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Panama City Beach Fishing Report 10-16-26
Bay Fishing
The bay has been hot as the water clears up a bit! Redfish are everywhere, searching for food. Flounder are around, too, but their season has just closed, so please handle them carefully and release them promptly. The trout are hungry, too. Early morning and late evening are usually best, but that’s no secret!
Your best bet right now is fishing around the docks late at night as the tide moves toward those early-morning highs. Live bait on a set rig works great, as does free-lining live bait. Try to be as quiet as possible when your lure or bait hits the water. Too many splashes can seal your fate for a fishless night.
A set rig keeps your bait in the strike zone 100% of the time. Consider a dropper-loop set rig, and remember that patience is key!
Pier Fishing
The piers have been set back a bit by the hurricane. There were a couple of king mackerel caught beforehand, but that’s history for now. The piers will recover!
Fishing is very slow right now, but until things pick up, that’s what we can expect. Very soon, the piers will become the hot spots so many anglers wait for all year. Get ready to load up!
Trolling Inshore
The water is still dirty, so inshore trolling is a no-go for now.
Surf Fishing
Reports indicate that sand fleas are still around. If you’re struggling, step back and use your eyes! If you spot a colony of fleas, run to them, don’t walk!
Why do I say this? Pompano are keyed in on the fleas right now, so do what you can to get live ones. Always bring frozen shrimp and at least a pack or two of blanched fleas, along with brightly colored Fishbites or Fishgum.
Some anglers have been catching their limits, while others have come up empty. Do your research on the beach you plan to fish, because these slab pompano had just started showing up before the storm.
Bottom Fishing
The bite has been good, but not close to shore, so plan to spend the money to get at least 8 to 10 miles offshore!
Captain Chewey Hartsfield with Chewey’s Charters is still running trips. He recommends going a minimum of 8 to 10 miles out to find less-stained water and a better bite. He’s one of the few captains still available to run charters right now, and he’s been successful at putting fish in the boat!
He also reports catching fish on dead bait, along with some live bait. Captain Chewey shared this information with us, and he’s out there as much as, if not more than, just about anyone. He shoots it straight!
Basically, plan to run 8 to 10 miles offshore from the nearest land to give yourself the best chance of finding cleaner water and catching fish.
Offshore
This information comes straight from the “meat hauler” himself, Captain Scott Nguyen of Tailhunter Charters!
These guys go deep, so if you want a memory of a lifetime and enough fish to give you storage issues when it comes to your fillets, give them a call. Their trips cost more because it takes more to do what they do. They run a fast boat and travel deep offshore to get you on the fish!
According to Captain Scott:
“Offshore in 120 to 150 feet, the water is still silted up. There has been a good red grouper bite, along with triggerfish, red snapper, and beeliners in that depth. There has also been a decent scamp grouper bite, with a few red grouper and snapper mixed in the catch.
“Deeper offshore, there have been bonita around, along with some blackfin tuna. Based on the last few trips after the storm, cut bait has been doing better than live bait, most likely due to the silted-up water near the bottom.”
Get Out There!
