Going to Panama City Beach for 3 weeks driving down. Debating about bringing some rods and tackle or not.
Probably won’t have a bunch of time for it. I will be working and my kids have distance- school
Seems like I should bring something but not sure if there is much beach fishing or in-Shore options at that time of year ? And what tackle? Any advice?
I would bet your best bet for game fish wold be trout and possibly some redfish. Maybe can find some spots you can wade too at low tide- grass flats, oyster bars, etc. Medium spinning gear and a small swimbait or shrimp imitation if you go artificial. Otherwise probably pretty hard to beat a live shrimp on a plain hook with small sinker or freelined(no weight).
Looking at google maps and other satellite imagery may clue you in on locations of some of these flats. I would either hire a guide for half a day or do a bunch of googling and reading on forums if you are somewhat serious about it.
Otherwise some ponds/canals could be a good bet for bass(some bigguns) and/or bluegills.
I’m no pro at this, so take it with a grain or two of salt. Good luck
I’ve never been to that area but whenever I go to FL I can a medium heavy rod and tie a dropper loop rig with a circle hook, get some live shrimp, find a bridge and fish the pilings. Sheepshead, trout, reds, just about anything will eat live shrimp. I’ve had good success doing that.
I’ve never been to that area but whenever I go to FL I can a medium heavy rod and tie a dropper loop rig with a circle hook, get some live shrimp, find a bridge and fish the pilings. Sheepshead, trout, reds, just about anything will eat live shrimp. I’ve had good success doing that.
Good point- what they consider a medium power rod for saltwater fish is more like a med-heavy freshwater rod… if that makes sense. Think in that 3/4 to 1 oz range. That would not be overkill. It’s amazing how much harder a lot of those inshore species fight compared to similar sized mn lake fish…. Also a 2500-4000 class reel should fit the bill. 12-20 pound braid to a 15-30 lb fluoro leader, depending on what you’re mostly expecting to hook into
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
I’ve never been to that area but whenever I go to FL I can a medium heavy rod and tie a dropper loop rig with a circle hook, get some live shrimp, find a bridge and fish the pilings. Sheepshead, trout, reds, just about anything will eat live shrimp. I’ve had good success doing that.Good point- what they consider a medium power rod for saltwater fish is more like a med-heavy freshwater rod… if that makes sense. Think in that 3/4 to 1 oz range. That would not be overkill. It’s amazing how much harder a lot of those inshore species fight compared to similar sized mn lake fish…. Also a 2500-4000 class reel should fit the bill. 12-20 pound braid to a 15-30 lb fluoro leader, depending on what you’re mostly expecting to hook into
I bring a 5 piece M freshwater rod when I go and I haven’t had anything that really gave me a tough time on it. I do completely agree that saltwater fish fight WAY harder. I caught some 4-5 lb sheepies on that rod though and it handled them no problem. Either way, the great part about FL is just about wherever you soak bait you will catch SOMETHING.
Either way, the great part about FL is just about wherever you soak bait you will catch SOMETHING.
Sure 
The best part about using shrimp as bait is that everything loves eating shrimp. It is also the worse part.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
Either way, the great part about FL is just about wherever you soak bait you will catch SOMETHING.Sure
The best part about using shrimp as bait is that everything loves eating shrimp. It is also the worse part.
I don’t know, I like catching fish so must be why I like using shrimp. Probably the same reason I think walleye fishing is so boring.
PM sent
Been said….medium heavy rod with with 20# braid and a heavy flouro leader. I like GT360 swim baits in white and gulp shrimp in white. Look for when the tide is coming in and go start casting.
Live bait is tough to deal with and I’ve had as much luck with plastics. Never had any luck with hard sided baits for some reason.
It’s very much worth it to bring some gear.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mplspug wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
Either way, the great part about FL is just about wherever you soak bait you will catch SOMETHING.Sure
The best part about using shrimp as bait is that everything loves eating shrimp. It is also the worse part.
I don’t know, I like catching fish so must be why I like using shrimp. Probably the same reason I think walleye fishing is so boring.
I’m not saying don’t use shrimp, I use them all the time and they are a great bait. Definitely have them on hand if you want to catch fish.
But people always say everything loves shrimp. What they fail to tell you is that includes pinfish, pufferfish, crabs, lady fish, lizardfish, catfish, stingrays, etc. Some of those make great bait as well if you catch one.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mplspug wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
Either way, the great part about FL is just about wherever you soak bait you will catch SOMETHING.Sure
The best part about using shrimp as bait is that everything loves eating shrimp. It is also the worse part.
I don’t know, I like catching fish so must be why I like using shrimp. Probably the same reason I think walleye fishing is so boring.
I’m not saying don’t use shrimp, I use them all the time and they are a great bait. Definitely have them on hand if you want to catch fish.
But people always say everything loves shrimp. What they fail to tell you is that includes pinfish, pufferfish, crabs, lady fish, lizardfish, catfish, stingrays, etc. Some of those make great bait as well if you catch one.
For sure. I’m not there year round like you pug but when I use live shrimp I don’t seem to get the nuisance fish.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
Either way, the great part about FL is just about wherever you soak bait you will catch SOMETHING.Sure
The best part about using shrimp as bait is that everything loves eating shrimp. It is also the worse part.
Hey, but the catfish love them down there. And aren’t you quite the kitty guy back here at home, pug?? 
On the real side though, so true. They still do catch the target fish though, and that’s no fibbin!
Definitely use shrimp. I just like saying that when people say everything likes shrimp. But avoid frozen shrimp where possible just because like most frozen bait, if doesn’t stay on the hook as well as live, but use it if you have no choice.
Pinfish are also great because they are very hardy. In a frabil or bucket just keep the water fresh or use an aerator. They will stay alive on a hook until cast off or eaten.
Buy more shrimp than you think you need at least a dozen per hour, 2 dozen better, and about a dozen pinfish per 2 hours fishing.
Pinfish are also great because they are very hardy.
Pinfish is what we used for a portion of the time when I was saltwater fishing in the keys in March 2018. They were hardy and several difference species of fish were willing to bite them.
Check out FishAholic Fishing on Youtube. He’s a young 20 something from the Northeast but he did a Florida Road Trip last spring and did a ton of wade-fishing, Jetti Fishing and Bridge Fishing (some in his yak, too). He went all over the state and I’m sure you could find some great examples techniques, species to target, etc. Great Content. Just fishing/living out of the back of an SUV so he kept it pretty simple.
I don’t have a lot of mainland FL fishing but I do have a bit of shore and bridge fishing experience in the Keys. Down there, like others have said above, if you throw a live shrimp off a bridge it will immediately be machine-gunned by a bunch of small snapper, grunts and pinfish. And they’re VERY good at finding their way around the hook. Bait shops down there also sell frozen squid. If you cut that up, it lasts a little longer on the hook. But you’re really only going to catch the little guys, maybe a keeper crappie-sized mangrove snapper here and there. Pinfish on a sinker rig around the pilings might get you into bigger snapper, grouper or jack or even bigger predator. Tons of fun, but make sure you have a landing strategy – IE a way to fight it towards land if you tie into a bigger fish and can’t hoist it up to the bridge deck. Sounds simple enough but if there’s 20 locals fishing for dinner between you and the shore, it gets more complicated.
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