# Panama City Beach



## bcssux (May 23, 2005)

Hey, I just registered a second ago. The site is pretty cool. I'm goin down to PCB on 5/27-6/5. Do you guys have any idea what to fish for in the surf and how? I have lots of experience with everything except artificials, like bubble and straw rigs and gotcha plugs. I'm new to those. I'm open for any suggestions or tips. 

Thanks

(P.S.-any chances on some blacktips or bull sharks?)


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## jlk007 (May 2, 2005)

Are you planning to fish the surf or the pier? either way, try the gotchas, my favorite colors are white w/ chartreuse head, silver w/chartreuse head and gold w/orange head. Of course when the fish are really biting just about any will do. just tie them on with a 30lb mono leader. cast it out and work it back as fast as you can with a sight jerking retreive. The bait will dart back and forth through the water like a baitfish. As for the bubble rigs most bait shops sell them already made up, so if you are new to them that will probably be the best way to go. I personally like a chartreuse or pink straw behind them but there are a lot of variations. fill the bubble up at leat half way with water. Cast it out and rip it back across the top with basically the same jerking motion as the gotchas. If you go to the pier you will see plenty of others using them and you will get the idea. good luck.


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## bcssux (May 23, 2005)

I'm gonna be in the surf pretty much all the time, so it would seem hard to spot fish. Do I just cast and retrieve randomly, or do I need to spot a school first?


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## jlk007 (May 2, 2005)

personally I would rather spot a school of fish to cast to but random casting can work sometimes. It is just not as productive. Just make sure not to cast directly into the school but rather a little past or just to the side so as not to spook the fish. another thing you could try if you are going to be in the surf is to get a few pompano jigs, preferably pink and white and tip them with a sand flea. Cast it out and slowly retrieve it by bouncing it off the bottom. I saw a few pomps being caught so it is worth a try. It will be hard to spot them so random casting is your only bet. You can also try a bottom weighted rig with shrimp, squid or sand fleas for bait. I saw a few guys in front of the condo fishing this way and they were catching some small redfish, whiting and catfish.


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## bcssux (May 23, 2005)

Yeah, I've been using weighted bottom rigs for a while and they've been pretty productive. They do get old after a while though. Is it even possible to spot fish from the beach? I've surf fished for a while, but the only fish that i've been able to spot have been way out past the second sand bar, I would need a boat to get to them. Plus, at sunset (my opinion of the best time to fish), the angle of the sun makes it impossible to see into the water due to the reflection. Any ideas on that?


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## Guest (May 24, 2005)

BC,
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEM ALREADY INVEST IN A "QUALITY" PAIR OF SHADES  
IT'S ALMOST A MUST HAVE. I WOULD SUGGEST COSTA DEL MAR THEY ARE WORTH THE MONEY AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A GOOD PAIR YOU WILL BE ABSOLUTLY AMAZED AT WHAT YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE..REALLY!! YOU HAVE PROBABLY ALREADY BEEN CLOSER THAN YOU THINK TO A SCHOOL OF FISH....GO SEE A PROFESIONAL DEALER AND THEY CAN WALK YOU THROUGH THE BENIFITS AND FEATURES. IT'S WORTH IT AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF TACKLE YOU CAN BUY

THE SECOND SAND BAR IS NOT AS FAR AS YOU MIGHT THINK BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO STEP UP TO A TOTALY DIFFERENT PRESENTATION AND YOU WILL NEED A TOTALY DIFFERENT OUTFIT.


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## jlk007 (May 2, 2005)

i have to agree with doright on that one. A good quality pair of shades will make all of the difference in the world. I tried several of the cheap "polarized" glasses at first but intil I made the investment in a good pair of Costas I was fishing blind. As for the fish being out past the second bar, I saw and caught several nice blues within 50 to 75 yards off the beach, so they are there, but can be hard to see. A lot of times you can just see a dark spot in the water and thats them. Even if you dont get the whole school to move on your bait, keep working it fast because most of the time a few fish will pull away and chase your bait.


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## bcssux (May 23, 2005)

I've got some oakleys, are they OK?


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## AtlantaKing (Jul 7, 2002)

Personally, I would just head to the Dan Russell pier, on Front Beach Rd (ask around, most everyone knows where it is). While surf fishing is productive, it does not lend itself well to the locale...PCB, namely because of all of the development on the beach, and the continuing "beach renourishment" (sand pumping) projects going on :--| A lot of the beachfront in PCB is private property of the hotel/resort on it, and parking near the beaches is almost non-existant. 

The pier, OTOH, has ample parking (probably still free) and gives you good access to fishy water. I don't know if the pier is repaired from the damage sustained during Ivan, but its still pretty open, and the fishing has been good. Right now, the spanish macks, pomps, flounder, reds, cobia and sometimes king macks are all running. Throwing Got-Cha's, Clark spoons, pompano jigs and freelined live baits all produce. If you need lures, or advice on how to catch the pier fish, go to Half Hitch Tackle on Thomas Drive, near the Hathaway bridge and ask. They'll tell you everything you need to know  

Also, the St. Andrews State Park is also good. There's a short pier in the park, on the gulf side as well as one on the bay side, and a long rock jetty. Gotchas, bubble rigs and shiney spoons work well for macks, blues and hardtails; you can also buy bull minnows for flounder (also applies at the pier, just drop the bull minnow on a carolina rig near a piling). 

Hope this helps


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## Guest (May 26, 2005)

St.andrews Started Me On Salt Water Fishing 12yrs Ago. I Didn't Even Know What A Gotcha Was All I Knew Was The Faster I Retrieved The More Bites I Got!!!! That Was One Of The Best Days I Ever Had!! We Caught A Load Of Fish That Day....even Some Nice Pomps :d :d


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## jlk007 (May 2, 2005)

The pier really is your best bet. It costs $5.00 per day to fish, all day, limit 4 rods. Parking is not a problem, they have a nice new lot directly accross the street and it is free. Half Hitch tackle operates the bait shop on the pier and they have a good assortment of lures and bait and will give good advice and pointers. To get an update on what is going on at the pier the telephone # is 850-230-5936 .Also a snack bar that opens at 9:30 a.m. 
The damage from Ivan was mostly at the end of the pier at the T section. It has not been repaired yet but the rest of the pier is open all the way out to where the T started. I have had my best luck with spanish just past the bathrooms that are about half way out.


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