| Saltwater Articles |
John N. Felsher's Saltwater Fishing Adventures
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Articles and photos on this website are for the viewing pleasure of patrons of this site. All articles and photos on this site are protected by the copyright laws of the United States. Any unauthorized usage is strictly prohibited. If you wish to purchase an article or photo, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Articles and photos on this website are free for your viewing pleasure, but it takes money to keep this site up and running. If you would care to help keep this site up and running for the use of all outdoors patrons, you can make a cash contribution. If you care to donate, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Protected by Copyright |
| How you can help keep this site operating |
Florida Panhandle offers angling
variety in a pristine, scenic setting
variety in a pristine, scenic setting
TOP: Capt. David “Catfish”
Knight shows off a redfish
caught by Sherry Rushing in
Destin, Fla.
BOTTOM: Nicole Scott waits
for a bite as the sun rises
near Destin, Fla.
Knight shows off a redfish
caught by Sherry Rushing in
Destin, Fla.
BOTTOM: Nicole Scott waits
for a bite as the sun rises
near Destin, Fla.
Along the Florida Panhandle, anglers find incredibly diverse fishing
opportunities in a beautiful setting.
“The fishery here is very diverse,” said Jason Stacy of Shallow Water
Expeditions Guide Service (850-534-4349/www.shallowwaterexpeditions.com)
of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. “We can fish the backcountry for redfish at dawn
and the flats later in the morning. Then, we can fish along the beaches for
cobia, mackerel, jacks, pompano and tarpon. Since the water is so salty,
many gulf species come fairly close to shore. We’ve caught 60-pound cobia in
the trough between the first sandbar and the shoreline.”
The annual cobia run lasts from March through late May. Besides cobia,
anglers fishing nearshore waters may also catch Spanish mackerel, king
mackerel, bluefish, jack crevalle and other species. Dropping bait to the
bottom around reefs and wrecks can produce good catches of red snapper,
triggerfish, grouper and amberjack. Farther offshore, boats troll for dolphin,
wahoo, blue marlin and tuna.
Three major Florida Panhandle estuaries can provide good catches of
inshore fish including redfish, speckled trout, sheepshead, black drum,
flounder and other species. Occasionally, jacks, cobia, Spanish mackerel,
bluefish and other species enter these estuaries from the Gulf of Mexico. The
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway runs through Pensacola Bay, the westernmost of
the three estuaries. About 13 miles long and 2.5 miles wide, Pensacola Bay
connect to Escambia Bay and East Bay and opens to the gulf through
Pensacola Pass.
“In Pensacola Bay, people can fish flats in one foot of water or 60-foot
holes,” said Capt. John Rivers of Mega-Bite Inshore Charters (850-341-9816,
megabiteinshore.com). “Every month we have a run of some type of fish. I’ve
seen schools of 500 redfish on the surface.”
Just to the east, Destin hosts one of the largest offshore charter boat
fleets in the nation, but sportsmen can also find great action inshore.
Choctawhatchee Bay measures about 27 miles long by five miles wide and
covers 129 square miles. The bay opens to the gulf primarily through Destin
Pass, an artificial channel created in 1929, through Santa Rosa Sound near
Fort Walton Beach and where the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway enters the St.
Andrews Bay system near Panama City. The Choctawhatchee River flows into
the system from the east. The bay averages about 15 feet deep, but some
holes drop to more than 45 feet deep.
“We have very diverse habitat in the bay,” said David “Catfish” Knight,
(850-837-7121/850-259-1110) who grew up fishing Destin waters and now
runs a charter business. “In May and June, I fish the grass flats with topwater
baits for trout. My biggest trout weighed 10.20 pounds, but most trout weigh 2
to 3 pounds. For reds, we fish live shrimp near the bridge pilings and docks,
but also fish back in the marshes and bayous with lures. In June and July, we
catch jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel, trout and redfish on topwater lures.”
An incredibly rich ecosystem, St. Andrews Bay covers about 25,000 acres
near Panama City. The system includes Grand Lagoon, West Bay, North Bay
and East Bay. It connects to the gulf through a pass near St. Andrews State
Park. Another pass connects to St. Andrews Sound toward the east. With little
fresh water flowing into the bay except from some creeks and springs, the
estuary remains very salty and incredibly clear, creating excellent sight-fishing
conditions. Salt marshes and extensive grass beds provide habitat for
numerous species.
“This is an awfully good area to fish,” said Jeff Gager of J & J Charters
(850-527-9730) out of Panama City Beach, Fla. “A lot of sheepshead and
redfish hang around the jetties at the passes. We also catch bluefish, Spanish
mackerel and small grouper there. At times, flounder move in and out of the
gulf. We have good speckled trout fishing in the bays and backwaters over
the grass flats.”
Panhandle anglers can also fish coastal dune lakes, an ecosystem rarely
found elsewhere in the world. Surrounded by sand dunes and pine forests,
about 15 lakes in south Walton County range from fresh to highly saline.
Springs seeping up from the ground provide fresh water, while occasional
tidal influxes add brine to the lakes. In some brackish dune lakes, anglers can
catch largemouth bass and redfish at the same time.
Whether dropping a shrimp next to a piling, tossing jigs to cobia or trolling
for billfish, the pristine Florida Panhandle offers something for every angler.
For information, see www.visitpensacola.com in Pensacola, www.
emeraldcoastfl.com in the Fort Walton/Destin area, www.
beachesofsouthwalton.com in south Walton County or visitpanamacitybeach.
com in Panama City.
opportunities in a beautiful setting.
“The fishery here is very diverse,” said Jason Stacy of Shallow Water
Expeditions Guide Service (850-534-4349/www.shallowwaterexpeditions.com)
of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. “We can fish the backcountry for redfish at dawn
and the flats later in the morning. Then, we can fish along the beaches for
cobia, mackerel, jacks, pompano and tarpon. Since the water is so salty,
many gulf species come fairly close to shore. We’ve caught 60-pound cobia in
the trough between the first sandbar and the shoreline.”
The annual cobia run lasts from March through late May. Besides cobia,
anglers fishing nearshore waters may also catch Spanish mackerel, king
mackerel, bluefish, jack crevalle and other species. Dropping bait to the
bottom around reefs and wrecks can produce good catches of red snapper,
triggerfish, grouper and amberjack. Farther offshore, boats troll for dolphin,
wahoo, blue marlin and tuna.
Three major Florida Panhandle estuaries can provide good catches of
inshore fish including redfish, speckled trout, sheepshead, black drum,
flounder and other species. Occasionally, jacks, cobia, Spanish mackerel,
bluefish and other species enter these estuaries from the Gulf of Mexico. The
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway runs through Pensacola Bay, the westernmost of
the three estuaries. About 13 miles long and 2.5 miles wide, Pensacola Bay
connect to Escambia Bay and East Bay and opens to the gulf through
Pensacola Pass.
“In Pensacola Bay, people can fish flats in one foot of water or 60-foot
holes,” said Capt. John Rivers of Mega-Bite Inshore Charters (850-341-9816,
megabiteinshore.com). “Every month we have a run of some type of fish. I’ve
seen schools of 500 redfish on the surface.”
Just to the east, Destin hosts one of the largest offshore charter boat
fleets in the nation, but sportsmen can also find great action inshore.
Choctawhatchee Bay measures about 27 miles long by five miles wide and
covers 129 square miles. The bay opens to the gulf primarily through Destin
Pass, an artificial channel created in 1929, through Santa Rosa Sound near
Fort Walton Beach and where the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway enters the St.
Andrews Bay system near Panama City. The Choctawhatchee River flows into
the system from the east. The bay averages about 15 feet deep, but some
holes drop to more than 45 feet deep.
“We have very diverse habitat in the bay,” said David “Catfish” Knight,
(850-837-7121/850-259-1110) who grew up fishing Destin waters and now
runs a charter business. “In May and June, I fish the grass flats with topwater
baits for trout. My biggest trout weighed 10.20 pounds, but most trout weigh 2
to 3 pounds. For reds, we fish live shrimp near the bridge pilings and docks,
but also fish back in the marshes and bayous with lures. In June and July, we
catch jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel, trout and redfish on topwater lures.”
An incredibly rich ecosystem, St. Andrews Bay covers about 25,000 acres
near Panama City. The system includes Grand Lagoon, West Bay, North Bay
and East Bay. It connects to the gulf through a pass near St. Andrews State
Park. Another pass connects to St. Andrews Sound toward the east. With little
fresh water flowing into the bay except from some creeks and springs, the
estuary remains very salty and incredibly clear, creating excellent sight-fishing
conditions. Salt marshes and extensive grass beds provide habitat for
numerous species.
“This is an awfully good area to fish,” said Jeff Gager of J & J Charters
(850-527-9730) out of Panama City Beach, Fla. “A lot of sheepshead and
redfish hang around the jetties at the passes. We also catch bluefish, Spanish
mackerel and small grouper there. At times, flounder move in and out of the
gulf. We have good speckled trout fishing in the bays and backwaters over
the grass flats.”
Panhandle anglers can also fish coastal dune lakes, an ecosystem rarely
found elsewhere in the world. Surrounded by sand dunes and pine forests,
about 15 lakes in south Walton County range from fresh to highly saline.
Springs seeping up from the ground provide fresh water, while occasional
tidal influxes add brine to the lakes. In some brackish dune lakes, anglers can
catch largemouth bass and redfish at the same time.
Whether dropping a shrimp next to a piling, tossing jigs to cobia or trolling
for billfish, the pristine Florida Panhandle offers something for every angler.
For information, see www.visitpensacola.com in Pensacola, www.
emeraldcoastfl.com in the Fort Walton/Destin area, www.
beachesofsouthwalton.com in south Walton County or visitpanamacitybeach.
com in Panama City.