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BoatFlorida Gulf State Waters: Panhandle RegionRed Drum · Open

Shell Island

30.09°N · 85.69°W

Species

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14-Day Forecast

Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCaster
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24-Hour Conditions

All times CDT

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Conditions
Time
12 PM
Now
Score
78
Good
Tide
0.6 ft ▼
Ebbing
Current
—
Ebb
Wind
9 kn
ESE · steady
Sea state
Easy
1 ft @ 5 s SE
Air temp
80°
Warm
Weather
Overcast
100% cloud
Hour 12 PM. Score 78 Good. Tide 0.6ft Falling ▼. Current -1.6kn Ebb. Wind 9kn ESE G15. Sea 1 ft @ 5 s SE Easy. Air 79.7°.

Why this score

Current
Slack
Prime

Current regulations

In effect now

What you can keep at this spot today

Red Drum
Retention open
Daily limit
1 per day
Possession
Not published
Size
18–27" slot
Gear
Legal gear: hook and line, cast nets. Spearing/gigging/bowfishing/snatch hooking and multiple hooks with natural bait prohibited.
Annual quota
Not published
Other
Slot 18-27 inches total length. 1 fish per person per day; 4 fish vessel limit. Captain and crew bag limit prohibited on for-hire trips. 4 fish per person transport limit on land. Must remain whole until landed. Commercial harvest prohibited.
Other species here
Common Snook Retention openSpanish Mackerel Retention openSpotted Seatrout Retention open
Always check with FWC ↗

Source: FWC · Florida Gulf State Waters: Panhandle Region · synced today

Seasonality

52-week view · today highlighted

When Red Drum is best at this spot

Shoulder seasonShoulder season for Red Drum
~7 more weeks in shoulder
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Peak seasonShoulder seasonOff season

SPOT PROFILE

DEPTH
5-25 ft
Sand
STRUCTURE
Flat
Outer Exposed

Nearby Spots

View all on map →

Other productive spots within easy run

Spanish Shanty Point
Florida Gulf State Waters: Panhandle Region
78
Top: Red DrumSHOULDER SEASON
Red Drum 78 · Sheepshead 78 · Gray Snapper 78
0006121824
9 kt E
H 6:42 AM · 0.4 m
L 4:27 PM · -0.0 m
Fred Bayou
Florida Gulf State Waters: Panhandle Region
77
Top: Red DrumSHOULDER SEASON
Red Drum 77 · Sheepshead 77 · Gray Snapper 77
0006121824
11 kt E
H 6:42 AM · 0.4 m
L 4:27 PM · -0.0 m
Goose Island
Florida Gulf State Waters: Panhandle Region
80
Top: Red DrumSHOULDER SEASON
Red Drum 80 · Sheepshead 80 · Gray Snapper 80
0006121824
9 kt E
H 6:42 AM · 0.4 m
L 4:27 PM · -0.0 m
Anderson Bayou
Florida Gulf State Waters: Panhandle Region
80
Top: Red DrumSHOULDER SEASON
Red Drum 80 · Sheepshead 80 · Gray Snapper 80
0006121824
9 kt E
H 6:42 AM · 0.4 m
L 4:27 PM · -0.0 m

About Shell Island

Shell Island is an exposed sand flat off Panama City, Florida, where open Gulf-facing water runs from 5 to 25 feet over clean sand bottom. Red Drum peak from August through October and respond to inshore casting with soft plastic jerkbaits, jigheads with paddle tails, gold spoons, and topwater plugs worked across the shallower edges of the flat. Spanish Mackerel hold here from March through October, and trolling small trolling spoons or casting metal jigs and gotcha plugs covers the deeper sand where bait schools move through. Gray Snapper peak from May through August and Sheepshead from January through March, and both take bottom-fished live shrimp, with fiddler crabs and sand fleas adding a strong option for Sheepshead. Common Snook round out the species mix on the flat.

CUSTOM ALERT
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Shell Island is one of the spots we track around Panama City. More spots in Panama City · All of Florida.

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