We used to have this featured from time to time and have had numerous requests to have it back.  So, here we go!

This week’s fishing report, brought to us by Sunjammers, reports that Panama City Beach fishing is great inshore.  West Bay is very productive with redfish being sight-fished on the flats and very good sized trout being caught. Pier fishing is extremely slow but should pick up rapidly with the rising water temperatures.

As usual, visit the Sunjammers Facebook page for daily fishing forecast and up to the minute reports.

PORT ST JOE AREA

BAY FISHING In January, the trout and redfish are in the deeper holes and up into the canals. Live shrimp is the bait of choice with the lightest weight possible to keep your baits under control. For this time of year, the Gulf canal is a great place to fish. You can start past Raffield’s Fisheries continue to the “T”. The Port St Joe Marina is a favorite trout hole with the smaller trout far outnumbering large ones at the onset of January, but will increase in size by the end of the month. Big redfish can be caught trolling Mann’s Stretch 25’s in the bay or throwing big soft plastics. The key for the big reds is to look for any bird activity. Apalachicola Bay will be a hot bed of great large trout action with live shrimp off the edges of the shoals and in the deeper channels. Sheepshead bite will be good in the surf at the beginning of January and will pick up. Also, try the canal and around the oyster beds using fiddler crabs and small shrimp.

NEAR SHORE/SURFWhiting will be along the surf in good numbers in January with a few pompano thrown in for good measure. The Stump Hole off Cape San Blas is a favorite among the locals, but along Mexico Beach is often overlooked. Use a 2-hook pompano rig with small circle hooks rigged with a headless shrimp. Use a pyramid weight just heavy enough to hold your rig in place. Big breeder redfish will also be along the shoreline at sunset. Use a 4/0 circle hook Carolina rigged on a 20lb class rod/reel.

OFFSHOREGrouper will have moved to the shallower wrecks and reefs as the water temperature drops. The big hogs will be at 150’. Trolling with Mann’s stretch series lures works very well and you will want to use the 25+ series in 30’ or less and the 30+ series any deeper. Of course, using live bait works great, but is increasingly harder to find with the temperature dropping. Frozen cigar minnows/northern mackerel will work well Carolina rigged with 80lb fluorocarbon leader and 10/0 Mustad circle hooks. Triggerfish never leave us and are great table fare. Use a double drop rig with squid on #4 owner fly liner hooks. Amberjack will stick around wrecks and the Air Force Towers. A favorite lure is the Shimano Butterfly jig. Trolling gets a little slow with the temperature drops and your best bet will be Black Fin tuna out past the 20-mile mark. Troll skirted ballyhoo and have some tuna plugs ready when you find a school.

PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS

Flounder are still being caught around the inshore wrecks. Use live bull minnows, shrimp or pilchards on a Carolina rig and target the edges of the wrecks. The Amberjack bite has been strong over the bridge spans and any large structures. Grouper season is closed February 1st through March 31st.

ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM

Sheepshead are being caught more regularly around the jetties with live shrimp and fiddler crabs. The White Trout bite is still very good. They can be found in deep water under the Hathaway and Tyndall Bridges. Use live shrimp on a Carolina rig for best results. Redfish are being caught in very shallow water on the flats in East and West Bays. The Bull Reds are still being caught with live shrimp and pinfish around the jetties. Speckled Trout closes the month of February. For catch and release, concentrate on deep bayous, creeks, the intercostals waterway and the hot water discharge canal.

MEXICO BEACH/PORT ST JOE OFFSHORE

Few anglers reporting from offshore yet again this week due to frigid temperatures however, many anglers are gearing up and readying their boats for trolling. Winter months are excellent times to troll for grouper. Mann’s stretch series lures and Yozuri deep diving plugs are very effective lures for this type of bottom fishing. Traditional bottom fishing techniques are still your best tactic for grouper beyond depths of about forty feet. One other report this week indicated heavy Amber Jack activity over high relief wrecks and structures like the “Empire Mica” A variety of bait and lures will work for these hearty fighters.

ST JOSEPH BAY

The trout bite continues to improve in the intercoastal canal as freshwater runoff and flood conditions subside. Of course, more rain is forecast for the southeast this week and fishing conditions in the intercoastal may continue to be depressed until the fresh water influx subsides. The redfish are biting well in nearly all of the deeper holes and channels in St. Joseph’s bay and along the beaches. The very best spot for trout continues to be the Port St. Joe marina. Savvy anglers are taking advantage of tides and using solunar tables to pinpoint the best times for fishing. Others are braving the cold and wind, are rewarded by nice catches of trout simply by putting the time in with a Carolina rigged live shrimp or any number of shrimp imitations like the DOA.

PANAMA CITY OFFSHORE AND BAYS

Flounder are still being caught around the inshore wrecks. Use live bull minnows, shrimp or pilchards on a Carolina rig and target the edges of the wrecks. The Amberjack bite has been strong over the bridge spans and any large structures. Grouper season closes February 1st through March 31st. They are still being found well offshore from 20 plus miles out, best bet is to use large live baits.

ST. ANDREWS BAY SYSTEM

Sheepshead are being caught more regularly around the jetties with live shrimp and fiddler crabs. The White Trout bite is still very good. They can be found in deep water under the Hathaway and Tyndall Bridges. Use live shrimp on a Carolina rig for best results. Redfish are being caught in very shallow water on the flats in East and West Bays. The Bull Reds are still being caught with live shrimp and pinfish around the jetties. Speckled Trout closes the month of February. For catch and release, concentrate on deep bayous, creeks, the intracoastal waterway and the hot water discharge canal.

For more information go to http://www.halfhitch.com

Suddenly and without warning the National Marine Fisheries Service closed Amberjack season in a decision made today.  Quoting Senator Don Gaetz, “This decision combines too much authority with too little science.”

Here is the email he sent this evening:

Today, without warning and with apparent disregard for the impact on Northwest Florida’s economy, the National Marine Fisheries Service suddenly announced that it was closing the amberjack season.  This decision combines too much authority with too little science.

I strongly oppose this arbitrary decision and have asked the NMFS to reconsider and recall their announcement.  No valid and reliable scientific evidence has been presented that would justify this action.

NMFS is a federal agency outside of the jurisdiction of the State of Florida.  Therefore I am appealing to our two US senators, George LeMieux and Bill Nelson, and Congressmen Allan Boyd and Jeff Miller to join me in a request for reconsideration.

It is a measure of the insensitivity of  NMFS that the agency would take this last minute action while the Destin Fishing Rodeo still has a week to go.  Destin is hosting fishermen who have come here from throughout the country.  The amberjack fishery is important to visitors who spend millions of dollars a year supporting our coastal economy.  Though we will feel the sting here, this draconian action affects communities along our entire Gulf coast.

It is ironic that a federal government handing out billions of “stimulus dollars” with one hand is, with the other, hurting the entrepreneurs, the small businesspeople who own, operate and work on fishing boats in our area.  For many of our captains and mates trying to hang onto their livelihood, decisions like that made today by NMFS are an anchor rope around their throats.

Unfortunately, it appears we will see a continual attack on our sport fishing industry by federal regulators.  Red snapper, grouper and other fisheries have already been victims of NMFS.  Therefore, in my capacity as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Florida’s Economy, I have today requested Workforce Florida to develop and offer dislocated worker and training services to Northwest Florida fishermen who may have no choice but to seek other ways to earn a living.

Not being much of an angler myself and not fully understanding the ramifications of a decision such as this, and knowing that TONS of anglers read PCBDaily, please post in the comments below how this will effect the fishing industry in our area and what this means for our local economy.

The month of March can be hit or miss for weather but can be very exciting for inshore or offshore fishing. If you are headed out into the blue water, do not forget to check the weather before heading out. The Gulf can turn into a washing machine without notice and turn a great day on the water into a nightmare.

Keep in mind that Black / Gag Grouper season is closed until March 31st and Red Grouper is closed until March 15th. AJ’s are the hot bottom bite. They can be caught in about 80 feet of water over wrecks. In addition to the AJ bite, you are sure to have fun with the triggerfish and beeliners this month. Please check you FWC regulations prior to your trip for updates.

Going to troll or pole the flats? A slow reel is the key – flats fish aren’t fond of cold water. Some trout may be caught on the flats but you will find the majority of the catch to take place in deep holes of 10 to 15 feet, around structure / docks, around canals and inlets. I find that a jerkbait on a 1/4 oz jighead or live shrimp is the ticket.

The bays are covered up with bluefish. The blues will hit anything thrown their way. Also, Sheephead are in the bay around docks and in the pass around the jetties. The best way to catch these sheephead is to rig with a light leader and small circle hook. I have found it favorable to scrape barnacles off pilings and docks then start fishing with sand fleas. If the sheephead see your line your done!

Redfish are being caught in bayous on oyster beds and docks. Some smaller reds are making their way to the flats but the bigger reds are still in deeper water. Just throw a 4 inch Berkley Gulp or live pinfish around docks and the jetties. I suggest – if you are fishing in the pass,  fish the outgoing tide, a one ounce SPRO jig and hang on – look for diving birds, as those big bulls are lurking below. There have been some reports of slot reds being caught on the flats using top water plugs.

The Dan Russell Pier is currently closed for construction. The Pier is scheduled to re-open Summer of 2010.

TOURNAMENT NEWS

Melvin and Buffington Brave the Storm to Win Emerald Coast Redfish Club’s First Series Event 20+ knot winds, thunderstorms, and a tornado watch made for horrific fishing conditions as Panama City Beach hosted the first stop on the Emerald Coast Redfish Club’s Tour.  Jason Melvin and Brian Buffington found a way to capture the win and emerge as the Tour’s first leaders of the season.

“The weather was a concern on Friday before the event,” said Team Redfish Riviera’s Captain, Daniel Snapp. The weather folks were calling for 20+ knot winds, seas 6 to 8 feet and protected waters rough all day Friday and at 4:00 am Saturday morning – they were right!

Taking everything in consideration, the first event of the year, severe weather conditions and a new location at Bay Point Marina in Panama City Beach – the tournament ended up a huge success, said Tournament Director, Mike Schweppe. We ended up launching 32 of the 33 boats expected for the event.

Team Redfish Riviera, presented by Southern Peanut Producers and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, listed two teams for this event. However, the boat captained by Sean Fields ran into early engine problems and left he and his partner, Co-Owner of Team Redfish Riviera, Steve Bailey on the dock. “I am very disappointed,” uttered Captain Fields. We will be back and will give our sponsors, Redfish Riviera, Southern Peanut Producers and Margaritaville something to rave about. Team Redfish Riviera, captained by Daniel Snapp brought in one fish to give them a top ten finish.

Team Redfish Riviera, presented by Southern Peanut Producers and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville look on as their fish is weighed for a top ten finish.

Topping off the event was a second place finish by the 2008 IFA Gulf Coast Division Champion, Fred Myers and his partner Pete Turner. For more information and official results, please visit www.theredfishclub.com. The next event is scheduled for March 28th in Pensacola Beach, Florida.