# Port St Joe surf fishing



## JHannah92 (May 25, 2011)

I'm goin to Port St Joe this weekend and am planning on surf fishing. I've never done it before but I've read a lot of the posts on here and I think I've got the general idea down. My question is, what can I expect to catch? What to use for bait? What time of day is best?  Would love to catch something to throw on the grill. Any info appreciated.


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## Turk (May 25, 2011)

pompano at the "stump hole" on the gulf side going out to cape.(at the rip-rap) live shrimp on the bottom or small jigs. great on the grill!. stop by Half-Hitch or BlueWater in PSJ for best current info.


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## southGAlefty (May 25, 2011)

If you're fishing from the beach, mostly whiting probably and maybe a trout or two. Also potential for ladyfish, spanish, bluefish, and pompano. Sharks are a good bet too. The awesome thing about the ocean is you really just never know what's gonna bite that hook next though! 

I use frozen shrimp cut in halves or thirds on a small circle hook and fish on the bottom for whiting right off the beach. Fish in the troughs, between the beach and the first and second sandbars. I use a what I call a "dropshot" rig for bottom fishing. Just take your line and run it through the eye of your hook from the top and then back through again so it holds your hook out like a sideways J, then give yourself 12-18" of tag end up under your hook to tie a pyramid sinker on. Use a 2-4 oz depending on the waves. Bait it up, cast it out there and hold on.

Good luck!


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## JHannah92 (May 30, 2011)

Thanks for the info.  Didn't get to fish as much as I wanted, but caught a couple trout, some catfish and a 2' shark.  Can't wait to go back and try it again.


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## southGAlefty (May 30, 2011)

Where did you fish? I'm headed there next weekend


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## JHannah92 (May 30, 2011)

Fished the seawall @ the marina sunday morning, caught one trout. Other folks were catchin fish there, saw a couple flounder caught off the pier.  Sun afternoon I caught some catfish and the shark from the surf using shrimp.


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## Parker Phoenix (May 31, 2011)

Last time I was down I bought some Gulp sand fleas. I caught lots of red fish, pompano, and about every sail cat in the vicinity.


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## JHannah92 (May 31, 2011)

I also caught a big blue crab at the marina. Sucker held on to my bait all the way in until I lifted him out of the water. Definitely the first time I've caught crabs fishing


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## Bitteroot (May 31, 2011)

Don't buy sand fleas.. catch em and keep em in a bucket.  Make chum balls out of the dead ones and fish with the rest.. pompano will pound them!


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