Our water has been beautiful most of the past seven days. We started with warm water but Friday night a cold front hit and the temps began dropping. By Saturday afternoon, we were below 68 degrees. Monday and Tuesday the temps continued to be unseasonably cold, and the water temp got as low as 64. As you would expect, the fish didn’t respond well and the bite slowed dramatically. Friday was the best day of the entire 7 day period. Today, Wednesday, we finally began to get back to average daytime temperatures and the water warmed to 68.5 by late afternoon. Our forecast is warmer so we should be in great shape by this coming weekend.
Bonita was the most common catch as lots of them hit the deck Thursday, Friday and Saturday. By Sunday the numbers tapered off to just a few. Very early morning was the best bite. Bubble with straw, spoons, jigs and live small bait worked well to hook a fish. Here is George M. and Chuck O. with a couple they caught.
Our King bite cranked up Friday morning when Von got hammered by a 35.1 pound King. It was Von’s last few hours to fish before heading back to Georgia and would put him on the board with the biggest King so far. Early afternoon I got hit on a live turbo Cigar minnow. My fish would weigh 19.47 pounds. I hooked a second fish a short time later but put too much pressure on the fish and pulled the hook before we could gaff it. Then, Jose hooked-up. His fish was around 12 pounds. Jacob would put the last King on the deck Friday evening with a 23.5 pound fish. There were at lease 8 other kings missed so the bite was the best for any day so far. Saturday morning would bring the last King for the report period. Danny C. had cast a live Cigar minnow and sat his rod down. The hit was sudden and Danny was lucky to barely grab the handle just before the rod and reel disappeared over the rail. Danny’s fish would be the second one this year over thirty pounds. It weighed 33 pounds. No more Kings were seen the remainder of the period.
Spanish Mackerel were coming through in large schools. Good numbers of decent size fish were decked. The bite was not fast and furious but you could get enough fish for a good meal if you wanted to. Small jerk baits, spoons, bubble rigs and live bait were productive. Carlos caught one of the bigger Spanish Friday. It was a good consolation prize since he had missed 5 King bites for the day.
The Pompano bite was sporadic but mostly consistent. Good numbers of fish hit the deck. Jigs worked well but a few fish were caught on set rigs too. I saw one unusual catch Sunday morning as an angler brought two pompano over the rail with one being hooked in the mouth by the jig and the second one hooked in the tail by the teaser fly. Ferd and Brenda were among many anglers that put fish in their coolers.
In other action, Casey W. and Steve L. both decked slot Red Drum. There was one other report of a big bull Red caught off the end Tee. There were around two dozen Reds hanging in the shallows today but would not eat anything. Monday, Dylan decked the first Jack Crevalle of the year. A small school came blasting through the Pompano hole and he was able to get a jig in one before they disappeared.
Daily activity:
Thursday: water temp 69.3 – 66.9 – 68.7 Lots of Bonita early am
Friday: water temp 68.7 – 70.5 Lots of Bonita early am, King Mackerel (4 caught, 1 lost to pulled hook, at least 7 missed), Spanish Mackerel, one Red Drum, Pompano
Saturday: water temp 70.5 – 67.8 A few Spanish Mackerel and Sharks in am, 33# King Mackerel, a few Spanish Mackerel, Pompano and Bonita in pm
Sunday: water temp 67.8 – 64.8 A few Bonita and Pompano
Monday: water temp 66.6 – 64.9 – 66.4 Spanish Mackerel, a few Pompano, one Red Drum, one Bonita and small Cigar minnows
Tuesday: water temp 66.0 – 66.9 Several Spanish Mackerel and Pompano, one bull Red Drum, a small Flounder and small Cigar minnows
Wednesday: water temp 66.9 – 68.5 A few Pompano and Spanish Mackerel, Cigar minnows and Ballyhoo
- Red Tide status: In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background and very low concentrations in Gulf County, and background to very low concentrations in Pasco County.
Tides Link
https://tides4fishing.com/us/florida-west-coast/panama-cityngin g
New Moon Tuesday Mar. 21, 2023 Full Moon Wednesday Apr. 05, 2023
Tides for the upcoming week:
Sunrise: 6:42am Sunset: 6:55pm
Thursday 23rd. 4:36am Low 0.5 2:09am High 0.6
8:14pm Low -0.1 11:51am High 0.9
Friday 10:00pm Low -0:2 11:44am High 1.1
Saturday 11:43pm Low -0.2 12:14pm High 1.2
Sunday 12:55pm High 1.3
Monday 1:15am Low -0.3 1:40pm High 1.3
Tuesday 2:30am Low -0.3 2:32pm High 1.3
Wednesday 29th. 3:29am Low -0.3 3:35pm High 1.2
Sunrise: 6:35am Sunset: 7:00pm CDST
The Marine forecast for the next several days is:
(local forecast).
THURSDAY (76/70 rain 35% wind S-14)
FRIDAY (77/59 rain 57% wind SSW-23)
SATURDAY (75/56 rain 08% wind NW-08)
SUNDAY (77/61 rain 10% wind E-10)
MONDAY (77/64 rain 21% wind SE-10)
TUESDAY (77/68 rain 24% wind SW-10)
WEDNESDAY(77/67 rain 24% wind WSW-11)
PIER MANAGEMENT CONTACT INFORMATION:
Bay County Parks and Recreation – 5304 Majetti Tower Road Panama City, FL 32404
850-248-8730
Joy Saddler – Bay Co. Parks Division Manager –850-248-8730
Vince Martin – Bay Co. Asst. Parks Division Manager - vmartin@baycountyfl.gov - 850-896-6580
Tight lines and screaming drags,
Sam
