Full Day Offshore Fishing in Panama City Beach

Blacktip Shark

Blacktip sharks are swift, agile predators found in the warm waters off Panama City Beach. They typically grow to about 5 feet long and weigh up to 40-50 pounds. You'll often spot them in shallow coastal waters, especially near sandbars and drop-offs. These sharks are known for their acrobatic leaps and spins when chasing prey. Summer is prime time for blacktips as they follow bait fish inshore. Anglers love targeting them for their hard-fighting spirit and the thrill of landing a shark. To hook one, use oily fish like mackerel or mullet as bait. A local tip: chum the water to draw them in, then cast your bait just beyond the chum slick. Remember, these sharks can be timid, so a stealthy approach is key.

Lane Snapper

Lane Snappers (Lutjanus Synagris) Fish Description

The Lane Snapper is an almond-shaped coral fish that is generally pink-red or silvery-pink with yellow-tipped red fins. Their silver-bottomed bodies have pink and yellow lines extending from end to end like “lanes” or a candy cane. They typically grow to around 14 inches in length, but they’ve occasionally been captured at 20 inches. They have rounded snouts and anal fins, short pectoral fins and a double dorsal fin that ispositioned in the center of the lateral line. Their caudal fin is branched is slightly forked and may be blackish on the outer edges.

Although the Lane Snapper can be found in numerous habitats, they prefer coral reefs and sandy areas that are abundant in vegetation in saltwater. This fish is a carnivore that generally feeds on the ocean floor, with a diet consisting of crabs, mollusks, shrimp and smaller fish.

Interesting Facts about the Lane Snapper

• The Lane Snapper is known to cross breed with other fish of a similar species
• Hybridization between Yellowtail Snapper and the Lane Snapper is documented widely and these hybrid species have been caught repeatedly
• The crossbreeding between these two species of fish suggests that they may be genetically similar than previously thought.
• Anglers may often refer to the Lane Snapper as a “dessert fish” because it can often find its way into a catch as a bonus when fishing for red snappers and squid

Size

The Lane Snapper is generally found to be between 10 inches and 24 inches long, averaging at about 20 inches in length. They generally weigh in at a minimum of 3lbs and an average of around 7lbs, with the world record catch for the Lane Snapper at a massive 8lb 3oz.

Fishing Habitat & Distribution

Adult lane snappers live in a diverse number of environments, but have been frequently observed in shallow inshore waters over coral reefs and sandy bottoms with heavy vegetation. This fish generally lives in the same area for its entire lifespan. This species has been recorded at depths of 1300 feet in offshore waters but most commonly thrive between 69 and 230 ft. In relatively shallow waters, larger species may be collected, but are usually less abundant.

The Lane Snapper can be located in the western Atlantic Ocean, from North Carolina in the United States to the southern tips of Brazil. Higher population counts can be found in the Antilles off the  Panama Coast, and the northern coast of South America. They have been known to swim in the waters of the Bermuda and the Gulf of Mexico as well.

The spawning season of the Lane Snapper is March through September, and generally reaches its sexual peak at 6 inches. The eggs flat freely in water currents, and hatching occurs within 23 hours.

The Mahogany Snapper and Mutton Snapper are related species that occur in the same regions as the lane snapper. The Mahogany Snapper has a larger eye, and the Mutton Snapper has 2 oblique blue streaks. 

Fishing Technique

The Lane Snapper is an aggressive small fish, and as such, are normally caught on hook and line. Catching them in the water is easier compared to other game fish, as they are not as wary about hooks and lines, but expect a battle once they are hooked.

A variety of live and frozen baits, such as shrimp, squid, cut bait, and minnows, can easily entice the Lane Snapper to engage when fishing. However, success with synthetic lures and baits have also been reported. Lane snappers are usually not directly pursued by anglers, but often are captured when searching for grouper or other snapper species, as well as other shallow to mid-depth bottom fish. 

Lane Snappers are easier found in shallower waters in comparison to other fish of the same species, and usually feed the most at night. Their main diet includes snails, shrimp, swimming crabs, mantis shrimp, rock shrimp and cutlassfish are their main food.

They are mainly located around coral reefs with heavily vegetated sandy areas, in both murky and pristine waters. Anglers fishing for them should be able to find Lane Snappers in large numbers during the breeding season, which is from March to September.

Red Grouper

Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio) Fish Description

As the name suggests, the Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio) can easily be distinguished from other groupers by the mostly rusty red coloration of its body. While its head and upper parts tend to be darker, the color gradually lightens until it reaches the rather light red to pinkish hue of the belly. It also has some sort of blotches on its side and some distinctive white spots on its body—from the head right across to the base of its tail. And although the fins sometimes have the same coloration as its body, they usually have some sort of a black margin that runs right around the edges.

The body of the Red Grouper is known to be robust and meaty even though it’s mostly moderate in size. It has a large mouth which allows them to eat its prey whole. Its lower jaw protrudes a little bit beyond the upper jaw, both of which are equipped with several sets of razor sharp teeth that the fish uses to prevent its prey from escaping, not to rip its flesh apart. Its prey mostly consists of marine invertebrates including octopi, shrimps, and crabs, but from time to time will also eat smaller fishes.

The Red Grouper is a protogynous hermaphrodite fish. This means that all of them are females at the very beginning of their life. Many would, however, change to males as soon as they hit their sexual maturity, which is between seven and fourteen years of age. When the spawning season comes which usually occurs between January and April, both the males and the females would release their sperms and eggs in the water. The fertilized eggs would just drift with the currents until they hatch into larvae in about thirty hours. The larvae would just then live among the zooplanktons near the surface of the water. As they reach their juvenile stage, they would swim down to the bottom of the water and settle within seagrass beds where they would prey on smaller fishers and different marine invertebrates until they reach their full maturity.

Interesting Facts About Red Groupers

• The Red Grouper can grow up to four feet long and can weigh around a little more than fifty pounds.
• The biggest Red Grouper caught on record was a forty-two pounder caught off the coast of St. Augustine, Florida in 1997.
• Red Groupers have long lifespans with some reaching up to twenty-nine years of age.
• It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, which means they are all born females.
• Many would change to male as they hit sexual maturity.
• About 70% of groupers harvested in U.S. waters are Red Groupers.
• Its meat is highly regarded for its moist, firm, and flaky consistency.
• It is said to be one of the best tasting groupers because of its shellfish-like taste.
• Red Grouper meat is sold either fresh or frozen as a whole a fish, as steaks, or filleted.
• Red Grouper meat is susceptible to red tide due to its shellfish diet.
• Red Groupers are known to be one of the top predators in reefs, making them an essential part of the reef’s ecological balance.
• Red Groupers are often preyed upon by other known reef apex predators, including barracudas, moray eels, and different species of sharks.
• They are targeted by both commercial and recreational fishers.
• Although their population status hasn’t reached the “critical” levels yet, there were recorded declines in their populations in some parts of the Gulf of Mexico due to overfishing.
• Another reason for the decline is the huge number of juveniles that are accidentally caught by shrimp trawlers.
• Catch limitations for commercial and recreational fishers are placed by the authorities to help with the fish species’ population recovery.
• Commercial and recreational fishing seasons are also closed from January to April—the Red Grouper’s spawning season.

Red Grouper Average Size and Swimming Speed

Although there were some reported sightings of a Red Grouper reaching a whopping fifty pounds in weight, average weights tend to be a lot smaller of about five to ten pounds. Most also don’t grow too long as average length rarely hits the two feet mark. As for the speed, Red Groupers don’t swim that fast although they can swim much faster in short bursts to help them escape predators. 

Red Grouper Habitat and Distribution

The Red Grouper is not a migratory fish and can often be found near our eastern seaboard—from as far north as Massachusetts down to Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico. It can also be found abroad as far south as the Caribbean Sea up to southern Brazil.

This fish primarily prefers muddy and rocky bottom underwater habitats at depths of 16 to 1,083 feet. It can also be seen swimming or resting close inshore, especially in reefs, ledges, and wrecks of up to 300 deep, with many anglers catching these tasty fish in about 10 to 100 feet.

Red Grouper Fishing Tips

Although you can pretty much catch a Red Grouper using a light tackle, you better be ready for a somewhat long battle with this fish as it’s known to be one of the toughest fighters out there. Hooking one wouldn’t be much of a problem as it’s a pretty aggressive predator that is always ready to strike on every opportunity of a meal, especially if you use its favorite diet as baits such as shrimp and crab.

Scamp Grouper

Scamp Grouper (Mycteroperca phenax) Fish Description

The scamp grouper (Mycteroperca phenax), also known as brow grouper, abadejo, or broom tail, is a saltwater fish mostly found in the Gulf of Mexico and southern Atlantic waters. It may look a little like its other grouper cousins because of its shape.; but can easily be identified though its elongated rays protruding from its tail fin, its deep tan to chocolate brown color, and the darker reddish to brown blotches that run along the sides of its body.  

Even though this grouper eats anything that it can fit into its mouth, it mainly eats other smaller fish as well as crustaceans and octopus. Spawning season starts in February and usually ends around mid-May, peaking at around early March. And although it usually spends most of its life in the deeper parts of the water, it will head for shallower waters once spawning season starts.  

Interesting Facts About Scamp Grouper

• The largest Scamp Grouper caught weighs 32 pounds and measures 3.5 feet long.
• They are slow but strong swimmers.
• They are born female and transform into a male as they grow.
• They are said to be the best tasting fish in the grouper family.
• They are sometimes called “The Captain’s Meat” as they’re often served to the captain of boats.
• Their meat contains large amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
• They are best for losing weight as the meat is known to have low calories.
• They can live up to fifty years.

Scamp Grouper Average Speed and Size

Though Scamp Groupers are slow swimmers, they are known to be strong. So if you happen to hook one, expect a long and tiring battle with the fish as even experienced anglers have had problems pulling it in. Also, Scamp Groupers are not that big as their relatives as average sizes only measures less than three feet and weighs four to six pounds. 

Where to Find Them

Scamp Groupers can be found hiding under structure such as rocks, ledges, wrecks, or reefs where it usually ambushes unknowing victims. They also live near the bottom of the water at around 75 to 300 feet deep; but, as already mentioned, they would be found in shallower waters during spawning seasons.

The scamp grouper is mainly found in the southern Atlantic waters as well in the Gulf of Mexico where it is most abundant and some of the huge ones have been sighted. However, smaller ones have also been sighted in Florida and northward along the East Coast to North Carolina, and as far north as Massachusetts.

Scamp Grouper Fishing Tips

Thinking about Scamp Grouper fishing soon? Here are some tips that would help you catch this prized fish: 

1. Tackle – a six and a half foot to seven foot medium to heavy conventional rod, along with a thirty to forty series reel is good enough to handle a medium to large sized Scamp Grouper. Because most of these fish lives far below the water, casting is not required but you would have to have fishing weights to be able to get your bait to the bottom. If you’re fishing in shallower waters, you may find that lighter spinning tackle allows for a more natural presentation, especially for groupers that’s a little bit skittish in such environment. You may also want to choose the much durable braided line option as you may need it for the aforementioned battle you’re going to have while you try to reel in that tough fish.
2. Bait – as with other fishing targets, live baits are the best choice. Pin fish, sardines, scads, cigar minnows, spots, croakers, grunts, threadfins are just some of the best options for Scam Grouper fishing.
3. Location – finding the right location is key to catching this tasty fish. Check out coastal waters, reefs, shoals, jetties, breakwaters, mangroves, docks, piers, and wrecks as these are where Scamp Groupers are typically caught.