Panama City Beach is a 5 hour drive from Sandy Springs and offers a host of public numbers and plenty of findable hard bottom. The last couple of years we've been catching ARS in 55' to 150'. You should also look at Orange Beach, Pensacola, and even Destin (though it's the most crowded). You dont mention if you are bringing a boat or going to charter. If you are going to charter you need to get on it, the 40 day season makes it tough to find a good boat. As Stonewall said Carrabelle is also a good place - I had a place there and kept my boat there - but its a much farther run to get to deep enough water.