BigBendFishing.Net

New to the sport just bought a boat last fall and have been a few times but need all the help I can get. Can anyone recommend a good book for learning to fish inshore. We mainly fish from Panama City over to Alligator point. Thanks

There is a wealth of information on this site.
What exactly do you want to know about inshore fishing?

Hire a guide can be a wealth of knowledge.

I am trying learn as much as i can to catch trout, reds, etc. My dad and I bought a 16 foot Hewes Bayfisher last fall and have a lot to learn about when and where to fish. We live in Albany, GA and mainly visit Apalachicola, Panama City and Alligator Point but willing to go anywhere. Thanks

The area between Apalach and Alligator point would be a good place to start due to lack of bars and rocks.
There are bars and rocks there but generally easy to navigate.
Fish in 5 feet of water or less. Less is better.
Watch the tides so not to get stuck in too shallow water.(Your Hewes will do shallow just fine.)
Experiment will all lures,topwater,suspended baits,soft plastics.
Watch for diving birds and bait schools and mullet. Fish those locations hard.
That area has clearer water that is great for sight-fishing.
Fish the hiway 98 side as well as behind both St. George and Dog Islands.
Go to St. Joe Bay and fish the South end around Blacks Island and adjacent area.
Mark productive spots on your GPS.
Follow Casey Cook. He knows all my holes.

thanks for the info. we have been a little nervous about trying the econfina area because of the horror stories about tearing up foots and boats on the rocks. we have been with a guide around apalachicola but hate to hire them only to steal their spots. would like to learn how to identify good areas on our own.

No better teacher than time on the water with a rod in your hand. Guides can be good for each area your mentioned, but your mentioned areas present different challenges to fishing. You have three to four spectrums of flats fishing in that area. Panama City has its own set of challenges - limited tide, limited creeks, limited on grass flats - its just a different place in comparison to places to the east.

Time on the water, time reading on this site and time with a good guide would speed up the learning curve.

Alot information in the fishing reports on this site. I wouldn't look a lot at JT's information to hard - his holes are old and dried up like him

Get the Mapsource charts and study them to identify structure,bars,rocks,dropoffs,humps etc. Start by fishing these areas and pay attention going and coming from these areas to spot some that do not appear on the charts.
The hotspot fishing charts for our area of the Gulf have extremely good suggestions on them.

http://www.fishinghotspots.com/e1/pc/vi ... roduct=537

Hot Spot maps.

ditto with time on the water. Fish moving water. If the water is over your head your too deep. fish anything with an edge...grass/sand, oysterbars, grass lined shores( up in the grass if it is a big spring tide)....follow the bait, and don't follow trouser trout

thanks for all the info

I guess by now you can tell they are all jealous.

I bought :

The Saltwater Angler's Guide to Florida's Big Bend and Emerald Coast

By Tommy L. Thompson

I got it used off ebay or amazon,

I thought it has some good information, but I am a green horn to the salt water fishing

Didn't Tommy Thompson sell Chevy's in Panama city?

Barhopr wrote:Didn't Tommy Thompson sell Chevy's in Panama city?

Sold out - went fishing