Kings for a Day
The diversity of Panama City Beach’s fishery is on full display in this week’s episode as we learn that it’s good to have a plan…as long as you don’t mind making some changes along the way.
Capt. Justin Leake is joined by another Northwest Florida fishing guide, Capt. Pat Dineen, for a trip into the Gulf of Mexico to target king mackerel. The action starts at sunrise when Dineen hooks the day’s first kingfish using light tackle that makes every bite feel like a trophy fish is on the other end. By midday, the pair add bonita and Spanish mackerel to the mix.
We also meet Jack “The Baitman” Conzelman, a fixture of the local fishing community. For more than two decades, his floating barges have been the “go to” spots for live bait – cigar minnows, pinfish, hardtails and other species – so anglers can focus on the fishing.
Also featured is the new Bay County Shooting Range, a state-of-the-art complex with amenities not often found at publicly-owned facilities. The range is managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and includes a sporting clays course, five stand and ranges for rifles and pistols. The Gould Brothers delight the opening day crowd with their shotgun trick shots during a stop on their nationwide tour.
Finally, Capt. Leake poles the flats while teen angler Nate West reels in one redfish after another in water only six inches deep.