Summer is one of my favorite seasons to fish, thanks to the diversity of species available. During the warm summer months, the waters surrounding Panama City Beach are home to a wide range of predator fish both inshore and nearshore along the beaches. Inshore on the flats, ample numbers of trout and redfish can be found patrolling the shallows in the early hours of the morning, when the temperatures are still cool and the low light offers them the advantage of stealth. This is your best opportunity for those explosive surface strikes everyone loves when throwing topwater lures.
As the day heats up, I like to shift my focus to fish that reside in deeper water, where the heat has little effect on their feeding habits. Mangrove snappers offer plenty of action for everyone and provide many anglers with a great meal. Other bottom fish to target inshore this month include red snapper and black sea bass; both of which provide phenomenal table fare.
Strong outgoing tides are still getting the big bull reds fired up around the bridges as they patrol the surface looking for crabs. If the tide isn’t falling hard, you can always use your electronics to spot the redfish down deep and drop either a heavy jig or Carolina-rigged live bait down to them. Remember, since these fish are catch-and-release at that size, handle them with care and release them healthy.
Just off the flats and in open water throughout the bay, you can still find good numbers of Spanish mackerel. While I rarely target them specifically, I catch quite a few as bycatch when fishing near drop-offs, points, and while flatlining over deeper structure. Mackerel have incredibly sharp teeth, so using a light wire leader when targeting them will definitely increase your success rate.
This is also a great time of year to chase tarpon just off the beaches. Tarpon are a migratory species that run along our beaches from late May through the end of July. After that, you may see more of them moving into the bay and lurking around bridges with deeper, swift-moving current. When targeting beach tarpon, it’s important not to pressure them too much. Take your time and try to get in line with their movement. Tarpon will scrutinize most offerings; however, they will eat artificial, live, and dead baits. If you do catch one, do not remove it from the water. If you want a photo, take it boat-side and jump in the water with it.
Good luck! If you have additional questions about what’s biting, how to catch them, or if you’d like to book a trip, I encourage you to give me a call or shoot me an email.
