Near Panama City, the Gulf of Mexico presents azure-green waters at the inlets and along the coast. JR Hott / Panhandle Helicopter
As we glided over the serene expanse of Saint Andrew Bay, heading from Sun Harbor Marina to the DuPont (Highway 98) bridge that divides Saint Andrew from East Bay, I was astonished by the vast area of inshore waters extending northwest, northeast, and southeast of Panama City. I was completely unaware.
“Our system encompasses four bays,” Capt. Matt Smith, our guide for the day, explained. “West Bay, North Bay, Saint Andrew Bay, and East Bay.” According to Smith, these total nearly 170,000 acres of water, and a map reveals an impressive amount of fishable shoreline.
With perfect weather on that early-summer morning, I kept an eye out for other boats with anglers eager to catch some bull redfish. But as Smith anchored his 21-foot Cobia bay boat near the bridge channel, I realized we had the entire area to ourselves.
Bull Redfish at the Bridges
A hefty bull redfish allowed Dan Quinn, visiting from Minnesota, to check one goal off his bucket list. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing
We planned to fish with the Storm soft plastics that my fishing companion, Dan Quinn, had brought down from Minnesota. Smith had a good supply of small, live menhaden—cast-netted that morning—filling his baitwell and mentioned that plastics could work well in shallower bays, but in nearly 20 feet of water, they were less effective.
Despite this, the fearless Quinn hooked a decent fish using a Storm 360GT Searchbait soft-plastic, marking his first bull red drum. Eventually, yielding to the efficacy of live baits, we utilized Smith’s pogies, landing several more reds weighing at least 30 pounds, putting our light spinning gear to the test.
Then the airshow began. It takes a significant distraction to divert die-hard anglers from a live bait that is likely to be devoured by a trophy-sized redfish, but when F-16s, F-22s, and other jets zoomed past us—so fast that unless closely watching, we only heard them when they roared overhead—it became difficult to concentrate.
Another big bull for Dan Quinn, caught near the Highway 98 Bridge. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing
Few things can awaken the inner child in many men like fighter jets, and we discovered we were fishing in their flight path—numerous fighter jets practicing takeoffs and landings at Tyndall Air Force Base, just south of the bridge.
I sensed that Smith found our fascination amusing, having long grown accustomed to this occurrence. Gradually, I refocused on our purpose. The frequency of overflights slowed, coinciding with a decrease in tide and consequently, a lull in the redfish bite.
Light-Tackle Fishing Action in the Bay
While casting a pearl Rapala Shadow Rap Shad, I hooked a decent-sized Spanish mackerel over a shallow rise mid-bay. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing
Fortunately, we started noticing splashes and swirls as something chased small white bait to the surface. I grabbed a Shimano Stradic 3000 and attached a Rapala Shadow Rap Shad in an albino shiner color (think white pearl), tossed it out, and began erratic retrieves. Almost immediately, I was hooked up. The feisty fish turned out to be a small bluefish.
Quinn joined in, tossing a small 360 GT Largo Shad on a light lead-head, and we both kept busy with aggressive strikes from small blues, along with ladyfish and Spanish mackerel. Shortly after, Smith weighed anchor and we ventured further into East Bay.
Approximately mid-bay, our sounder indicated the bottom rising sharply from about 8 feet to roughly 3 feet—an extensive sandy shoal. Though typically more productive (and apparently troutier at times), today was less fruitful. However, we managed to catch a few jacks, and I successfully landed a larger Spanish mackerel using the same Shadow Rap Shad, while just missing what felt like a small tarpon.
By mid-morning, we had seen perhaps two or three other boats with anglers, appreciating the peacefulness of East Bay. However, this tranquility was about to shift.
Flounder in the Free-for-All
Flounders are highly desired and widely available in the bay system near Panama City. Capt. Matt Smith can often locate the delectable flatfish. Jason Arnold / jasonarnoldphoto.com
Flounder fishing in these waters can be rewarding this time of year if you fish in the right spot. On this occasion, Smith indicated that the optimal place would be Saint Andrew Bay Pass, where the Gulf flows into and out of Panama City’s expansive bay system.
The pass and its surrounding waters contrasted sharply with our experience back in the bays, bustling with all kinds and sizes of boats. Despite the congestion, Smith dropped anchor, and while bobbing in the waves, we lowered live pogies to the bottom, approximately 30 feet deep. Once again, Smith proved accurate: shortly thereafter, we caught our first southern flounder and shortly after that, a small gag grouper.
Eager to enhance the day’s diverse catch, Smith moved us to the end of the east jetty, a popular spot to catch mangrove (gray) snapper. Success: we landed several gray snapper, using small live baits just off the rocks while ensuring our lines stayed clear of the personal watercraft zipping around the jetty’s end.
By then, it was nearing midday. Like most inshore guides here who fish long summer days, Smith typically runs two half-day trips—around 7 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. or so. So we headed back to the marina, thoroughly satisfied after a lively, fish-filled outing.
Near the Dupont (Highway 98) Bridge, separating St. Andrew and East bays, Dan Quinn hooks a soft plastic. Jason Arnold / jasonarnoldphoto.com
June is an excellent time to experience the diversity these bays offer, but honestly, it’s hard to go wrong at any time. “We genuinely have a year-round inshore fishery here,” Smith shares. This includes targeting trout and reds on the flats from spring through fall (on the morning we were out, the tide wasn’t suitable for that fishery).
October and November are when Smith prefers to fish the inlet for bull reds. (Smith regularly releases redfish to promote the longevity of this exceptional fishery.)
In March and April, he targets sheepshead there. Summer baitfish migrations offer the best opportunities for catching flounder, mangrove snapper, and Spanish mackerel, along with species lured in by the bait, such as jacks, bluefish, blacktip sharks, and occasionally tarpon.
Offshore Fishing Panama City Beach
That’s what I call a red snapper! Capt. Matt Parramore presents the catch made by his first mate and spouse, Jennifer. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing
A change of plans awaited us on our second and third days fishing out of Panama City. Equipped with slightly heavier gear, we met up with Capt. Matt Parramore and our third angler, Parramore’s wife Jennifer, in his Cape Horn 27 at Panama City Marina for offshore fishing.
The sunny, calm weather we had enjoyed the day before was replaced by gray skies and occasional rumbles of thunder, prompting us to target nearshore waters using bait and lures—again, with variety as our goal. Fishing anywhere from a couple of miles off the beach to 10 or 12 miles out, we spent a significant portion of our time drift-jigging in 60 to 130 feet of water across various spots from Parramore’s trusted list.
As is typical in the northern Gulf, significant structural features are not necessary to find fish; even small areas of modest rubble can attract predators. Using a mix of Williamson Koika metal slow-pitch jigs and Arrow Head lead-head bucktail jigs, we had considerable success snagging king mackerel of decent size (and some even larger), along with—inevitably—red snapper, all of which we released in accordance with the law.
If the red snapper season had been open and we had chosen to target them, Parramore could easily have set us up on larger wrecks typically swarm with snapper. Beyond red snapper, over a dozen additional species might be caught on any given day fishing offshore from Panama City.
Bright-red bigeyes are always a surprising and stunning catch in the Gulf of Mexico. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing
With the jigs performing impressively, we used few of the live cigar minnows that Parramore had procured from a bait shop after leaving the marina. We also added a couple of substantial kings to our total by trolling with Rapala’s deep-diving X-Rap Magnum 40s.
While drifting the northern Gulf, it pays to experiment with any artificials you expect might work. I had fun landing some smaller kings and tunny while casting and retrieving with vigorous jerks a 5-inch X-Rap Saltwater crankbait on one of the light, inshore spinning reels I had brought. Although we didn’t utilize kites that day, Parramore enjoys dangling live runners from kites for larger kings and other surface-dwelling game fish.
Peak Time for Pelagics off Panama City
Quinn’s bucket list was further reduced when he caught this enormous smoker king, assisted by Capt. Matt Parramore (left), after it struck Quinn’s Rapala: a Magnum Divebait-40 Saltwater X-Rap. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing
While action can be good year-round, weather permitting, late spring to early summer remains Parramore’s optimal time for fishing. “The waters start warming, and baitfish migrate closer,” attracting coastal pelagics like cobia and kings, along with amberjack and snapper. During this period, larger bluewater pelagic game fish become active too. Although Parramore typically targets various coastal pelagics within an hour of the beach, he is also keen on bluewater big game. Given the shallow slope of the Gulf, he notes that a run of 60 to 120 miles is needed to reach areas where blue marlin roam.
Alternatively, offshore game fish (excluding blue marlin) can occasionally be found just a few miles from shore. “I’ve seen people catch dolphin and sailfish off the pier!” he emphasizes.
Species Availability: Panama City
A diverse array of species is available year-round in Panama City. Sport Fishing
Regardless of proximity, dolphin (mahi) are a favorite target for Parramore. “I adore fishing for dolphin. We often run-and-gun, searching for weeds and floating debris, as dolphin usually gather beneath whatever we find.”
Parramore is a participant in the Dolphinfish Research Tagging Program; he recalls an instance where a dolphin he tagged 20 miles off Panama City was recaptured 45 days later off Freeport in the Bahamas.
My takeaway from this trip to Panama City is that there’s an abundance of activities and events in a location thriving as a Gulf tourist destination. Yet, whenever I return, my focus will be on fishing, as there’s always something happening, whether inshore or offshore.
About Panama City, Florida
Dining choices are plentiful in Panama City. Doug Olander / Sport Fishing
Panama City is part of what is frequently described as Florida’s Emerald Coast, named for the color of the nearshore waters, which sometimes exhibit a distinct clear-green hue. Many activities that captivate visitors are water-based, which is unsurprising given the expansive bays and the Gulf beyond the sandy beaches. To discover more about all that Panama City offers, visit destinationpanamacity.com.