. Barrelfish, snowy grouper, long tail seabass, tilefish and yellowedge grouper are being landed 400 plus feet of water. Wahoo, black fin, and yellow fin are available from as close in as the edge to on out around the rigs. Closer in around the edge good numbers of amberjacks, red grouper, and scamps can be found. Live pinfish is the bait of choice although if you can catch a few dozen sand perch they will work just as well. Amberjacks are also available on many of the near shore wrecks, but most of the legal fish are in 100 plus feet of water. Jigging for them with Williamson, Bomber or Shimano Butterfly jig is extremely productive right now, but live baits such as hardtails, pinfish, and red porgies will also get the bite. Near shore wrecks are beginning to load up with flounder as the cold fronts push them into the gulf for the winter. Live shrimp, pinfish, finger mullet, bull minnows and tiger minnows are the top baits.

Until next week tight lines!

PORT ST. JOE/MEXICO BEACH
The intracoastal canal system in Gulf County, extending from the Tapper Bridge north and beyond is a perennial favorite for anglers. Shorter days and cooler water temperatures have signaled the speckled sea trout to begin their migration to the warmer water of the canal and other creeks, tributaries and bayous to winter. Reports from local guides tell of a steady increase in trout activity along with redfish, sheep head, gray snapper, and black drum. The flounder bite has decreased slightly as the fall run draws to a close. Still, anglers report several nice catches of flounder throughout St. Joe Bay. Along Gulf and Franklin County beaches, expect a very good whiting and croaker bite as well as some bull redfish late in afternoons. In the blue water, expect Amberjack over high relief wrecks and structure. This time of year, big live baits will get you a big very lively AJ. Find your baits around docks and pilings. Mullet pinfish croaker and grunts all make great baits for amberjack and remember big live baits equal big amberjack. Have Fun!

PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE
It has become a bit more challenging fishing the wrecks with Red snapper and Gag grouper closed. In order to catch the targeted species and not one that is out of season you will have to try different tactics. There are plenty of Amberjack getting caught but if you drop too deep you may be hauling up a Red snapper. When you are after Red grouper, use plenty of weight and you may be able to get past the snapper or if not hope it is a Black or Vermillion snapper. With a little practice using different hook sizes, weights, size of bait and even boat placement can enable you to get more of what you are after. We are still getting reports of King mackerel around the buoys and trolling over wrecks. No intel from out in the blue water in our area, if we hear something we will pass it along. 

Surf fishing has proven to be worthwhile for most, Whiting have been plentiful hitting squid or cut shrimp. Pompano, Redfish, and Flounder were fair bets as well. Spanish mackerel have just about disappeared but there are still a few around.

ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
The Speck bite at daybreak has been good, top water plugs, popping corks with live shrimp and even paddle tail grubs are doing the job. North and West bay reports were pretty good working grass in about six to eight feet deep. Redfish are there too but they seem to show up a little later, maybe they prefer a little more daylight. Windy days like we have had plenty of lately sometimes force us to fish an area we may not have otherwise tried, but you may find a new “secret” spot. Don’t discount the value of a chum block on those days you are trying new places, it can definitely make the difference between decent action and almost no action. Mangrove snapper and black sea bass are pretty thick in the bridge channels and at the jetties but most have been small. You may pick up a Sheep head or Bull red prospecting these same areas. Flounder catches by hook and line have been low but the gigging and spear crowd have done well.

PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE.
There were not many people that were able to get offshore last week due to high winds and rough seas. For those that did, there was a great grouper bite and some hefty Gags were hung up on the scales. These days you hear people say their catch was around thirty, and they mean inches not pounds. Years ago, when you called your catch around thirty, it was pounds and I saw some fish hung up that qualified for the later. Sadly, Gag grouper is now closed, but the other groupers are still open. The Sailfish bite is still on and the high winds made that more difficult at best. Most anglers stayed close to shore there were some Wahoo picked up high speed trolling between spots, King mackerel, Bonita and a few Black fin tuna were either slow trolled or flat lined while drift trolling.

Surf fishing has been decent, even though the winds were high they were for the most part coming off of land which kept seas down close to shore. Bull reds, Flounder, lots of Whiting and a fair amount of Pompano were reported. With the water temps dropping, the Pompano bite will only improve.

Picture sent in by Rick Lelli with the following caption, "Caught today with a jighead and small piece of Berkley Gulp on the rod you guys fixed -- was over the slot and released."

ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
The Speckled trout bite is improving with the cooler temps, them and the Redfish are fattening up on Menhaden up in the northern parts of the bay. A pinfish tail hooked will also get their attention. The action has been best late in the day. Bull reds, Sheep head, Mangrove snapper and Black sea bass are working the larger channels and bridges, and falling tides are the best time to drift your bait past a piling or over a drop off. Flounder have been a little more elusive this past week for those using hook and line, it may be that most of them are in full spawn mode making them less interested in your offering. The recent full moon may have something to do with this. Divers still report plenty of fish on the wrecks and they are able to gig what they want, but gigging does not require the fish’s participation!

DESTIN
Even though the Destin Fishing Rodeo ended yesterday, that does not mean that fishing is done. There are lots of things going on in November so don’t put those fishing rigs away just yet.

Near Shore Trolling
There are still a good number of kings, blackfin tuna, bonita and a few Spanish.

Bottom Fishing
Fishing in water 60' to 150' deep there some nice red grouper, mingo snapper and black snapper being caught. On the near shore reefs in 60' or less there are good numbers of flounder fishing with bull minnows. In deeper water 150' or more there is some very good amberjack fishing.

Offshore Trolling
Wahoo are still on the edge along with quite a few blackfin tuna. Out on the spur and mouth of the canyon the swordfish bite should continue for another month or so.

Bay Fishing
Lots of redfish around bridges and docks, Flounder in the harbor and the pass for hook and line fisherman and in the bayous for those who want to go gigging. The trout action as been steady on the speckled trout and now that cooler weather has arrived I expect the white trout to pick up around most of the bridges. Also around the bridges there is a steady bite of sheepshead on live shrimp.

Surf Fishing
Pompano should be around for quite some time, nice sized whiting and some good bull red action.

PORT ST JOE/MEXICO BEACH
The high wind this kept many anglers off the water this week, but those who fished early were rewarded with good catches of speckled sea trout and smaller redfish. Flounder continue to bite well throughout St Joseph's Bay and its surrounds. The intracoastal canal seemed to be the place to be this week, not only did it give fisherman a way to fish out of the strong wind but afforded many of them with nice catches of flounder, trout, mangrove snapper, black drum and many over slot bull redfish. Further offshore is a mystery as we had zero reports from the deep blue this week. Now that winds are subsiding and the seas are returning to normal we should hear more significant fishing tales.

NAVARRE
November is a transition month in our area and as each cold front lowers the water temperature many fish species begin to transition into their fall pattern. This week is a prime example of a cold front coming trough and triggering that fall pattern.  

Inshore trout and reds will remain on the grass flats in three to five feet of water as long as it stays in the high 50s at night and it gets up into the high 70s during the day. If you are not having any luck shallow try to go deeper, say five to nine feet. Also if a cold front comes through stay in and work fish the afternoon bite. Live shrimp, tiger minnows, pinfish, menhaden and mullet are all top producing trout bait. Right now is also a good time to throw top water baits early in the morning and later in the afternoon for trout as well as redfish. Most of the reds are in and around area passes, but there are still plenty around deeper dock in the sound as well as around the docks and power lines in East Bay. Bluefish, spanish mackerel and flounder can all be caught in the bay this time of year. The flounder bite has pick up and as the water continues to cool to bite will only get hotter. Finger mullet, bull minnows and tiger minnows are the top baits right now for the flounder and don’t be surprised when a trout or redfish latches on to one as well. Mangrove snapper on are the bridge pilings, deeper docks and almost any rock pile in the sound. The top producing presentation for them right now is a 12” piece of 10 to 15 pound fluorocarbon leader, a size 1 hook, ½oz sinker and a live shrimp. This rig will take Sheepshead as well although if you get into the sheepshead you may have to downsize your hook to a size 4 and up your leader to 20 pounds. 

On the pier and in the surf pompano have showed up in good numbers and along with them plenty of 1.5 to 2 pound whiting. Best baits remain live or frozen shrimp and the top producing lure has been the old reliable pompano jigs. As the water continues to cool, the pompano bite will increase until then there are still a lot of ladyfish, spanish mackerel and bluefish to be caught. Bright spoons, Gotcha plugs, Straw Rigs, Top Water and regular plugs will catch them as well as live and frozen shrimp. Redfish are schooling up along area beaches especially near the passes. Some will be slot size fish but for the most part they will be over the slot.  Live, frozen and cut baits, especially cut mullet will catch them. There have been reports of the occasional Flounder being caught, some will be some nice fish over five pounds. Best baits are Tiger, Bull minnows and live finger Mullet. There is still an occasional king mackerel available and I suspect they are only going to be around as long as the slowly dwindling supplies of bait fish are available. 

I am still getting some good reports of king mackerel and spanish mackerel caught right off the beach and outside area passes, but I suspect that we are going to see the last of them until next spring in the coming weeks. Live cigar minnows and hard tails are the bait of choice. If there are large schools of bait around the king and spanish are not far away.  The big redfish are in the passes and along area beaches right now. Jigs, crank baits, spoons, cut bait and live bait almost anything will all take these fish right now as they begin to school up. Look for birds working the schools just outside the pass or within one or two miles of the pass.. Throw top water baits for some great action or a large spoon or jig.  For the fly rod enthusiasts this is prime time.  Any pattern that imitates a large baitfish will serve you well. Live baits or jigs will catch them to. 

Offshore the bottom fishing for red and scamp grouper remains very good. Live bait and frozen bait will work on both. Don’t be surprised if an Amberjack shows up, especially if you are jigging with a Butterfly jig or fishing with live hardtails. Black snapper have been on all the reefs this year. Use live shrimp and live Tiger Minnows. However, they will eat the same baits as Red Snapper. These same near shore wrecks will start to load up with flounder as the cold fronts push them into the gulf for the winter. I have had some good reports of wahoo, blackfin and yellowfin tuna being caught around the offshore oil platforms. Most anglers are trolling, jigging or chumming. 

Until next week tight lines!

PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND INSHORE
Last week found a lot of us wondering where all of the Sailfish came from. Bait really showed up and the bite turned red hot for several days. Plenty of Kings, Bonita and still seeing Black fin tuna mixed in. Live bait was working best, hard tails and cigar minnows were fairly easy to find for a change making for some great days on the water. These last few days of Gag grouper season are proving to be really good, way offshore or in close Gags are chewing. Large pinfish have worked well as bait, but squirrel fish are even better. Red grouper are being found on limestone bottom, and Gags are more likely on an actual wreck. Large AJ’s are over the larger wrecks and spans like the Dupont and Hathaway along with some nice sized Triggers. The blue water trips have brought in some good size Wahoo and Dolphin for the trolling crowd. Don’t forget to try for some Flounder around your favorite inshore wrecks. They are on the move and worth the effort. All in all, a great time to be fishing and the cooler weather doesn’t hurt either.

Along the beach bait showed up and so did the fish, lots of Whiting and a fair amount of Pompano and Flounder were turning up. Big Redfish were seen running the beach and people were able to sight fish them with gold casting spoons and the like. Some were caught using surf rigs baited with cut bait too.

ST ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM
Speckled trout, puppy reds and Mangrove snapper are being found around high tide up in two or three feet of water. Live shrimp and small pinfish were working well using just enough weight to enable the cast. Big bull reds are still in the channels and the pass working their way out to spawn. The Flounder are doing the same and are getting caught all over the bay system and just outside the pass, remember the limit is ten per angler per day (I had someone telling me about how many he and a friend caught the day before and he was over the limit because he thought the limit was still fifteen, you don’t want that ticket!). Sheep head are still being reported around bridges, docks and marinas. Just about anything that holds barnacles’ should hold Sheepies at least until they have eaten their fill. A flat shovel comes in handy to scrape the pilings and will definitely turn the bite on if they’re there.

NAVARRE
The weather this week was outstanding and it looks like we are in for more of the same. Due to the outstanding weather the water quality is pretty much back to normal inshore as well as along area beaches. This has resulted in a noticeable increase in the bite inshore, offshore and along area beaches.

Inshore the redfish and speckled trout bite is about as good as it gets this time of year. Some are in as shallow as a foot of water, but most will be in two feet on out to the drop offs as well as around the deeper docks in the bays and sound. Suspending twitch baits fished slow and erratic have been the top artificial for the trout with Gulp and Trigger X shrimp fished on a 1/16oz to 1/4oz jig head the top producing redfish baits. Live shrimp free lined on the grass flats or around docks and bridges with the least amount of weight needed to keep your rig on the bottom has been the top producing live bait for both trout and redfish. As always the exception to this is when you are targeting bull reds in the pass, then live pinfish, menhaden, croakers, or finger mullet fished on the bottom will get the bite. The flounder bite remains steady with most fish still being caught around deep water structure such as bridges and deeper piers and docks, although I have received reports and encountered them on the flats myself this week. Small live baitfish will get the bite as well as Gulp and Trigger X baits that are slowly dragged along the bottom.  

The surf this week has been pretty steady with whiting and pompano the main catches although redfish and bluefish are also being caught in the same areas. Live and fresh dead shrimp are the top producing baits right now for the pompano, whiting, and redfish, but live sand fleas as long as they are not too large when you can find them will work.

With the exception of those targeting whiting and pompano the action on the Navarre Pier continues to have its ups and downs. The mackerel bit has seen the most ups and downs with some morning’s red hot and others cold as a north wind in January. The kings have been mostly schoolies around 8 to 10 pounds, but the Spanish have been up into the 6 pound class with live bait the top producing presentation. However Gat-Cha plugs, bubble rigs and larger size 2 sabiki rigs are landing more than their fair share of Spanish. The pompano are being caught on live shrimp as well as pink or chartreuse pompano jigs with the folk’s site fishing for them out fishing those fishing natural baits. For the reds and whiting live or frozen shrimp is the bait of choice and you can also add pinfish and cigar minnows to the bait selection when targeting redfish exclusively. Flounder are also available and are hitting small pinfish, finger mullet and bull minnows fished around the pilings. And don’t forget to have a landing net handy when targeting them or you will be sorry when they spit the hook just as you are about to line them onto the pier.  

The offshore bite remains strong with plenty of action being delivered by king mackerel bonito and blackfin tuna just off the beach. Most of the wahoo reports still have them out as close as the edge and along with them you will find good numbers of blackfin tuna, mahi, and the occasional sailfish. I have been receiving good reports of 40 to 60 pound amberjacks around deep water structure in 150 to 300 feet of water. If you get a chance take a look at the 100 plus pounder on our bragging board caught last week. Along with the AJ’s you will find gag, red, and scamp grouper on the bottom of most of these deep reefs and wrecks. Live pinfish, hard tails, and red porgies have been the top producing live baits, with Shimano, Williamson, and Bomber 3oz to 6oz flutter jigs the top producing artificials. All of the billfish and sword fish reports still have them out around the floating platforms and the elbow area.