Updated: Thursday, September 17, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, September 24, 2026
This Panama City fishing report covers mid-September, when the beach is the place to be on the Panhandle. Spanish mackerel are the lead target, tearing through bait along the shoreline every morning. Bull reds settle into St. Andrews Pass, kingfish work the nearshore bait, and the first flounder of the fall start to show along the jetties. Plan around the single daily tide swing, with the morning outgoing setting up the pass, and get to the beach or the piers in the first two hours of light.
What’s Hitting
Spanish mackerel lead the list. Expect schools of 2 to 4-pound fish blitzing glass minnows along Panama City Beach and around the Russell-Fields Pier and the M.B. Miller Pier at first light, with bluefish and ladyfish mixed in. Bull redfish move through St. Andrews Pass and along the jetties on the moving tide.
Kingfish work the bait schools and the nearshore wrecks in 50 to 90 feet, and flounder begin to stack up on the sandy edges of the jetty rocks and the pass. Inside St. Andrew Bay, trout and slot reds are steady on the grass flats and around the docks and bridges. Red snapper stay steady on the nearshore reefs for anglers fishing the state-waters fall season.
Where to Find Them
Find the Spanish wherever the birds are along the beach and around both piers in the first two hours of light. Target bull reds on the channel edges and jetty rocks of St. Andrews Pass, best on the falling tide. Look for kings on the bait schools off the beach and the nearshore reefs and wrecks, marked by slicks and diving birds.
Flounder sit on the sandy bottom right against the jetty rocks and along the pass edges. Fish the grass flats of West Bay and North Bay early for trout and reds, and the Hathaway Bridge lights at night.
Tides & Conditions
Mid-September brings moderate tides between the moons, with a single main daily swing on the Gulf and the morning outgoing setting up the pass. Gulf water sits in the low to mid-80s and clear, seas run 1 to 2 feet most mornings with a light north wind, and the afternoon storm risk eases. Bay water clears after the summer rains.
Tackle & Tactics
- Spanish: a Gotcha plug, a small silver spoon or a straw rig on a long-shank hook with a fast retrieve; 20-pound fluorocarbon or a light wire leader saves plugs.
- Bull reds: live or cut menhaden, mullet or crab on a 7/0 circle hook with a fish-finder rig and 3 to 4 ounces of weight.
- Kings: slow-trolled live cigar minnows or hardtails on a wire stinger rig, or spoons behind planers.
- Flounder: a live bull minnow or finger mullet on a Carolina rig, or a bucktail bounced slowly along the bottom.
Local Intel This Week
The St. Andrews State Park ramp is the closest launch to the pass and jetties, while the Carl Gray Park ramp and the Earl Gilbert Park ramp serve St. Andrew Bay. Shore anglers can work the St. Andrews jetty for reds and flounder, and the Russell-Fields and M.B. Miller piers for Spanish and kings at first light. Check current FWC and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish. That includes red snapper.
This Week’s Tip
When the Spanish are blitzing, retrieve faster than feels reasonable. Mackerel key on speed, and a plug that is barely moving gets ignored while one skipping across the surface gets slammed. If you are getting cut off, go to a longer plug or add a short trace of wire.
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