FL Panhandle Bream Busters

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Comment by J. B. Hillard on March 15, 2015 at 6:51am

Hi guys:   Change is in the air. Water temps in 68 to 71 range. The Choctawhatchee River is getting better by the day.  Went 2 times this week to Little Bishop Lake which is off the Choctaw. Access is at Magnolia Lodge on hwy 3280. I haven't been in there since I was a teen-ager about 60 years ago.

The launch is on Magnolia Run. You go upstream or east to Little Bishop, and you can go downstream and connect with Bishop Lake and on down to Mitchell River and to the main river.

We didn't catch a lot but enough for a decent meal. That's a lot better than I've doing for weeks. Up untll now I haven't caught a decent mess of fish since Jan 19 when I loaded up on river crappie. It won't be long now before the bite really opens up.  Here are a couple of photos from the two grips. Mostly warmouth with a few crappie 

Comment by Andy is OptiMystic on February 24, 2015 at 10:47am

I will probably be kayaking when I come down or I may have to see if my next generation old uncle (the one from my childhood is gone, but his sister's son in law has a boat in Laguna Beach) wants to go slay some panfish. He usually likes to catch specs though and wouldn't have to twist my arm too hard to do that instead...

Comment by Robert Madden on February 24, 2015 at 10:26am

Roger that JB. Every now and then I'll fish with my cousin over here on local rivers but their not all that big. He won't fish over their and he owns the rig, lol. I'm still researching and looking for a river rig and want to fish the Choctawhatchee. I'll send my cell number via email and if you send me yours maybe we can do a trip. I'm easy and respectful, 55 years has taught me that, lol. Looking forward to fishing with a Master! Thanks

Comment by J. B. Hillard on February 24, 2015 at 10:06am

Robert...I fish the river with a little 14 Jon and 25 hp kicker. Not a lot of room but it works for a couple of people. It's a pretty good ride over here to the Choctawhatchee, but maybe someone who fishes the Escambia, Blackwater, or Yellow could get up with you for a bream trip when they start biting good in  few weeks. There are some Crestview  folks on the Pensacola Fishing Forum that post about bream fishing. They know a lot about the Yellow River.

However, if you want to fish the Choctawhatchee get in touch with me at jbh37@panhandle.rr.com,and we will discuss.  I'm also on PFF as 'fishwalton' in the Fresh Water section. 

Comment by Robert Madden on February 24, 2015 at 9:44am

Excellent information in this thread, thanks to other who contributed. By the way, I live in Pensacola and love bream fishing. Anybody want or need someone to split costs, I'd be appreciative to join up with you. I'm not always in town but when I am, I'm looking. Don't have a river boat and my 24 ft Bay Boat is a little to big for getting into the tiny spots needed for success. And of course when I go offshore you'll be welcomed to join up with me....Thanks

Comment by Andy is OptiMystic on February 24, 2015 at 9:04am

I know the Hooch; lived in Duluth, Ga as a child and nearby for several years. My brother (now in Destin) lived in Columbus a while.

Comment by J. B. Hillard on February 24, 2015 at 8:37am

Yep, The Choctawhatchee River is at Ebro. The boat ramp is referred to as Cowford. Before the ramp was installed no long ago we launched on the sand shore under the bridge.

Fishing pressure is obviously heavy compared to decades ago, but it's still possible to have very good 'catching' starting about mid April and on through the summer. Best bream months seen to be about April - June. This river is listed by FWC as one one of the top bream fisheries in the state. 

You pronounce Choctawhatchee like Chock-ta-hatch-e    We have the Choctawhatchee here and the Chattahoochee to our east.  I have a fishing friend who has lived nearby for years and he still can't pronounce the name.

LOL  

Comment by Andy is OptiMystic on February 24, 2015 at 8:15am

I think the Choctamacallit ;^> is the river near Ebro my uncle took me to. We used jigs - red head, white marabou that he always called "doll flies" tipped with bait and and hauled in fish like nobody's business but it was in the warm months and probably 45 years ago. I think the fishing pressure might have increased a little...

Comment by J. B. Hillard on February 24, 2015 at 7:48am

Welcome to Andy. Sitting here this morning...a cool rainy miserable day....a good day to stay in the house until it clears.  Wanted to head down to the river but saw the weather report and took heed.  With the rain coming in the river is going to rise again which messes up things for now but should help the bite in about mid April when it usually starts.  

I have been fishing crappie rather hard for the past few months. The river is a fair crappie source even though the run small in general. Now and then I'll catch a good one 12 inches plus.

Although reports are not frequent folks have been catching bluegills and shellcrackers all winter long in the Choctawhatchee River. Worms on the bottom has been the producer.  A couple of weeks ago my snowbird friend and I were fishing down at Pinelog and he caught a very nice gill on a jig. That surprised me.  Here's a photo

Comment by Andy is OptiMystic on January 29, 2015 at 3:43pm

Just joined this group mostly to read up and ask a few questions next time I head down to see family in PCB and Destin. I fished down there many times over the years, most of it decades ago but some more recent. My great uncle had a place on Crystal Lake and also fished the river near Ebro (plus the bay and Gulf, but that's another story) a very long time ago and I fished with him as a child.

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