PC/PCB Fishing Report 2-20-26
Bay Fishing
We have definitely warmed up a good bit, but hang on because we have a short cold snap coming for two or three days to stunt this springlike start. That said, the redfish have been scattered from the shallow bays to the bridges, with some big oversized fish hanging in the pass.
The trout have been holding around the warmer bayous and freshwater entry points, slipping out at times to cruise nearby shallow areas that warm up during the day.
In the pass there have been some scattered sheepshead, but that bite has slowed lately, most likely due to the onset of the neap tides.
Please note that speckled trout season is closed throughout the month of February.
Surf Fishing
The warm weather has tremendously helped the surf fishing pick up a bit. It is not hot and heavy, but you can catch a keeper if you are persistent and stubborn. This week several anglers have been catching pompano, and pompano in February is special.
There are also some redfish and black drum in the mix. One thing that has been reported are sharks cruising the beach and very shallow water late in the afternoon. When a targeted fish hits your bait and gets hooked, the next thing you know the line goes slack and the rig is gone. This actually happened to me three times, but I was finally able to bring in a pompano.
Speaking of sharks, there were two great white sharks caught from the beach this week in the panhandle. One was caught on the west end of Panama City Beach and the other in Pensacola. It is very rare for this to happen, but for two to be caught so close together in our waters is downright crazy. That said, we do have them here every winter and into the spring.
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Pier Fishing
The water temperature spiked this week to almost 64 degrees. The cold front coming through is going to knock that down a bit. I would guess 60 to 61 degrees after it settles, perhaps a degree cooler.
The pier bite has included bluefish, flounder, sheepshead, pompano, redfish, black drum, and an occasional spanish mackerel. The sheepshead have been thick but are not overly willing to bite. It takes time and finesse to get that bite.
Last but not least, there is a squid bite going on after dark, so come get your glowing squid jigs and get out there.
Bottom Fishing
The bite was steady for most bottom fish you would target, but the winds lately have kept many anglers either fishing closer to shore or staying home, especially with several species closed right now.
The vermilion snapper seem to be cooperating if you want some fresh fish for dinner. If you hit the hard bottom areas and drop a live bait, you can catch a red or gag grouper. Red grouper are open. Gag grouper are not.
Nearshore Trolling
Not really productive yet, but give it a few weeks and the Spanish mackerel will show up.
Stock up now on the Clark Spoons. My favorite is the one with the red bead. Generally it goes like this: size 00 to start the season, then as the glass minnows grow move up to a 0, and eventually to a size 1. Silver is my favorite, but some days they really prefer the gold version.
Also get your lead ready early by putting it in saltwater for a few days to take the shine off. New lead is shiny and Spanish mackerel love shiny things. Weights are generally 2 to 6 ounces. You will also need some 40 pound mono for leaders that should be 8 to 10 feet long. Do not forget to check your swivel supply.
Offshore
Same as last week. There has been a lot of boat prep going on to get ready for the season during these windy stretches. No solid reports yet, but there has been talk of anglers looking for a weather window to head out. It just seems like we are getting all the wind and rough seas on the weekends lately.
Hopefully we will have more offshore information soon.
