I guess this is inshore since I was 300 feet from the beach.
I went down Friday morning and walked to the end of the jetties with 2 flats rods and my tackle box. I started catching blue runners on the tip and west side of the jetties on every cast. On one cast I hooked up one and had a huge bull redfish chase the bait to the surface but missed. I saw a cobia cruise by and I chunked a jig in front of it and as he was following it a runner grabbed it and took off. The cobia bolted never to be seen again. I began to reel the bait in and the current had shifted a little and was sucking the baits to the west side of the jetties. When I got the bait within sight, 4-5 keeper gag grouper swarmed on the bait, one of them grabbed it and broke me off instantly. OK that was cool!
I picked up my other rod that had 14 pound fireline on it and tied on a 50 pound leader and a 5 inch Tsunami crank bait. This thing has big trebles on it and was the biggest artificial I had. I pitched it out beyond the last rock I could see and began to twitch it and another blue runner hit. As I reeled him closer to the ledge of rocks I slowed it down and allowed him to dive a bit. That's when a massive red grouper came 20 feet off the bottom mouth open and inhaled the runner bait and all and took off under the ledge. This fish looked every bit of 15 pounds and with the water crystal clear, there was no mistaking the fish for anything else. I after a quick see saw battle, the line and rod was no match and broke with a SNAP. 0-2 and I am belly laughing by myself on the jetties as million dollar sportfishers motor by me.
OK back to the drawing board. This time I've got it figured. The ledge where the fish are is only about 30 feet below and out from me so I'll wind on 50 feet of 50# ande on my Stradic and freeline baits down to them on a 12/0 circle hook on my 7 foot flats spinning rod. Yeah I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but...
I caught a runner on my other rod and had to ski him in, this time avoiding the school of 20 pound amberjacks, not crevalle, Max's damn AJ's, that were trying to eat the runner.
I hooked up the 1 pound blue runner and heaved him out to the east and let current hold him out away from the ledge. It didn't take long for something to grab it and head under the ledge. This time the battle was longer, about 30 seconds, and 50# test was no match for the sharp ledge. Bound and determined I sent the next runner out a little farther and 10 AJ's destroyed it at one time out of the maylay came a screaming run that ended with the hook pulling loose.
0-4 and this is the most fun I've ever had. By the time I had to head back I was 0-6 and had the biggest smile on my face. And vowed I'd be back.
Saturday morning and I'm up at dawn and on the jetties. 30 seconds into it and I'm 0-1, 10 minutes later and I'm 0-2. The biggest problem I had today was finding baits that were A. small enough to throw, and B. dumb enough to hang in front of the ledge long enough.
3rd problem I had after about an hour was getting a bait past the AJ's. I lost six jig on six casts and decided it was getting a little expensive to keep loosing tackle. But damn was that fun. I will be back one day with my 3/0 and then we'll see what's what.
Panama City, St. Andrews Jetties 05-24-2002
Moderators: bman, Chalk, Tom Keels
