Forgotten Coast Fishing Report

Fishing off the coast has been good for many anglers this last week. Lots of beeliners were caught as well as red snapper caught and released. My friend Johnny Jones and his buddy Adam headed to some numbers around 22 miles offshore and got their fill of vermillion along with some triggers. Like many folks, they had the dolphin show up and got a good number of them. We’re talking the pretty green dolphin, not those pesky gray ones that will show up and ruin a good drop if not the whole day. 

Jake Harpe, shown in photo, headed out to some numbers he is very hush-hush about and picked up some nice yellow edge grouper. Congratulations Jake, that is an impressive fish! 

Folks, I’m nervous this good inshore fishing stretch is going to end. That oppressive heat is going to roll in and make it harder to leave the respite of the recliner and the everchurning air conditioner. But that time is not here yet! It’s coming; like Phil Collins, I can feel it in the air; but it’s not here yet. The bite in the bay has remained hot. Just look at the results of the Bayou Bash 2025. Chuck Tharpe took first for trout with a monster 6.79-pound speck. Brayden Dailey won the slam with 13.03 pounds, and Josh Henderson took the flounder trophy with a 4.32-pound doormat. 

As for myself, I wouldn’t quite say that I’m still licking my wounds, rather, I might say I’m still cleaning dirt and grease off my hands from a boat trailer tire blowout. Did I say, “tire?” Oh, I mean tires. After fixing the first blowout in the pitch-black Florida morning utilizing the remaining spare tire, the second trailer tire decided to blow out as well a few more miles down the road. And that set the stage for how the rest of the day would play out. 

But despite my misfortune on tournament day, the fishing is still good. I spent a couple of hours on my days off wading the intracoastal with my toeheaded 3-year-old close behind me. We picked up five flounders in no time, with two of them big enough for the FryDaddy. I say we, but it was really me who caught them on a Z-Man scented bait. The boy ended up freezing in his tracks like a deer in the headlights because he spied a three-inch blue crab that in his mind was about to attack him and surely slice off a toe with his razor-sharp claws. Have you ever tried leaving a good fishing spot while carrying a fishing rod, a cooler, a tackle bag and a scared soaking wet sand covered 3-year-old all at once while walking up a hill? I’ve heard it said I’ll cherish those kinds of moments. Maybe I will, when I finally catch my breath. Despite my fishing dad moments, the fishing down there is good. The area is loaded with bait easily picked up with a quarter-inch mesh cast net.

There are small pinfish as well as fat little croakers that make excellent baits. I put several of them on an Owner #6 circle hook and caught some trout as well as flounder. I saw some nice reds come out of there as well. Y’all need to get out there and

take advantage while you still can.

According to the locals the freshwater rivers and lakes in Wewahitchka are ripe for the picking. Not only are bass and catfish continuing to be caught, but fishing for panfish is really good now too. Anglers are catching nice size bream and shellcrackers. Folks, it’s going on all around us. Make it happen while you still can, and as always, I look forward to seeing you out there. 

Jeremiah Beasley – Bluewater Outriggers