We had another week of beautiful water plus the temperature increased each day. We began this report period with 62-degree water and ended today at almost 69 degrees. There has been rain minnows and Squid around as bait. Sheepshead were around many of the pilings but for the most part, they would not bite. Thursday through Tuesday catching anything other than Squid was rare. There was one Sheepshead, two Red Drum, a few small Spanish Mackerel and a couple of Flounder decked by all the anglers. Finally, this morning a decent number of Bonita came in and were willing to bite.
There have been good catches of Squid all week. A few dedicated anglers filled their buckets. Most of the Squid were small but a few like the one George is holding were caught. The bite was best after dark, but we caught a decent amount during the day.
Two Red Drum and a Sheepshead were caught but that was the total for the entire seven days. Bob R. teased one Sheepshead to eat his Ghost Shrimp Thursday. Terry H. caught an over-slot Red Saturday and Quang got one Monday. There were no schools of Reds around.
Today, Wednesday, we finally had a few Bonita to show. The water was churned by the 15-20 mph south wind. Bubble rigs with a fly or small spoon and diamond jigs worked deep seemed to get their attention. At least two dozen were caught before the bite stopped. Here are a few shots of some of the Bonita caught by Ivan, Kim, Terry, Steve and Jim (his first ever).
Daily activity:
Thursday: water temp 62.0 – 64.6 Squid, one Sheepshead
Friday: water temp 62.4 – 64.4 Squid and one Flounder.
Saturday: water temp 63.7 – 66.0 An over-slot Red Drum, a few Spanish Mackerel and Squid.
Sunday: water temp 63.7 – 65.7 Squid and a few small Spanish Mackerel.
Monday: water temp 65.3 – 67.8 An over-slot Red Drum, a couple of Flounder and Squid.
Tuesday: water temp.63.5 – 67.8 Only Squid.
Wednesday: water temp 66.7 – 68.9 Bonita, Squid and a few small Spanish Mackerel
Red Tide status: In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was not observed.
Tides Link
https://tides4fishing.com/us/florida-west-coast/panama-cityngin g
Full Moon Wednesday Feb. 12, 2025 New Moon Thursday Feb. 27, 2025 -
Tides for the upcoming week:
Sunrise: 6:23am Sunset: 5:29pm
Thursday 13th. 7:36am Low -0.3 11:01pm High 0.8
Friday 7:02am Low -0.2 1:32pm High 0.2
3:37pm Low 0.1 11:49pm High 0.6
Saturday 6:42am Low 0.0 1:14pm High 0.3
5:57pm Low 0.1
Sunday 5:58am Low 0.1 12:45am High 0.4
8:07pm Low 0.1 12:56pm High 0.5
Monday 5:01am Low 0.1 2:06am High 0.2
10:04pm Low -0.1 12:37pm High 0.6
Tuesday 12:53pm High 0.8
Wednesday 19th. 1:25am Low -0.2 1:29pm High 0.9
Sunrise: 6:18am Sunset: 5:34pm CST
The Marine forecast for the next several days is:
DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EST THURSDAY
THURSDAY NIGHT
North winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming northeast 15 to 20 knots after midnight. Seas 2 to 4 feet. Wave Detail: Southwest 3 feet at 6 seconds and north 2 feet at 3 seconds. Protected waters choppy. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Patchy fog in the evening. A chance of showers.
FRIDAY
Northeast winds 15 to 20 knots. Seas 2 to 4 feet. Wave Detail: Northeast 3 feet at 4 seconds and southwest 2 feet at 7 seconds. Protected waters choppy.
FRIDAY NIGHT
East winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: East 3 feet at 4 seconds and south 1 foot at 7 seconds. Protected waters a moderate chop.
SATURDAY
East winds 10 to 15 knots, becoming southeast in the afternoon. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Wave Detail: East 3 feet at 4 seconds and south 1 foot at 7 seconds. Protected waters a moderate chop.
SATURDAY NIGHT
South winds 10 to 15 knots, increasing to 15 to 20 knots after midnight. Seas 2 to 4 feet. Protected waters choppy. A chance of showers after midnight.
SUNDAY
Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots, becoming west in the afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 feet, occasionally to 6 feet. Protected waters choppy. Showers with a chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then showers likely with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.
SUNDAY NIGHT
Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Seas 3 to 5 feet, occasionally to 6 feet. Protected waters choppy.
MONDAY
North winds 15 to 20 knots, diminishing to 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 feet, occasionally to 6 feet. Protected waters choppy.
MONDAY NIGHT
Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Protected waters a light chop.
(local forecast).
THURSDAY (70/48 rain 97% wind N-10)
FRIDAY (70/59 rain 20% wind ENE-139)
SATURDAY (72/66 rain 13% wind SSE-17)
SUNDAY (68/36 rain 87% wind WNW-18)
MONDAY (56/42 rain 02% wind NNE-11)
TUESDAY (63/52 rain 07% wind E-07)
WEDNESDAY(63/45 rain 69% wind ENE-11)
PIER MANAGEMENT CONTACT INFORMATION:
Bay County Parks and Recreation – 5304 Majetti Tower Road Panama City, FL 32404
850-248-8730
Vince Martin – Bay Co. Parks Division Manager - vmartin@baycountyfl.gov - 850-896-6580
Timothy Pentice- Bay Co. Asst. Div. Mgr. – tprentice@baycountyfl.gov – 448-217-4219
Tight lines and screaming drags,
Sam
SLP053@BELLSOUTH.NET
770-265-2879
