This week out of Panama City, it is peak summer on the Gulf. The snapper fleet is filing out of the pass every morning at first light, and the inshore bite is rewarding anyone willing to set an early alarm.
What’s Hitting
Red snapper are producing steady limits on the wrecks and live bottom in 90 to 140 feet. King mackerel are thick around the pass and the nearshore bait, Spanish mackerel are working the bay, and speckled trout are on the grass flats of St. Andrew Bay and West Bay at dawn. Redfish are holding on the jetty rocks and around the bridges.
Where to Find Them
The better snapper are coming off private numbers and the less-obvious public spots southwest of the pass. Kings are within a mile of the beach around the bait pods and at the sea buoy. Trout want 3 to 5 feet of grass early — the flats behind Shell Island have been reliable.
Tides & Conditions
Morning tides are workable this week, and seas have been Gulf-flat until the sea breeze arrives after lunch. Bay water is hot — the trout bite ends by nine most mornings. Afternoon storms are daily and occasionally severe.
Tackle & Tactics
Snapper want live pinfish or big cut baits on 60- to 80-pound fluorocarbon bottom rigs. For kings, slow-troll live baits on stinger rigs at the pass edges. Trout are on topwater plugs at first light, then live shrimp under a popping cork once the sun gets up.
Local Intel This Week
The ramp at St. Andrews State Park puts you closest to the pass, with Carl Gray Park and the Panama City Marina ramps covering the bay. Fish are concentrating at the pass, the nearshore bait, and the deeper offshore structure. Red snapper seasons and limits differ between state and federal waters and change annually — check current FWC and federal regulations before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
At the pass, fish the color change where the outgoing bay water meets the clear Gulf. Kings, Spanish, and even the odd cobia patrol that edge like a fence line — troll it in an S-pattern instead of running straight down the middle.