# SUGGESTIONS: Mexico Beach - fishing / crabbing



## 95g atl (Jun 23, 2016)

hi folks,

been a long time "visitor" to Mexico Beach.  Great place to hang out on the beach.  Going to take my 5 year old son down there (hopefully) next week, narrowing down lodging options today.  Neighbor may go w/his son, that's why the lodging delay.

Have FIVE crab traps now.  Plan on setting them 35-100 yards offshore (I have a 14' v-hull I will bring).  Will shore fish, have a surf pole w/gulp shrimp (as suggested by a forum member on here).  Also will dig for sand crabs/fleas, perhaps use cut bait as well.

If sea is calm, may take the boat a couple hundred yards offshore, nothing far --- 14' isn't forgiving in any type of moderate to rough conditions.  Want to be able to make it back in a hurry if weather conditions change.  Can always use the boat in canals, but I have heard the bugs are horrible in the canals this time of year.

Please help a rookie and his son out.

Helpful suggestions on shore fishing?
Helpful suggestions on crabbing?
Helpful suggestions on fishing from the boat close to the beach?

Thanks


----------



## Nicodemus (Jun 23, 2016)

If you have a cast net, catch some mud minnows in the canal. Rig a half ounce sliding egg sinker over a swivel tied to about a 14 inch or so mono leader. Go to the pier about an hour before daylight and drop a lip hooked mud minnow down just outside the breakers, straight down. Walk towards the end of the pier slowly dragging the bait along the bottom. As you go by each piling, work the bait on the bottom around the pilings. Keep right on around the end of the pier and work down the other side to where the breakers start. In years past I caught a lot of nice flounder that way. In a pinch you can also just tie a Gulp on a lead head jig and do the same thing.


----------



## 95g atl (Jun 23, 2016)

Nicodemus said:


> If you have a cast net, catch some mud minnows in the canal. Rig a half ounce sliding egg sinker over a swivel tied to about a 14 inch or so mono leader. Go to the pier about an hour before daylight and drop a lip hooked mud minnow down just outside the breakers, straight down. Walk towards the end of the pier slowly dragging the bait along the bottom. As you go by each piling, work the bait on the bottom around the pilings. Keep right on around the end of the pier and work down the other side to where the breakers start. In years past I caught a lot of nice flounder that way. In a pinch you can also just tie a Gulp on a lead head jig and do the same thing.



I do not have a cast net......
Probably not coordinated enough to use one.


----------



## mdgreco191 (Jun 23, 2016)

You could soak a minnow trap with a hot dog for mud minnows.  10 bucks at wally world.


----------



## jeremyledford (Jun 23, 2016)

If you go out of the canal and go down the beach to the left you can catch kings and spanish right out from the buoy line. Also, if you take some fishbites or fresh dead shrimp you can catch a bunch of white trout right around the buoys. Just anchor off right beside them. They're great eating! I've done all of it out of a kayak but don't see any problem doing it out of your boat if it's calm. If you decide to anchor out make sure to keep a live bait on a flat line or two. something will eat it. 
Shouldn't be any problem cathing bobos and spanish right off the beach passed the buoys. Kings too.

Worst there are tons of sharks to catch at the buoy line. It won't be any problem catching fish....just take plenty of shrimp!


----------



## 95g atl (Jun 24, 2016)

jeremyledford said:


> If you go out of the canal and go down the beach to the left you can catch kings and spanish right out from the buoy line. Also, if you take some fishbites or fresh dead shrimp you can catch a bunch of white trout right around the buoys. Just anchor off right beside them. They're great eating! I've done all of it out of a kayak but don't see any problem doing it out of your boat if it's calm. If you decide to anchor out make sure to keep a live bait on a flat line or two. something will eat it.
> Shouldn't be any problem cathing bobos and spanish right off the beach passed the buoys. Kings too.
> 
> Worst there are tons of sharks to catch at the buoy line. It won't be any problem catching fish....just take plenty of shrimp!



great info.....!!!!  So if i launch at the MB boat ramp, travel about 1/2 down the canal to open water.  Make a left and head towards the pier?  I'm trying to remember the buoy's.  How far from shore???

I want to catch a few fish to eat and have my 5 year old reel them in.  Not an expert on what's good eating or not.  Probably have to google what I catch and see if it is good or not. LOL.


----------



## jeremyledford (Jun 25, 2016)

Worst comes to worst you can always catch fish near the bridge in the canal. Even in terrible weather. There's tons of small redfish and croakers in there to catch that are willing to eat a small piece of shrimp on a small hook. 

You can catch flounder around the jetties of the canal where it enters the gulf. I always catch a few there and am sometimes surprised by some really big redfish. 

As far as the buoy line, I've only fished it from kayak ndt it was opposite the pier from the canal. Pretty much out from el governor. It's just a couple hundred yards offshore and you should be able to catch whiting and white trout out there. 

If you have a GPS look up the Mexico beach artificial reef association. There's a million nearshore reefs they have made.


----------



## 95g atl (Jun 26, 2016)

jeremyledford said:


> If you have a GPS look up the Mexico beach artificial reef association. There's a million nearshore reefs they have made.



from what I see, most of the reefs are a couple/few miles offshore???  I will be in a 14 foot v-hull.  Even in calm conditions, I would not feel comfortable going even remotely that far.  I'm thinking 500 yards offshore...
and certainly not even attempting anything other than a canal in moderate conditions.

QUESTIONS:  If we go out WEST from the Mex Beach canal, towards the air force base, there are more fisherman and not many swimmers.  Is it LEGAL  to beach our small boat there???  I cannot see regulations saying yes or no.


----------



## 95g atl (Jun 26, 2016)

I believe the boat would be beneficial in setting our crab traps just beyond the waves.  Last time I swam out with two traps and it wasn't easy, nor particularly safe.  I don't want to do that again.  

Also w/the boat, it would be nice to anchor just beyond the surf and see if we can catch anything.  

---- if anyone has better suggestions, i'm all ears.  

Thanks.


----------



## twtabb (Jun 26, 2016)

Sent you a pm


----------



## 95g atl (Jun 27, 2016)

twtabb said:


> Sent you a pm



Never got your PM.....?
Please try again.  thanks.


----------



## heartstopper4 (Jun 27, 2016)

Put your boat in St.Andrews sound just west of Mexico Beach. Plenty of good fishing and calm water.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jun 27, 2016)

heartstopper4 said:


> Put your boat in St.Andrews sound just west of Mexico Beach. Plenty of good fishing and calm water.





There is some really fine flounder fishing in there, and I`ve gotten into the baby tarpon a couple times too. Now that is some fun.


----------



## 95g atl (Jun 27, 2016)

heartstopper4 said:


> Put your boat in St.Andrews sound just west of Mexico Beach. Plenty of good fishing and calm water.



super awesome suggestion.  I was reading about that last night.   I believe you get to it from Research Rd.
We went to Crooked Island Beach last year.  Absolutely awesome.....

Should be very safe for a 14' v-hull and five year old.  Really protected from the surf.  

Thanks!!!  
Keep 'em coming.


----------

