The Weekly Fishing Report: Click here for Archived Reports

Bottom fishing has been steady with live bait really starting to work on the grouper and snapper. Snapper bite starts at 80’ and the best numbers seem to be at about 100’. Lighter rigs are still the key to catching more fish, but be prepared to lose a few rigs.

Grouper limits are being picked up in 170-190’ of water in the hard bottom area south of Cape San Blas, mainly red snapper, but a few more gags and scamps are being caught as well. King mackerel bite remains steady also. Drifting live baits is working the best, but dusters and cigar minnows are also effective.

No change in the Spanish mackerel as they continue to be caught trolling Clark spoons and Mackerel trees, or drifting cigar minnows along the buoy line and the cape shoals area. Tarpon are moving east and hooked quite regularly from outside Cape San Blas shoals to Bob Sikes Cut, the area. Tripletails have shown up from Indian pass through Appalache bay and its surrounds.

Nice trout in the 4-pound range caught on the west bank of St Joseph Bay this week. Quite a few guides are now sight fishing the trout on the flats between Pigs Island and Eagle Harbor and between Eagle Harbor and Pompano Cove. Live LY’s or hard/soft jerk baits for artificial are working.

The reports for redfish are coming from all the west side starting outside the fire tower all the way up to Pompano Point. Hit the flats early morning and late afternoon for your best chances at both the trout and redfish. A few flounder caught in the channels off Blacks Island and in the intercoastal canal on live bull-minnows fished on a Carolina rig along the drop-offs. Spanish mackerel are along the St. Joseph peninsula between Eagle harbor and around the tip along the Gulf beach.

Below is a pictures sent in by Max Heitzmann (8 yo)and his first Wahoo caught while high speed trolling 18 miles southwest of the pass on Sunday. Weighed 38 pounds.

08/15/08

The past week has been entirely too windy to fish. With that said, the report has not changed for the few days of good weather we had last weekend. Check back next week for updates if the weather allows.

08/22/08

The Black Snapper bite has been very good as of late. These fish can be caught over most any of the in-shore wrecks and reefs. The key to catching them is to lighten up. Use 1 or 2 oz’s of lead, light wire 4/0 or 5/0 circle hooks, 30 or 40# fluorocarbon leader and live Cigar Minnows or Herring.

Red Snapper season is closed in Federal waters. The State Snapper season remains open within 9 miles from shore until November 1st.

Wahoo are still biting from 20 miles and further offshore. Look for weed lines or large clumps. High speed trollers are working well, as well as, ballyhoo and large live baits.

Tarpon are running the beaches in schools. These fish are very wary and will spook easily. Get in front of the school or anchor and wait for the schools to come to you. Be very quiet and pitch live baits ahead of the lead fish.

King Mackerel are plentiful offshore and near shore. Trolling has picked up while most of the fish are being caught free-lining live baits.

Redfish are spread out over the bay systems. On a high tide, the redfish will be laying up in the flooded Spartina Grass. Top water plugs, weedless jerk baits and gold spoons will take these fish out of the grass.

Bluefish, Spanish and Ladyfish are plentiful on all of the major points around St. Andrews Bay, the Middle Grounds, and Camel Back Shoals.

This has been an interesting week, we have had terrible weather with a few periods of sun and subsiding seas. As you know federal waters closed but that definitely does not mean Red Snapper fishing is over.

Captain Doug Richards on the Lighten Up had a nice limit of red snapper this week on a 6 hour charter fishing in state waters. They also had a large jack cravelle and a few kings that were released on the trip. Very few reports of grouper of amberjack due to weather and anglers not getting that far offshore. A few of the larger charter boats did have nice amberjack catches when they could fish.

Some other customers brought us some Yellow fin tuna steaks they caught on an overnight trip to the rigs Tuesday and Wednesday. They had a great catch while dodging storms. Other than that the offshore reports were few.

On the pier and surf things have been slow due to weather. Only a few Spanish, ladyfish and blues and a whole lot of catfish were being caught. That should change this weekend as the weather has finally broken and skies are sunny and wind is light for the next few days.

Same goes for the bay this week, a few reds and some trout for those anglers braving the conditions. The ones that did well were chumming and fishing with live menhaden.

08/22/08

Very few reports of grouper or amberjack due to weather and anglers not getting far enough offshore. A few of the larger charter boats did have nice amberjack catches when they could fish. On the pier this week a few kings and bonito were caught. The majority of the catches were ladyfish, Spanish blues and some good catches of blue crabs. They also got a few pompano. The boats have started getting the kings good again near shore. There are reports of good redfish action around the jetties and the bridges and also along the beaches. Offshore has been quiet and no reports. In the bay the trout are good east of 331 and in the sound. Flounder gigging has also been productive.

No freshwater report this week!

Fishing Report prepared by Half Hitch Tackle Staff.

The Captains Corner Fishing Report is provided by local charter captains and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Half Hitch Tackle. 

This report is dedicated to the memory of Al Hubbard.
Al Hubbard was a field editor for Florida Sportsman magazine, an outdoor writer for the News Herald and a board member of the Florida Outdoor Writer's Association.
Mr. Hubbard was also the owner of Al's Outdoors Outfitting Services.