BigBendFishing.Net

Went out to the sound for the first time on Saturday morning. For those like me who were not in the know, right near the ramp is much like the lighthouse pool. You had best be careful around low tides. However, to my fortune, high tides all week were in mid A.M.

On Saturday, the wife and I were feet wet (literally) by 6:30. There is a large sand bar about 10 inches near the entrance to the east bayou. Well, I found it. After some strenuous pushing for about ten minutes, we were back in business fishing. Lots of bait and reds around the top of the bar, so we stayed around this area and fished. Limited on reds by 8:00 a 20" and a 19". Caught a few more puppy reds (under 18") and several short trout but no keepers . The grass in this area is healthy and long providing great habitat for the fish. Out in the sound itself, you can see what the high salinity levels are doing to the grass beds that my father had described as teaming with fish in years past. The grass was practically non-existent.

Monday was a flip-flop of Saturday. No reds but took two nice trout by 8:00. Had to be back at the house early, so loaded up at 8:30 for the ten minute ride back to the folks place. All in all not a bad weekend, learned some new spots in a new place and avoided all of the heartburn associated with fighting with the scallopers.

Good deal.
To bad about the grass beds.

Where is Crooked Island Sound?

West of Mexico Beach. Between Mexico Beach and Shell Island in Panama City. The entire area is actually inside Tyndall AFB.

That is a beautiful area back in there. We used to have Sandrails(Fancy Dune Buggys) and rode back in those areas about 20 years ago. Tyndal would let you unless they were launching drones. (Which in itself was a sight to see). Met a nice Federal agent one time back in there named Rudy Osbolt, that politley informed us that the tip of the point was a bird sactuary. Well, he was polite after he saw that the sign had been torn down warning us not to go past it. Thank goodness the sign had some sand that rain a few days before had washed on it, or we may have been hauled to the pokey...

Anyway, he was just doing his job. I cannot fault him for that. I have heard that Tyndal shut down ALL riding on the beach at the parking lot at Mexico Beach. Like a lot of things, a few ruin it for the many. (A drunk got killed riding a buggy back in the dunes, and another guy in a 4WD truck tried to run over some campers).

I may try fishing back in there one day, as we regularly go to Panama City and ride down to Shell Island and Land's end. Now, if they will just dredge out the cut again at Land's End....

Hooked