FL Panhandle Bream Busters

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Comment by J. B. Hillard on March 2, 2012 at 5:17pm

Switching from saltwater back to bream. Went down to Smokehouse today. Water 64 degrees.  Fished a little ways up into Inside Lake, Gardners Canal,and Big Sister. Finally got a little bream action in Big Sister. 3 decent bream in the box, that was it.

Was was draining out of the swamps into the main streams. This is very good fish are back in the woods feeding and getting fat. Big storm coming in tonight and tomorrow. This will raise river back up. Should improve fishing conditions for April/May. We needed this water in the woods. Hope it will stay long enought to make a difference.

Comment by J. B. Hillard on February 3, 2012 at 8:39am

Well, the kicker is running great. The starter button was bad. Costs too much to repair bur tech had to remove the carb to do the replacement. Labor isn'g cheap.

Anyway, have been fishing the lower Chocawhachee for bream, crappie, speckled trout and reds. Bream and crappie fishing has not changed, for me anyway, it's still poor. Water temps are 58 plus and several days 60 to 64.  This is spring water temps. 

 A few crappie are being caught but not in numbers. Anglers are looking for them and also fishing for shellcrackers. Some are being caught, but not in great numbers.

A pro that I correspond with frequently is doing well with bass using spinner baits in the lower Choctaw. Not much on crappie.

I heard a report this morning on Panhandle Outdoors that 3 to 5 pound specks are being caught in the Jolly Bay area.  I fish the lower Mitchell River area which is right at Jolly Bay, so guess I need to start working the flats in the Jolly area. The warm water should have them on the flats.

My anticipated crappie trip over to Talquin so far has not panned out. Still might happen. But next week we are going to try the Cypress Cattle ponds near Ponce De Leon for crappie.

I'm ready to get back on the river and find some bream. Don't have any in the freezer and I'm bream hungry. 

 

 

Comment by J. B. Hillard on January 19, 2012 at 8:58am

My kicker has been down for nearly 2 weeks waiting on a part. Finally I'm picking it up today. 

Headed down to Black Creek on Friday. Will start out looking for crappie, which I haven't found yet, and if no go there in a couple of hours will load up and move on to Cowford. There are some lakes below the bridge a ways that should be accessible with the higher water in the river.

Comment by J. B. Hillard on January 6, 2012 at 7:49pm

Update on the Choctawhatchee............

Went to Smokehouse Lake this morning. Fog so bad we didn't get on the water until about 8:45.  We were searching for crappie but also fished bass. Using minnows we did not get a single crappie bite or anything else.  Fished the Smokehouse run, and Little and Big Sister. Nothing...............  Joe caught a nice 2 1/2 lb bass and I caught a 10 inchers. That was it for about 6 hours of fishing.

Had a nice bucket of worms to try for some bream but left them in the car along with my life jacket.  Not a good move on either one.

We finally quit freshwater and tried for specked trout downriver. Nada............. Not a bite.

Can't figure it out.........full moon is on.....................

Yesterday went to Burnt Mill Creek in Bay County.  Loaded up on specks but nary a keeper. At least we had fun catching.

I think I'm snake bite in this neck of the woods. Hope to break the jinx with a trip to Lake Talquin later this month. Friend from Kansas (a top notch crappie angler) playing snowbird for a montn in Destin.  Sister in Tallahassee going on a cruise and has offered her house. So if nothing happens we will be over there for a couple of days and poach a little in Jeffrey's neck of the woods.

Hey, remeber when I posted about fishing in Texas? Got an emila today from one of my fishing friends out there and will share with you. Lake Dunlap is where I fished. Have never caught so many shellcrackes in my life. This report is real and what's it's like in this lake.

Yep, we had a good Xmas. Having to fish for those species wouldn't be a bad deal, lol. We are killing the redear at Dunlap. I got a 12.75", 1.82 lb., new lake record and two other guys got ones 13+ inches that didn't weigh as much. The fishing is just unbelievable right now. Hopefully yours picks up too or you get to head back this way soon.
Tight lines

 

Comment by J. B. Hillard on January 1, 2012 at 6:57am

Happy New to you Clint.  I'm still fishing but not setting the world on fire. Been sticking pretty much to specks and reds, but have tried crappie with no luck.

 Have a trip planned next Thursday to the warm water canal in West Bay.  Hopefully we will give some big'uns for picture taking.  This is catch and release only.  Want to check it out in preparation of taking a Kansas snow-bird friend there for some fun.

Incidentally, I got a tip that about 10 days ago the bite was heavy in the main river about a mile below Big Sister. Reds, trout, and channels were ganged up in this particular spot. I was not aware they went that far up the river, but will take some tackle in case I can't find any crappie.

 

Hunting......if the fog is not heavy I'm going squirrel hunting tomorrow morning. Haven't hunted squirrels since mid 70's. Last time I bought 12 ga low brass shells they were about $2 a box. Yesterday I paid $8, and 16 ga and 410 ga were almost $16.  Times have changed....big time.  

Also, this week I'm going down to SmokeHouse and try for crappie in the Little and Big Sisters.  A very tuned in river guy says they should be ganging up in the Sisters by now, also Bishop Lake. If the weather will stay cold enough long enough that will help.

Comment by clint johnson on December 31, 2011 at 8:54pm

well i switched gear and went to hunting, its goin about the same as my fishin did in the summer. everybody i go huntin with see deer,but i cant seem to catch a break.might have to try a little crappie fishin myself. Happy New Year

Comment by J. B. Hillard on December 22, 2011 at 7:58am

Hi Clint:

I think many folks have switched gears for a while. But reading the WaltonOutdoors.com report about crappie I plan to start looking for them next week. Will make a two prong attack. Crappie first and if we can't find them just start fishing for specks and reds in the same water. That's the way it is in the lower river areas.

One of my fishing partners is hunting a couple of time a week. Said so far squirrel hunting has been very poor.  He's switched to deer and has seen a good number of bucks and does, but not one he wants.  He hunts in Eucheeanna Valley.

Comment by clint johnson on December 22, 2011 at 7:23am

i havent been fishin in weeks, huntin season started up, so joey and i have changed gear for a while

Comment by J. B. Hillard on December 21, 2011 at 8:11pm

Hi gang:  Anyone chasing gills lately?  I have had some health problems for a while but back to normal. Will be back on the water next week. Weather not at all that hot for this week. 

Before illness I was fishing lower Choctawhatchee and over in West Bay in Bay County. Red and speckled trout were the target.

Would like to pass along http://www.waltonoutdoors.com/ which is a good source for info in this area. The Friday Fishing Report is pretty good. 

Wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year......... May be rain help our rivers and fishing will improve.

 

J. B.

 

Comment by J. B. Hillard on December 3, 2011 at 1:12pm

Take a look at this. Amazing.

 

http://fishingtackletips.net/fishing-lures/106-mattelures-ultimate-...-

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