Red snapper season has the Panama City fleet running offshore, and the bottom fishing is as good as it gets. Spanish mackerel are thick on the beaches, kings have set up nearshore, and the inshore flats and St. Andrews Pass are producing for trout and reds. The Panhandle summer is in full swing.
What’s Hitting
Red snapper are the headline with the season open and quality fish coming over the rails on the reefs and wrecks. Spanish mackerel are blitzing bait on the beaches and around the pass, kingfish are on the nearshore reefs, and mangrove snapper have stacked the structure. Inshore, speckled trout and redfish are on the grass flats and around St. Andrews Bay.
Where to Find Them
Run to the bottom spots and wrecks in 70 to 130 feet for red snapper and mangroves. Spanish and kings are on the nearshore reefs and the beaches around St. Andrews Pass. Inshore, fish the grass flats of St. Andrews Bay and the Grand Lagoon for trout and reds, and the pass and jetties for snapper and Spanish. The beaches hold Spanish early before the crowds.
Tides & Conditions
Bottom fishing produces best with a moving current. The Spanish and king bite is a morning game before the sea breeze and storms. Inshore trout and reds chew the early calm on moving tides. Afternoon thunderstorms build daily, so get the offshore run done early. Water clarity offshore has been good and temps are warm. St. Andrews Pass rips on the tide change and concentrates the Spanish and bait at the jetties, making the moving water the high-percentage window.
Tackle & Tactics
For snapper, drop live cigar minnows, pinfish, or cut squid on knocker rigs with enough weight to hold. Spanish hit fast-retrieved spoons and small jigs — a long fluoro leader helps with their teeth and the clear water. Kings want slow-trolled live baits on stingers. Inshore, popping corks and soft plastics produce trout, gold spoons for reds.
Local Intel This Week
St. Andrews State Park and Carl Gray Park are the go-to public ramps for St. Andrews Pass and the nearshore. Snapper are stacked on the reefs and wrecks with the season open, and Spanish mackerel are thick along the beaches and the pass. Confirm current FWC and federal snapper season dates and limits before keeping fish.
Spots & Access This Week
St. Andrews State Park ramp gives the fastest run to the pass and the nearshore reefs, with Carl Gray Park and the Earl Gilbert ramp serving the bay. Red snapper are stacked on the public reefs and wrecks in 60 to 120 feet, while Spanish and king mackerel blitz St. Andrews Pass and the beachfront on the clean mornings. Inshore, the grass flats of St. Andrews Bay and the jetties are holding trout and redfish on the moving tide.
Reading the Water
For the beach and pass Spanish, speed is everything — retrieve a spoon or a Gotcha plug fast enough that it skips just under the surface, because these are sight feeders that chase down fleeing bait. On the reefs, once the bigger snapper rise in the water column, drop lighter and stop short of the bottom to pick the better-grade fish from over the pile of smaller ones on the structure. A short sabiki stop on the way out keeps you in fresh cigar minnows all day.
This Week’s Tip
When the Spanish are blitzing on the beach, downsize and speed up. A small silver spoon or jig retrieved fast on a long fluorocarbon leader will draw far more strikes than a big, slow presentation. And keep a hook tied on a leader — Spanish will cut you off all day on straight mono, costing you fish and lures.