The countdown to the Gulf red snapper opener has Panama City’s offshore fleet rigging up, and the rest of the fishery is in strong late-spring form. King mackerel are solid on the nearshore reefs, a few cobia stragglers are still around, and St. Andrew Bay is giving up trout and reds. Late May is a transition into the heart of summer.
Snapper opener imminent
The recreational red snapper season is right around the corner — confirm the exact open date with current FWC and federal rules, then be ready to run to the reefs, wrecks, and ledges. The fish are stacked on the structure in 90 to 200 feet and eat cut bait and live cigar minnows on the bottom. Expect to mix in vermilion snapper, triggerfish, and the chance at a gag grouper. The bigger snapper come off the less-pressured numbers, so have a few spots in your back pocket for opening week.
Cobia and kingfish
The cobia run is at its tail end, but there are still stragglers cruising the nearshore and showing on the buoys and behind rays on the calm, clear days — keep a pitch rod with a bucktail or a live eel ready. King mackerel are the more reliable nearshore target right now; slow-troll live baits on a stinger rig around the bait pods, the pass, and the nearshore reefs. Spanish mackerel are crashing bait and will take a fast spoon.
St. Andrew Bay inshore
Inside the bay, speckled trout are over the grass flats and around the potholes, and a popping cork with live shrimp or a soft plastic keeps them coming. Redfish are working the bars, the dock lines, and the pass on the moving tide — cut bait and gold spoons produce. The early hours and the moving water are best before the heat sets in.
- Red snapper: reefs and ledges 90–200 ft — confirm opener date
- Cobia: tail-end stragglers, sight-cast on calm days
- King & Spanish mackerel: nearshore bait pods and the pass
- Trout & reds: St. Andrew Bay grass and bars at first light
Where to focus this week
The public reefs and the many artificial reefs and wrecks offshore will be the focus once the snapper season opens — have several numbers ready so you can move off the smaller fish. The bait pods off the beach and the pass jetties hold the kings, and the St. Andrew Bay grass flats around Shell Island and Grand Lagoon are the spots for trout and reds.
A knocker rig with a 6- to 8-ounce weight and a circle hook keeps your bait on the bottom for snapper. For kings, a stinger rig with two trebles on a slow-trolled live bait is the proven setup. Inside the bay, a popping cork with a live shrimp or a soft plastic on a light jighead covers the trout.
Conditions
Plan the offshore days around the weather — the Gulf can turn quickly and the snapper run is best on the calm windows. Inshore, fish the moving tide and the cooler early hours. The summer afternoon storm pattern is building, so watch the radar and have a plan to get in.
Looking ahead to June
Once the red snapper season opens, expect heavy pressure on the easy public reefs the first week, so having a few lesser-known numbers pays off. The kingfish and bay fishing hold steady into June, and the first tarpon should show along the beaches as the month progresses. Pick the calm Gulf windows for the offshore runs.
Regulations reminder: seasons and slot limits change through the year. Confirm the current rules with your state agency before you keep a fish.
On the water this week? Send your photos and details through our reader report form — the best submissions run in next week’s report.