Cruisin’ Panama City Beach
For several years now, my family has been visiting Panama City Beach and loving every trip. With its beautiful water, sugary white beach and inland hot fishing spots, it is the perfect place to get away. Panama City Beach has everything the family loves to do, such as swimming, sunbathing, fishing, golf or taking the shuttle to get lost for a day on Shell Island. Every trip, we’ll head out to some of the various amusement parks and spend countless hours together on the miniature golf courses or go-cart places. Read More
Never-never Land is in Panama City Beach?
By William E. Males
For the past few years my family has been enjoying taking our vacations in Panama City Beach. Now, what I would like to clarify is that it’s not like the rest of the time and we’re just stuck in some congested ole’ town somewhere, landlocked with no accessible water. Nope, that certainly isn’t our case here in Crystal River, Florida. To be honest, we are literally less than three miles, mere minutes, from a beautiful beach area with a crystal clear freshwater spring that feeds into Kings Bay and the out to the gulf. From the moment we decide to go out for the day in only thirty minutes we can be loaded up and driven to where we can launch our boat or just throw the kayaks and be off on one of several quick excursions to other incredibly fabulous springs to swim or fish. Well then, with all this in our own backyard it should be evident that Panama City Beach must have a lot to offer in order to get us up and out of our own fine little home town. Read More
Econfina Creek Canoe Livery
By William E. Males
Every so often life’s cares and anxieties can climax and cloud even the most focused individual’s perspective, diminishing one’s zeal for life. It happens to everyone and even the most outgoing at times find themselves feeling trapped in a rut by the routine and mundane obligations of life. Temporary relief can be achieved by simply laying back and watching TV, or catching a movie with family or friends. The problem is those, however, is that they are just distractions which offer little, if any, genuine therapeutic relief from potholes we all fall into called “the daily grind.” Add to that the relentless heat of summer, the growing complexities of global problems and economic uncertainties and I’m willing to bet you’re ready for some real liberation.
Hot, Hot, Hot!
By William E. Males
Well there is no doubt in everyone’s mind, its summertime and all across the nation we’re seeing record breaking temperatures. That means people all across the country are grabbing their floats, inner-tubes (no body uses them anymore) and getting in their boats to hit any water they can. Families’ everywhere looking for relief are gathering up the kids heading out to lakes, rivers, ponds, or just about any water they can find all across the country. Read More
Been to a zoo lately?
By William E. Males
Panama City Beach is certainly one of my family's favorite getaway places for a change of pace and well needed vacation. Now before I say much more, I should clarify that my family loves the water, and in fact we only live a short 2 miles straight up the road from several pristine springs - a convenient place where we can launch our kayaks and a fishing pier where more than one meal has come from. We even have a gulf saltwater beach where we go to do “sun downers” occasionally and is only about a 20 minute ride from the house. read more
Turtles, turtles, turtles
By William E. Males
It is that time of year again when one of Panama City Beach’s many seasonal environmental treasures begins . . . the yearly nesting of sea turtles. From May 1 to October 31 every year, hundreds of female Loggerhead and Green turtles head to area beaches in search of safe places to lay their eggs. These annual visits are a natural wonder that both the locals and visitors enjoy, from watching the mothers’ evening egg laying to the hatchlings brave trek back into the Gulf’s warm waters.
Deep Sea Fishing on the Jubilee
By William E. Males
One of the greatest experiences to be had in Panama City Beach is deep sea fishing on one of Jubilee’s two party boats - Jubilee and Treasure Island. I personally have fished on party boats all over Florida from Panama City Beach to the Florida Keys and up to the east coast out towards the Gulf Stream. I have been on all sizes, types and calibers of party boats from the barely afloat fend-for-yourself types to some real excellent boats and crews. However, my trip on the Jubilee was one where the whole experience was the most impressionable to date from the moment I was boarding to the moment I was heading back to my place with fish in hand.
Not only did my partner and I go “fishing,” we also received one of the most thorough and succinct education on deep sea fishing I’ve ever witnessed. The mate who delivered it was not only informative, but actually captivating as he explained everything from USCG safety procedures to basic operations features of rod and tackle, as well as proper baiting of hooks. Helpful tips were given on just how to know you’re getting a bite, how to know when to “set the hook” and how to work together with others fishing to avoid tangles and losing fish. Of course tangles did occur, but the crew was always right on top of everything and not a fish was lost. Only once did I see a line have to be cut as a remedy. Read More
The Loaded Pole Charter
By William E. Males
One thing about home grown Floridians, we love to fish. When you have this much water all around a state, with countless springs, rivers, lakes and ponds, you know there are more than a few experienced fishermen in the local neighborhood. However, in Panama City Beach we have more than our fair share of experienced fishermen, but that’s only because we have some of the absolute best fishing waters in the world.
Now that’s all old news for an old sea salt like Captain Chuck Jenkins. He’s about as home-grown as you can get on the Emerald Coast. See, Capt Chuck is a pure local native, born and raised in Panama City who’s fished these pristine waters all his life. Read More
First Light with Capt. Jeff Moorman
By William E. Males
It’s still dark and not much stirring; you can see the light morning fog slowly moving in the halo of the dock lights. A couple of sleepy pelicans lazily turn their heads as they watch you slowly pull away from the dock. The water is nearly glass smooth casting a perfect reflection of the marina as you look back one more time. Now with the breeze from the increased speed as you head out through the channel markers thoughts race through your head that it feels like the perfect day is dawning.
Bill Creamer - Cuda
By William E. Males
Fishing in Panama City Beach is serious business, that’s because it is one of those places where world records can be caught and memories are made that play over and over in one’s mind never getting old. For serious fishermen there’s hardly a better choice to be made than hooking up with Capt. Bill Creamer and his crew on the Cuda. He’ll be the first to tell you outright, “We don't have satellite T.V. or a Jacuzzi hot tub on board.” But then again, Capt. Bill isn’t in the spa business trying to pamper people; he’s a hardcore fishing charter captain with a solid reputation of getting his clients out fast to where the reel action is.