St. Joseph Bay is located in Gulf County and it is between Apalachicola and Panama City. The bay is formed by a 17 mile long barrier peninsula called Cape San Blas. The bay is known for its excellent fishing, scalloping and shallow water, which is great for wading.
Fish the Grass Flats
The bay is shallow and there is plenty of grass throughout the bay. Anglers will fish these grass flats mostly for redfish and sea trout, but other species of fish will be around these grass flats too. Fishing during the tidal change will result in much better fishing, but make sure you know your surroundings so you can navigate your boat out of these areas when the tide drops.
Fish the Deeper Water Near the Flats
Many anglers will describe the better spots to fish as potholes. Image large potholes on the road and you will find lots of spots like this throughout the bay. You may have a small depth change near a grass flat, but even a small area that is just a foot deeper can hold some quality fish. During high tides, you may see a lot of fish move up onto the flats, but the deeper water around these grass flats are great spots to fish. During a low tide, many fish will be forced into these deeper spots, so learning where the deeper water is located on these flats is key to putting a lot more fish in the boat here.
Fish the Mouth of the Bay
The mouth of the bay brings plenty of food in and out during tidal changes. This is also where the migratory species have to enter or leave, so there will be plenty of anglers searching the mouth of the bay for diving birds or any fish activity that can help them find schools of feeding fish. The tip of the peninsula will also help create a big current break while the tides are moving water in or out. This can be a great ambush spot for game fish.
Fish the Deeper Water in the Bay
While this bay is known for its excellent shallow water flats fishing, there is plenty of deeper water in the bay that is home to a variety of fish. Look for birds or feeding fish on the surface out in these open water areas and you may run into some excellent fishing. The navigational markers will also hold fish in the deeper parts of the bay.
