bds1078
Member
Hi guys. After years of jonesing for a bigger boat than my old aluminum bay prowler, I finally got a decent little 19' that I felt comfortable taking my wife and two boys (8 and 12) out in the Gulf on nice days.
So finally we got a couple of chances to go to Mexico Beach both Labor Day weekend, and then for a week on the boys' break 9/17-23.
We were able to find fish around the shark hole area in 6-10 feet of water by popping gulp shrimp and the occasional live bait I found. Nice Spanish, blues, a passing trout or black sea bass, and a shark or two. Evening bite was consistently better than morning.
Nearshore, we tooled around the buoy line, bell shoal, and car bodies, but only found a few runts and sharks. Just bottom fished, but I heard that area is good for king trolling, which I have never done.
After trying a few places between Panama City and the big bend for fishing and boating over the years, we really like this area the best. It seems to have it all, and nice folks to boot.
For those of you that have fished between PSJ and MB a good bit, would love to hear some general tips or favorite times of year for a fair weather guy with a regular boat. My wife and kids are happy just getting the occasional tug and putting a few in the cooler for dinner. If they're happy, ol Capt Dad is happy too. Even on a 1-2 day, we would never venture beyond the car bodies, and my boat drafts deep enough I wouldn't go too far in the southern shallows of the bay.
I also wouldn't mind finding a good local to hire when I don't feel like pulling the boat down six hours on a short trip if y'all have any recommendations.
Thanks in advance, Brad.
So finally we got a couple of chances to go to Mexico Beach both Labor Day weekend, and then for a week on the boys' break 9/17-23.
We were able to find fish around the shark hole area in 6-10 feet of water by popping gulp shrimp and the occasional live bait I found. Nice Spanish, blues, a passing trout or black sea bass, and a shark or two. Evening bite was consistently better than morning.
Nearshore, we tooled around the buoy line, bell shoal, and car bodies, but only found a few runts and sharks. Just bottom fished, but I heard that area is good for king trolling, which I have never done.
After trying a few places between Panama City and the big bend for fishing and boating over the years, we really like this area the best. It seems to have it all, and nice folks to boot.
For those of you that have fished between PSJ and MB a good bit, would love to hear some general tips or favorite times of year for a fair weather guy with a regular boat. My wife and kids are happy just getting the occasional tug and putting a few in the cooler for dinner. If they're happy, ol Capt Dad is happy too. Even on a 1-2 day, we would never venture beyond the car bodies, and my boat drafts deep enough I wouldn't go too far in the southern shallows of the bay.
I also wouldn't mind finding a good local to hire when I don't feel like pulling the boat down six hours on a short trip if y'all have any recommendations.
Thanks in advance, Brad.