Pier Experience
Hi! My name is Tamino, My experience at Panama City Beach Pier is a little different. I live in Georgia, but I am originally from Florida, so I’m not an amateur fisherman. The internet said that the pier was low to the water. The first day I arrived to the pier, it was 30’ above the water, there was no building at the entrance, and so if you had to go to the restroom, you had to walk about a mile to get there. A cast net was useless, which I own, you need 2 ropes to reach the bottom. So I had no bait, but like I said before I’m no amateur. I had artificial bait. I caught a lady fish and used it for bait, but still no luck. The next day, I tried something else. I had an old shi bikki rig to catch bait and caught herring and sardines. Put them in my cooler with an aerator. I’m ready to fish now. I had about a 1 ½ oz and about a #1 or #2 hook. A guy next to me said, “Don’t use a sinker go free style”. I said, “What do you mean”? He said, “Mackerel usual hit from the top of the water”. I said,” Okay, I’ll try it”. Nothing! I tried a lighter sinker to cast out further. Nothing! So, I went back to what I was used to. Then, a Hugh bonito to 8 lbs, when I went for more Bait my reel and rod was lying on the ground with a cut line. Someone told me they cut my, because my rod was unattended. I said, “All you had to do was call for the owner instead of cutting someone’s line”. Then I noticed Redfish following the bait. No one seemed interested in catching them. But, I was. So, I tried, again and again. They were a little strong and popping my line. Until, the 5th time, I kept its head up and brought it to the top. Hugh Redfish, Someone said, “It’s too big”! I said,” What do you mean it’s too big”? They said,” It can’t be over 27”. I doubted them at first. So, I decided to bring it up and check the size. Someone else said, “You can get a fine if it is too big, if you throw it back and it dies”. I hollowed, “Does anyone have a gaff”? Someone else said, “You can’t gaff a Redfish”. I said, “You got to be kidding me”! But, someone had a scoop net with a long rope. Just as the guy was about to get the fish, someone comes over and cut my line saying, “I just save you a $500 fine”. I never got a chance to measure the fish. Twice in one day, someone cuts my line. No one on that pier knew me, from a hole in the wall, but boldly cut my line. I was very angry that day and was ready to leave after what just happened. But, I got over it; I observed a little while and noticed that no one had bait casters reels. Mostly everyone had spinning reels. That was unusual to me. Everyone seem to be doing the same thing. 98 % of the people were using wire liter with no sinker and dead bait fishing on the top of the water. With my experience live bait is better fishing. I started fishing again and caught more fish (Spanish mackerel, King mackerel) but, I wanted to catch something different (Redfish, Snapper, Snook, Cobia, Grouper, Sheepshead). Other than those incidents, fishing was I would say “average”. I tried to do as they say, “As the Romans do”, but it wasn’t working for me. I don’t think I would be back.
Tamino