Thread: 2nd week in May

1st post be gentle- I just joined your forum because I'll soon be headed your way in May for vacation- I hav extensive freshwater experience but very little saltwater- I hav equipment because I fish Arkansas river a lot for big catfish- I will be staying near St. Andrews bay but plan on coming to pier- I will definitely be needing some GOOD advice on areas to fish and rigging- I will be fishing everyday, nighttime, morning , evening- whatever it takes- I have been told that the pompano should be running during that time period and that they are good to eat- I've watched YouTube videos so at least have "some" understanding- I will hav casting net but don't know the local baits- I've read about cigar minnows- cut bait- squid and the importance of using FRESH dead shrimp or even live - I know I need to use a pyramid sinker and a few other things but that's about it- Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated !

There will also be Spanish running on the pier and they will hit gotcha lures. You usually catch those past the 2nd bathrooms on the pier. Just about everything will take fresh dead shrimp Carolina rigged with about a 2-3 foot mono leader. You usually don't need anything more than 15# test unless you going for Spanish which have really sharp teeth (will need a 40# mono leader). For pompano, you can buy a pre-made rig from Walmart or local tackle shop and then put fresh dead peeled shrimp on it, that usually works pretty good for whiting and pompano.

Welcome to the forum. First, this section of the forum is for dated pier reports. You should have asked your questions under "General Fishing Questions", not that asking here will alter the course of the stars in the sky. Check Pier#r's what's biting when. Use the search feature at the top right of the page for specific answers to your questions. All the info you want is on the forum if you "Ask and ye shall receive." Check the reports from previous years at the time you are interested in.

A.P. -
The best advice that I can give is to target species. The species I'd target in May are king mackerel, spanish mackerel, whiting, and pompano.
Match the bait and the rigging with the area of the pier where you're most likely to catch a particular species. You said that you know to use a pyramid sinker. Of course you'd only use that setup for pompano and whiting, not for king mackerel/spanish mackerel. Personally, I use an egg sinker with a Carolina/fish finder rig for pomps and whiting (with a small circle hook). Cigar minnows - almost exclusively for king mackerel near the end of the pier, though big spanish will hit one cut in half (mostly fished south of the bathrooms). These should be drifted/extra-slow retrieved only. If you fish them on the bottom, you'll only catch catfish, sharks, and remoras. Ditto with using cut bait or squid.

During May, I'm fishing three setups: One large capacity reel that I can cast and holds lots of 20 pound line. This is for King Mackerel, specifically. Terminal tackle is a barrel swivel, about 20 inches of #28 copper colored steel leader, and a stout treble hook, new and sharp.
Another setup is for spanish mackerel specifically. Bass rod with 12 - 15 pound test. Same terminal tackle, except that instead of a treble hook I use a "Gotcha" jig, which I retrieve fast and with regular jerks. Most fishermen use 40 - 50 pound mono leader. Be careful when using a gotcha on the pier. Kids are bad about running behind you while you're casting and you don't want to hook somebody's child!
Third setup is 10 - 12 pound test with a bass-type rod for whiting and pompano. Fishfinder rig/Carolina rig with egg sinker, 18 inches of fluorocarbon leader with a small circle hook. Use live shrimp or fresh (really fresh) dead shrimp peeled (not too big since whiting have really small mouths). I fish north of the bathrooms for whiting and pompano.
I've found that it's best to rig for more than one species because you don't know for sure what's biting. I wouldn't look at it as "pompano are running", but instead that they may be "in" or available at that time. There are too many variables in the catching equation, like water clarity and time of day, current, wind, etc. to say at any one time that a particular species will be biting. Remember to come back and check the REPORTS thread on this site regularly before you come down, so that you'll have a better idea of what to expect. Keep in mind that the OCTI fishermen are a little better at posting what's going on than those who fish nearer the surf.

In my tackle box, I keep a few rather large Krocodile spoons, in case a school of Jack Crevalle or Bull Redfish come through. You can usually get one tied on your king rod in time to get in on the action. Just FYI - I think that they don't allow cast-netting from the pier so you'll want to locate J & M (see ad at top right of this page) to get your live/fresh dead shrimp and whatever tackle you need.

Isn't St. Andrews bay in Panama City, FL? Or is there another one in Alabama?

There is a small bay out on Fort Morgan called St. Andrews bay, just west of Little Point Clear.

I appologize for posting my question on this forum- will be more carefull- Yall are very helpful !

No biggie, we're a nice group.