Panama City Redfish Blowout!
Capt. Mike Pankey
August 7, 2008
Panama City - Saltwater Fishing Report
August 5th, I would like to start off this report by saying thank you to Andy and his son Stephen for one of the best days of fishing I have had in a while. They were both great company as well as first class anglers!!
Andy contacted me with with the intent of a day spent fishing with his son,but with the vacation coming to an end this trip almost didn't happen!(what a shame this would have been)
At the last minute, Andy called and said they were going to be able to pull it off after all.
I was very excited as earlier in the week I had found a large school of redfish that were waiting for a moment like this. I had about two hours to catch bait, and was able to catch around three dozen pinfish and butterfish. We left the boat ramp at 6:00am and had about a five minute run to the fish. We anchored up, and I put a bait on each of there hooks, just knowing they would be gobbled up as soon as they hit the water. I was wrong, we soaked baits for an hour with no bites.I started thinking to myself what a long day this was going to be!!!! I could tell they were thinking the same thing. After this " long " hour of no bites a big school of mullet started jumping and working the surface about 75 yards down the beach. I told them to wind up there baits and explained that most likely our fish would be right where those mullet were jumping and to get ready. We repositioned the boat, baited up, and once again, I said a quick prayer and instructed them to get there baits as close as they could to the mullet. Within a minute, Stephen's rod was bowed up and the drag was screaming. They both looked at me with a very suprised look on there faces and asked the ever famous question... "what is on the end of my rod?"
Both of them caught several redfish, then Stephen caught his first trout ever and it was nice one, measuring 22".
Andy was still steadily catching redfish, but had explained to me on the way out that he had tried on several occasions on some of his own adventures to catch a speckled trout with very little success. "I sure would like to catch one"...he said. Well Andy got his wish! He got a bite, set the hook, and a good trout stuck her head out of the water and started that famous violent head shake. When he got her to the boat, the fish measured in at 26".
Things got even more interesting later in the trip! Stephen had another redfish near the boat, and as I went to get the net, I heard concern in their voices as they screamed..."OH MY GOD." I turned around and both of them were slowly backing away from the front of the boat. I noticed what was left of a giant swirl. I asked them what happened and they both turned around with eyes the size of saucers, and clearly at a loss for words, but managing to get out the word SHARK!
After all the excitement was over they explained a very large shark had come out from under the boat right in front of them and took a swipe at Stephens Redfish. We got the fish in the boat and it was that Redfish's lucky day. He only had a couple of small cuts near his tail. I don't think either one of them will ever forget that experience!!! By the end of the trip Andy and Stephen had managed to catch 17 Redfish and 2 Trout, what a day!! Andy was so pleased that he got to spend a day like that with his son and felt sure that it would make Stephen want to go fishing together more often. As a Fishing Guide I can't think of a better reward than to help build those kind of memories!
Thanks again guys,
Capt. Mike Pankey
Hanky Pankey Guide Service
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