Dan Russell Fishing Pier Reports Panama CIty

[Green Tide]

Getting good reports on Kingfish at daybreak and spanish on and off during the day.
There has been pompano caught in the afternoons mostly. they have been between the sandbars for the most part but some are out deeper

[XiBowhunter]

What are they catching the pomps on?

[Green Tide]

Sand fleas first then, shrimp,jigs and gulp sand fleas. Today has gusts to 40knts and 9-14 ft seas so bring alot of sinkers with you.HAHA
I went on the pier sunday night with my wife. We wern't fishing, but saw alot of spanish and kings in coolers. It should be okay to fish by thursday with possible groupers close enough to get a keeper from the storm. Remember this pier is not on a reef and has sand bottom all around

[XiBowhunter]

I am trying to keep tabs on the fishing for my trip in January. I hear the pomps can be caught that time of year from the beach

[Green Tide]

Went to the pier friday morn at sunrise. Nice light breeze 52 degrees and you can see your breath. Started seeing bait from the beginning of the pier to the T . Started catching small speedos and threadfins. Put out a live speedo on a 6500 and let it sit. Casting gotcha around w/o any bites. Thats when the pressure cleaning crew came up. 8 am and 55 degrees and they are gonna hose the place down with 2800 psi.
We all moved of course. I started fishing a sabiki again and got cut off by a spanish. Started casting a gotcha again and caught one. Picked up a keeper flounder a little later. Tried pompano fishing closer to the beach but never caught any. Two guys closer in caught some nice mullet with nets.
Left it with em around 12.
Ate them saturday with grits, mixed stirfry peppers and onions and potato salad.

[JunoChris]

I heard the kings pretty solid at the end of last week and this past saturday. I will back up there this coming april.

I know Dan Russell is up and going but whats the word on whether the county pier in Panama City will be done yet or not?

[Green Tide]

the other one should be done within 4 months. we went by it while trolling the other day.

[Green Tide]

thats about the time the tadckle shop should be open at the drp

[Green Tide]

this is an attempt to post pics from last week

[JunoChris]

Cant wait to make a trip back to Dan Russell for Cobia and Kings this April. That T looks great, a lot like Juno actually and at least they didnt make the rail rediculously high like Pensacola.

[arkansas_angler]

Fished the peer a few times this past week and it was rather slow. Saw several people posted up looking for cobia but none could seem to spot any. Caught a few small spanish , a bonit head ? and some catfish. I heard my timing was off but o well the girls were plentiful atleast

[Green Tide]

Got out to the pier yesterday around 3pm. Was looking for some cobia and got a cast at one but he wouldnt take the jig I had. He did come and check it out though. I also casted for some spanish , but they were not in yet. I did catch a bluefish about 2 lbs.
Water temp is hovering around 70 degrees.The nights are still in the 50s so we need some warm currents to come in and warm things up.

[BoatlessFisherman]

Thanks for the report

[rshields]

I'm going to make a run up there in a few weeks. I like the look of the pier and i want to try my shot at a few cobias and kings up in Panama.

[rshields]

hit submit too soon; any info on cheap hotels close to the pier-- shower and bed type of place. Any info please post. Thanks

[Green Tide]

you better come soon cause they won't be around very long. like maybe may and they will be done. I'll check on some hotels. Most across the bridge on the beach side of town will be 90 and up. The ones on this side of town will be down around 60 and will be a 5-6 mile ride.

[rshields]

I'm planning to make it up there within two weeks. I would run this Friday but I have some things I have to do. The 90 bucks is ok but the 6 miles at 60 sounds better for sleep and a shower. What is the zip code for that area I can look it up and I'll run the phone to get the info. Thanks

[Green Tide]

In town 32401,on beach32413

[rshields]

GT Thanks for the zips. I am going to work on this planning tonight and hope to meet anothere BF member when I travel up there.

[Green Tide]

I'll show up. Just let me know the dates

[Green Tide]

Heard the Cobia were thick so I went out as a spectator after visiting my daughter. Probably a hundred people total on pier. Nothing happening shallow, nothing happening 1/2 way, get 3/4 way and see a guy bowed up on the tee. He has hooked a kingfish and is jacking up repeatedly until he pulls the hook. Nice one dude!!!
We stand at the crowed rail for about 30 minutes then see a spanish clear the rail off a small cigar minnow that was dead.
15 minutes later someone hollars king and everyone looks as it misses the jigging cigar minnow. Then right behind it comes another . He hits turbo just as he crosses in front of us, misses the mark and they are both gone.
Headed back in about 10 minutes later. Just as we are at the last few guys fishing the guy closest to the beach hooks up with a 15 inch pompano. Someone gets the net and he goes in the cooler.

[Green Tide]

ryan with a king from this morning. weather was sse @15-25 seas 2-4

[bolo]

Nice King.

[TeEnAnGlerPro213]

that's a big king. I've always wanted to fish that pier, maybe i should try it this summer

[Green Tide]

Yea they will be here all summer
I didn't see it but I heard of a 40#er coming over the rail this weekend

[Green Tide]

went back to try em yesterday about 6am. wind was 15-25 sse as advertised. the fog is what we didn't know about til we got there. it was so thick ppl were wearing rain suits. i think that was alittle too much but i guess some people like wearing plastic and rubber
the water was dirty and was 4-6 rollers that broke at the second sandbar.
i fished til about 10 without losing any bait. a few days earlier it was better but the rough water had the bait chased out deep i guess.
anyway i saw one guy catch a short cobia and someone else caught an oversized redfish. planned on returning in the pm but it stayed windy all day so we didn't go back.
we did cruise the strip a couple of times since it is thunder beach week end and all the bikes and babes were on display.
was gonna go again this morning but it is still gale force and is supposed to stay that way until tomarrow night.

[XiBowhunter]

Anybody been to the piers in PCB as of late? Any reports?

[regulator70]

Fished the Russell pier tuesday and me and my wife reached 30 spanish macs in an hours time. after filleting the fish we had 15lbs of meat ready for the freezer. we hung around for a few more hours and saw 2 cobia and 6 kings come over the rail. We went out thursday and i caught 2 monster reds and lose a nice king. We saw 1 cobia and 8 kings over 20lbs pounds come over the rail. I may have to come back up here and visit this place again.

[XiBowhunter]

Fished the Russell pier tuesday and me and my wife reached 30 spanish macs in an hours time. after filleting the fish we had 15lbs of meat ready for the freezer. we hung around for a few more hours and saw 2 cobia and 6 kings come over the rail. We went out thursday and i caught 2 monster reds and lose a nice king. We saw 1 cobia and 8 kings over 20lbs pounds come over the rail. I may have to come back up here and visit this place again.

Thanks for the report!

I don't know if I will fish on the pier any, but I will be down in PCB in 3 weeks with my kayak. I am hoping to catch my first king from a kayak this time around.

I spend most of my time in the creeks and intrecoastal waterway though.