Forgotten Coast Fishing Report
Heading offshore towards Panama City to a depth between 100 and 120 feet, one can take advantage of the red grouper and scamp bite. We’ve seen some impressive fish boxes that would make any fishing enthusiast drool, along with just an absolute behemoth of a red grouper. As a side note, any angler wishing to take part in the action needs to keep in mind that red grouper and scamp must be caught no deeper than 20 fathoms through March 31. Grays and vermilion snapper are chewing well too! Fish for them anywhere from 100 to 200 feet; we’ve even seen some guys having productive days out on the MBARA reefs.
Inshore, I believe the tide is beginning to turn for us locals here in Port St Joe. The last few weeks have been rough on a lot of fishermen. Friday evening, with very little hope in my heart and only two dozen shrimp, I made my way to a local fishing hole to see if things had changed. Quickly I was sorry I’d only bought two dozen! I was slammed on the first cast and lost the fish (OK, I wasn’t ready). My second cast, I was ready, and a nice speck hammered my shrimp within 10 seconds. That’s how the evening went, fish after fish, trout, redfish and to my surprise a nice big mangrove. The mangrove hit a live minnow that had found its way into my bait bucket. It’s getting time for our nice mangroves to show up in droves and I believe it could be any day now.
In addition, with the arrival of our little cold front last Sunday came a heck of a bite on Monday morning. Live shrimp were flying out of the store with multiple customers talking about how good the fishing was. There was a run on silver spoons and Got-Cha plugs because the Spanish mackerel decided to show up and run the shipping wall. Along with the Spanish, the black and red drum were biting along with some trout. Keep in mind you must throw the trout back if you catch them in February. With this little cold spell we’re having I’d expect to have a few really good fishing days into the early part of next week.
Get in on the crappie action in freshwater: while you still can! They must be biting very well because every customer that comes in to purchase our minnows will say they’re “slaying” the crappie or catching them “hand over fist.” The only thing they’re not saying… is where. Hope to see you out there.
Jeremiah Payne – BlueWater Outriggers
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.