# panama city beach pier fishing.....



## biggtruxx (Mar 2, 2008)

ok we changed our plans to panama city beach for april 16-20th... they do have a loooong pier there......... anyone know what i can expect fishing wise there off the pier? what to use for bait...... how heavy tackle needs to be etc etc..... we were going to tybee but we changed our minds. thanks


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## jamessig (Mar 3, 2008)

You should also try the jetties at St Andrews for redfish, bluefish, mangrove snapper and maybe spanish and pompano. Live shrimp from Half Hitch are convenient and work great for the snapper, but if you can catch some smallish pinfish,  which should be on any and every grass flat in the bay, they are a better bait for larger mangroves. Pins are good for redfish also. Redfish will hit just about anything you want to throw, spoons, jigs, plugs, plastic baits, gotcha's, and almost any live, dead or cut bait except squid. Bubble rigs or small spoons for spanish and small jigs for pompano. If you can find some sand fleas that would improve your odds at getting some pompano.
On the pier cobia may still be around in mid April. Kings, redfish, pompano and spanish should all be possibilities.


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## jdkelly12 (Mar 3, 2008)

The Dan Russell pier is closed due to reconstruction.


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## robertyb (Mar 3, 2008)

The Dan Russell Pier is being torn down at this time. The buildings are already gone and 100 feet of railings and concrete have been removed so far, the pilings are still standing. The county pier is also closed and will be torn down in a few months also.

The piers will both be rebuilt but we are looking at 18 to 24 months.  

Maybe ya'll can access this, has some pictures.

http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=710178


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## biggtruxx (Mar 3, 2008)

are there any other piers in the area?? if not then im gonna go crazy lol


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## robertyb (Mar 3, 2008)

Best close one would be the Okaloosa Pier near Destin. Best would probably be the Pensacola Pier.

I am probably going to jetty fish again


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## biggtruxx (Mar 3, 2008)

stupid question???? what is jetty fishing? lol


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## miller (Mar 3, 2008)

Isn't there a pier in the park? 





biggtruxx said:


> stupid question???? what is jetty fishing? lol



The rocks that seperate the pass from the beach, they stretch out a ways and you can fish from them.


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## nevamiss270 (Mar 3, 2008)

the okaloosa pier is pretty good - have caught a ton of fish from there - spanish, blues, ladyfish, etc. are easily caught on gotcha plugs.  For some real fun go out to the end and try to catch some kings - catch bait with a sabiki rig either ly's or cigar minnows and throw it out there - it is alot easier if you have a longer rod i use a ten footer because you can cast alot farther -i use 15 lb test and a steel leader.  Hold on because them suckers are FASSTTTT


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## robertyb (Mar 3, 2008)

There is a small pier at the park and the locals have adopted it as their own now that the other pier is gone. It will be mighty crowded most days and the fishing is a lot better from the Jettys anyway.


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## Dustin Pate (Mar 3, 2008)

I agree with the others...go to the jetty. Caught plenty of fish in October. Jetties are one of my favorite places to fish no matter where they are.


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## Jasper (Mar 3, 2008)

nevamiss270 said:


> the okaloosa pier is pretty good - have caught a ton of fish from there - spanish, blues, ladyfish, etc. are easily caught on gotcha plugs.  For some real fun go out to the end and try to catch some kings - catch bait with a sabiki rig either ly's or cigar minnows and throw it out there - it is alot easier if you have a longer rod i use a ten footer because you can cast alot farther -i use 15 lb test and a steel leader.  Hold on because them suckers are FASSTTTT



We fish the Okaloosa Pier every year in July during vacation and have caught lots of fish. I gave up on fishing the end of the pier for kings because of some of the trash mouthed locals that think they own the place. After almost getting in a fight there once I backed off and began fishing nearer the beach. Less crowded and I love catching spanish, skipjacks and blues on straw rigs. There are usually some big reds cruising around as well. Good luck!


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## robertyb (Mar 3, 2008)

The locals are that way about everywhere you go it seems. I took the abuse and learned the rules and now I think they think I am a local . Took a while though.  

Best thing to do is try and learn the ways of the pier fast. Dont crowd others and don't jump in their spot just cause they hooked up and had to walk away while fighting the fish. Always give way to anyone with a fish on that needs to move. Lines up and out of the water and do not cast back over them. They will do the same for you, even gaff your fish for you.


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## Jasper (Mar 3, 2008)

robertyb said:


> The locals are that way about everywhere you go it seems. I took the abuse and learned the rules and now I think they think I am a local . Took a while though.



I understand. If it were just me I could handle it. What's amazing is the # of lowlifes that will cuss up a storm despite a kid standing right behind them. It's usually the same few that are there every day year after year. I don't even walk down there anymore. I haven't seen that kind of behavior except at the end of the pier........

But it worked out..........now I'd rather catch Spanish anyway.............


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## robertyb (Mar 3, 2008)

Jasper said:


> I understand. If it were just me I could handle it. What's amazing is the # of lowlifes that will cuss up a storm despite a kid standing right behind them. It's usually the same few that are there every day year after year. I don't even walk down there anymore. I haven't seen that kind of behavior except at the end of the pier........
> 
> But it worked out..........now I'd rather catch Spanish anyway.............



After learning who all the regulars are on the pier I realized that the worst ones (besides Shadow) were actually tourists and a lot are from Georgia. Some of the folks you see there a lot are not locals. I have been accused several times of living on the pier.    A friend and his wife from LaFayette came down four times to fish last year and I was on the pier everytime they walked out.

Retirement is he!!  But someone has to do it.


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## Dixiesimpleman32 (Mar 4, 2008)

oh shadow i think that guy has been fishingthere along time he was there in theearly to mid 90s when i went alot.That was a awesome pier i fish out of boats mostly now but i will go fish the new pier when it opens i hope its as nice as the other one.im ate fish on coming down.or when cobias running first cast.


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## robertyb (Mar 4, 2008)

The new pier(s), there will be two, are going to be about ten feet higher off the water, about 50 feet longer and the railings from 1 to 1 1/2 feet taller and solid. They will have grated blowout panels instead of concrete in the middle and from what I have heard thus far no bathrooms.

If you know Shadow he is a local with limited speech, mostly vulgar, casts at shadows and rarely ever changes clothes. According to him, he is the best ever and holds a lot of pier records.    He is a landmark on the pier.

I will be the old ************ in the budweiser hat and scraggly beard that always seems to get lucky but likes to help other folks out.  

I was told what goes around comes around so I try.


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## T-Boy (Mar 5, 2008)

*Panama City Pier*

Man I liked that pier. I fished it every morning while on vacation several years ago before the damage.

I went back last year once in July and once in August and we had a ball on the pier even though the end was closed.

In July the King's were running early and I hooked one on a bucktail jig with 10 lb test line. The fight lasted 10 seconds.

I went and bought a bigger rod and reel for the August trip with some wire leader and of course the King's were not running at that time.

Still had a great time with the Gotcha and Bubble Rig with a few Spanish and other fish.

Planning a month long trip in October. Has anyone fished the Jetties at St Andrews during that time.

Since pier is still under construction can you catch anything there in October.

Thanks


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## Trizey (Mar 5, 2008)

I'm glad y'all like the pier!!   Keep on fishing it!


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## Mechanicaldawg (Mar 5, 2008)

50 feet longer!!!

Dern pier rats taken up more of my water!!!





















 Just kiddin'!  Sound's great!


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## Dustin Pate (Mar 5, 2008)

T-Boy said:


> Planning a month long trip in October. Has anyone fished the Jetties at St Andrews during that time.
> 
> Since pier is still under construction can you catch anything there in October.
> 
> Thanks



Went the second week of October last year and even during the red tide we did ok. Plenty of reds were being caught and plenty of snapper off the jetties...had the red tide not been so bad we would have caught spanish and bonita.


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## StriperAddict (Mar 5, 2008)

Dustin Pate said:


> Went the second week of October last year and even during the red tide we did ok. Plenty of reds were being caught and plenty of snapper off the jetties...had the red tide not been so bad we would have caught spanish and bonita.


 
I wish we could stick around during red tide but the eye irritation was too much for us in Sept. a few years ago.  We switched out our FL trips to late April and May fishing.


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## caught (Mar 5, 2008)

biggtruxx said:


> ok we changed our plans to panama city beach for april 16-20th... they do have a loooong pier there......... anyone know what i can expect fishing wise there off the pier? what to use for bait...... how heavy tackle needs to be etc etc..... we were going to tybee but we changed our minds. thanks



GO TO THE JETTIES. IVE DOVE THOSE MANY TIMES. I DONT KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY CATCH THEM BUT THEIR ARE RESIDENT GROUPER UNDER THOSE ROCKS THAT WOULD MAKE YOU PASS OUT IF YOU CAUGHT ONE. THE PROBLEM IS THE ROCKS CUTTING YOU OFF. SHEEPSHEAD ARE SOMETIMES THERE IN NUMBERS. PLENTY OF FLOUNDER WHERE THE SAND STARTS. THOSE GROUPER WOULD HAVE BEEN TOAST BUT SPEARFISHING ISNT ALLOWED


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## robinsonfam1 (Mar 8, 2008)

from the jetty that wraps around the swimming area....if you walk the beach and get to the point more or less you can get great fishing. the drop off is incredible. if the weedlines are floating by the jetties throw live out there and you can hook up well. be careful as said before about the grouper and snapper breaking your line on the boulders underwater.
also in the park there is a road that will lead you down to hte point so you dont have to walk so far.

hth


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## crackerdave (Mar 8, 2008)

caught said:


> GO TO THE JETTIES. IVE DOVE THOSE MANY TIMES. I DONT KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY CATCH THEM BUT THEIR ARE RESIDENT GROUPER UNDER THOSE ROCKS THAT WOULD MAKE YOU PASS OUT IF YOU CAUGHT ONE. THE PROBLEM IS THE ROCKS CUTTING YOU OFF. SHEEPSHEAD ARE SOMETIMES THERE IN NUMBERS. PLENTY OF FLOUNDER WHERE THE SAND STARTS. THOSE GROUPER WOULD HAVE BEEN TOAST BUT SPEARFISHING ISNT ALLOWED



You ain't kiddin' about those grouper! I castnetted some bait on the beach side and took 'em out on the rocks and freelined 'em.I hooked some BIG grouper,but my tackle wasn't strong enough to get 'em outta those rocks.It was fun,though.


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## daisy102998 (Apr 8, 2008)

I was down there last week with my son.  We were catching blues off the beach at Luguna.  I have not fished from the pier in forever.  I am amazed Shadow is still alive.  i figure he either died from a heart attack or someone had killed him by now.


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