No other fish conjures up thoughts of delightful seafood like the red snapper does. Known for excellent table fare at restaurants all over the world, these beautiful fish are extremely abundant in the Gulf of Mexico just a few miles from the shores of Panama City, Florida.
Recently, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) approved an extended 2017 harvest season for red snapper. This year residents and visitors will have a whopping 78 days to get out on the water and cast for this prized fish. Past seasons have been considerably shorter, but due to the high numbers of fish available and low harvest rates from years past, this will make for a banner red snapper season.
Most locals will tell you that they never noticed these fish to be in short supply, and Iâd have to agree with them. From my perspective as a charter captain, they seem to have been in quite healthy numbers for many years now. Nonetheless, we will take full advantage of this decision and hit the water in anticipation of landing a nice limit of big, red, yummy bruisers.
There is no shortage of charter captains that can get you on top of these fish, but book early because last minute guide trips can sometimes be difficult to find. For some local flavor with an adventure, the âHook & Cookâ charters are a great opportunity to go out, catch your fish and have them cleaned and prepared by local chefs.
If you plan on dragging your own boat to Panama City, youâll find plenty of launching ramps available in this fishing community and the Gulf of Mexico is never far from any of them. Once you get outside the St. Andrews pass into the Gulf, you can stay close to shore and fish the many reefs and wrecks that dot our shores, or you can run well off shore to deep water honey holes. I rarely run more than 5- to 15-miles out for my trips and still fish sites that are 60- to 100-feet deep.
Bait is ample; fresh, frozen and live and can be found at places like Howell Tackle and Pier 98 just to name a few. You can even by your live bait most days on the water at the mouth of Grand Lagoon. I highly recommend you buy some Sabiki rigs and keep them handy to catch your own fresh live cigar minnowsâŚnothing works better!
Rigging is simple; dropper rigs with various weight sizes for different depths and currents are needed but 2- to 10-ounces usually does the trick. Circle hooks are required by law for reef fishing so be sure to get those too; usually I use a size 5/0. The experts in our tackle shops can dial you in for success, so donât let anything stop you from getting the family down here to take full advantage of the fishing, dining and fun Panama City has to offer.
~ Randy Cnota