Hi Joey.......River should be near perfect by Monday. I'm headed down tomorrow morning. We got 20 yesterday. Not a big number but plenty for good eating.  Fat little pigs they are!   We ran out of crickets. Today I had to hit 5 different bait shops to get 200 crickets between all of them. Everyone nearly sold out. Delivery in this area is on Friday.

JOey, did you do any good the other day?   I went twice last week but one for mullet and the other primarily for bass with a bass fishing friend. I did hit 5 bream, 4 out of one hole with flyrod. Going tomorrow to try that hole with crickets. From what I'm hearing the bream bite is still pretty good below Smokehouse so I should be good further up the river as well.  Friend who fishes way up closer to hwy 2 has been doing well catch bream bait for a flathear tournament. He has a big home-made water tank to hold big bait.

crickets / took the wife yesterday put in at cedar tree brought home 83. awesome just as fast as you drop in the water one would take it under. fished down river .

Went to the lake on west side of the river about a mile below Cedar Tree. This was on Wednesday. River on the rise and a mess of trash in the eddies. Nothing there, so down to Crews Lake. 8 decent keepers but no braggers. We did meet up with a guy who whas headed to the high backwater for cats who told us two weeks ago he loaded up in the lake we first visited.  A few days late and a few dollars

short for us.  It will be down to a good level by end of next week.

10/9/2013.   Fished Choctawhatchee Delta for specks and reds - 6am to 8:30am. Not a bite. Switched to cricketes and earthworms and went upriver to a couple of the lakes.  24 bream and shellcrackrs, 1 keeper bass and hybrid. Had fish for supper last night. May go again tomorrow.

Fished out of Comanders Landng on the Choctawhatchee this afternoone 1;45 TO 4:30.  25 of the nicest fattest bream and shellcrackers I have seen in a while. Was by myself today. The bite was on crickets (that's all I had). Saw a couple at the landing that had only 3 bream, using worms. The landing is low so water covered the dock. Almost didn't launch due to water condition but wanted to see about the lakes off the river. Access was good and that's where I found them. Going back tomorrow morning with a buddy. Hope the bite is still on.

Buddy and I got 24 yesterday but down near the river mouth.

Fished bream  3 times this week. Creel was 25-24-18.  All on Choctawhatchee River and primarily using crickets with some earthworms. The are larger than normal Summer fair and very fat.  Full Moon next Friday so will be out there around that time.

Bream bite on the Choctawhatchee is still holding up. 37 keepers today with about 25 really nice ones. Water level and color is perfect. Saw 4 or 5 other boats and all were catching.

That's my buddy Freddy hold the red belly

Fished Pate Lake south of Caryville on hwy 279 yesterday. Did not expect to do much. Was on the way home from a few day in Tallahassee where I fished Talquin without any luck. Turned out to be a good stop. 14 crappie, 16 warmouth, and 6 bream....all caught trolling crappie jigs. Haven't fished "Pate's Pond" since I was about 10 or 12 years old.  I think the warm day and 61 degree water had them turned on before the cold front moves in tonight.

Have been killing the crappie at Black Creek and Pate Lake. In the process have caught a few huge blue gills at Pate. From what guys fishing there have told me the lake holds big bream and they can be caught on beds when that time comes. I have been catching a few while long lining with jigs when fishing crappie. The river is in flood stage again which should be good for spring.  I'm ready and know you guys are too.

"well well its may 7 and river is just under flood stage so much for spring fishing maybe it will be down during the summer months."

Hi Joey, just back this morning from fishing Lake Jackson and Talquin near Tallahassee. Sister got a 1 lb 4 oz copperhead gill. I'm holding two 15 oz gills. We got only six and had only a one shot opportunity to fish Jackson. Got a mess of crappie at Talquin but notihng to brag about.    Checked river at Caryville on this way home this morning. Color is looking much better and it's way down from flood stage. Six rigs in parking lot so guys are out there looking.

Fished Alaqua Creek mullet hole near Freeport on Tuesday. Buddy got 7 mullet from stern of boat and I got 21 keeper bream from bow. On Wed he fished LiveOak Cutoff area and got 42 keeper gills and shellcrackers. River is high but the fish seem willing.

I didn't make it to Seminole but sure had a black on Jackson and Talquin last week

Not me, but a couple of my fishing buddies went again today and hit the jackpot. They got 42 day before yesterday and another big bunch today. River is 10 ft and rising but the lakes in lower river have good water and the bream are on fire

One called and said,"come see".  I went and this is what I saw.

.

awesome catch got my fever up.

The bite on the Choctawhatchee is still going strong. While it's been hot for the past 3 weeks I just got down there yesterday for first  with a buddy. We boxed 38 nice ones, 3 real bulls, and tossed 10 or 15.  For whatever reason not many boats on the water. Saw only 2 others yester and there were only 4 rigs in the Black Creek Lodge parking lot. Got one shellcracker on worm and the rest on crickets.

We got a lot of rain today and the river will rise a foot by Sunday. This isn't too bad but weather is unstable and could get more rain over the weekend.

How about a report from some of you guys if you are getting out there.

Boat traffic is picking up out of Black Creek Lodge in Walton County, FL.  Bream bite continues to be good. Two buddies got 40 on Monday. We got 27 keepers and tossed maybe 15.  Yellow flies are out but were scarce yesterday. Day before they were wicked.

I heard there is a river tournament this Saturday at Red Bay but don't have any details. Haven't seen any advertising.

Here are a couple of our catch on Tuesday.

The bream bite continues to be excellent on the Choctawhatchee River althoiugh it's tapered down a bit on the numbers of huge gills. The numbers are holding up, better for some but less for others. This week a couple of buddies got 61 with a few of the pounders and I got 20 with one of those guys but no pounders. Yesterday on the Yellow River south of Holt, FL it was a bust. Tomorrow will be headed to the Choctawhatchee again but this time with a few earth worms to back up the crickets. Shellcrackers like worms and some are being caught on the bottom with rod and reel

The bream bite is still on just about anywhere you go on the Choctawhatchee River and probably other rivers here in the Florida Panhandle. I try to get out 2 or 3 times a week and so far it's been fun just fishing and a little catching. Haven't been trying to load the boat since I'm frequently on the water. Anyway, who want's to clean box after box of fish.  I suppose two years of very high water for  many months is a major factor in these good times for bream fishing. 

The Choctaw has finally gone down to what the locals call 'the right level'...using the Caryville River Gage. However, this spring and summer the best catch of huge bluegills have been during high water in the7 to 10 ft range. I have never so many huge bream and in such numbers as this year.  I caught a few of those but most of what I saw was caught by some of my other fishing buddies. When you bring in a box of 75 by two anglers and half of them are actually 3/4 to 1.25 pound bream you have one heck of a box of fish.

Yesterday we launched at Black Creek Lodge at 0545 and headed up Mitchell River to where it connects with the Choctawhatchee.  On up the Choctaw to just past the Sisters and started with a little fly fishing. My partner caught a few with a popping bug but for some reason they would only nip and short strike mine. Maybe the color was not right. Switched to crickets and ended up keeping 43 which include 7 given to us by a fly fisherman. River level is low and water is clear.

Haven't posted in a while. The gill bite we started experiencing last spring is still hot although it has slowed a bit. Daily trips still produce more than you want to clean so I just stop keeping after I get all I need. Fishing 3 to 4 days a week makes me not want to clean so many fish. I haven't seen a season like this year in many many years. The many months of a flooded Choctawhatchee River produced the most big gills, shellcrackers, red bellies, etc. I have ever seen caught in recent years. With the cooling weather my interest it turn a little more toward crappie. Hope all of you have had a good year on the water.

Wrote a post but hit some crazy button and it disappeared. 

Anyway, the bream bits has been something else for months. Have caught some of the largest bluegills I have seen in many years. However, the bite has slowed a bit probably due to the changing weather. Recently I have fished at new places for me on the Choctaw....Baker, Cerro Gordo, and Berrain Lake. Haven't tried to catch limites simply because I dont' want to clean too many. When I get around 20 to 25 I'm about ready to call it quits.

The bream bite has slowed so far as numbers go but the quality is still good. However, I really want to put more time into crappie this winter and have made several trips lately with mixed results.  Some days have produced some good slabs as long as 14.5 inches.. That's a really good fish for the Choctaw.

Haven't heard from any of you in some time. Sure would be nice to see what you have been up to and how has the bite treated you lately

Have been doing combo squirrel/crappie trips down at Dead River out of the ramp at 7 Runs. Not getting any fish limits be plenty to eat. Also, squirrels are fairly plentiful but getting a little wild since the season has been open a few weeks.

Yesterday we met up with a couple of guys from Geneva, Al that had 32 of the nicest shellcrackers and gills

I have seen in a good while. They were fishing worms on the bottom.  I don't fish bream much this time of year but after seeing this catch I think I will change my mind and looks for a few gills on the warm days.  

Just wanted to say Hi to you all. I just joined the group. My name is Eric, and I live over here in Crestview. Lots of lakes here in town, unfortunately they belong to the little housing groups with watch dogs. If your not a member of their housing project then they are off limits. Have tried to get permission from several, but that has met with nothing but NO's. No transportation at this time so that leaves me a bit of the black river. Hoping to get a small boat this year to get mobile on the water... enjoy reading about your catches and enjoy the pictures too. I will post any I happen to get. Once again thank you all. Eric

Sorry guys, I stand corrected. That's the Shoal river. Sorry for the miss info.

Just joined this group mostly to read up and ask a few questions next time I head down to see family in PCB and Destin. I fished down there many times over the years, most of it decades ago but some more recent. My great uncle had a place on Crystal Lake and also fished the river near Ebro (plus the bay and Gulf, but that's another story) a very long time ago and I fished with him as a child.

Welcome to Andy. Sitting here this morning...a cool rainy miserable day....a good day to stay in the house until it clears.  Wanted to head down to the river but saw the weather report and took heed.  With the rain coming in the river is going to rise again which messes up things for now but should help the bite in about mid April when it usually starts.  

I have been fishing crappie rather hard for the past few months. The river is a fair crappie source even though the run small in general. Now and then I'll catch a good one 12 inches plus.

Although reports are not frequent folks have been catching bluegills and shellcrackers all winter long in the Choctawhatchee River. Worms on the bottom has been the producer.  A couple of weeks ago my snowbird friend and I were fishing down at Pinelog and he caught a very nice gill on a jig. That surprised me.  Here's a photo

I think the Choctamacallit ;^> is the river near Ebro my uncle took me to. We used jigs - red head, white marabou that he always called "doll flies" tipped with bait and and hauled in fish like nobody's business but it was in the warm months and probably 45 years ago. I think the fishing pressure might have increased a little...

Yep, The Choctawhatchee River is at Ebro. The boat ramp is referred to as Cowford. Before the ramp was installed no long ago we launched on the sand shore under the bridge.

Fishing pressure is obviously heavy compared to decades ago, but it's still possible to have very good 'catching' starting about mid April and on through the summer. Best bream months seen to be about April - June. This river is listed by FWC as one one of the top bream fisheries in the state. 

You pronounce Choctawhatchee like Chock-ta-hatch-e    We have the Choctawhatchee here and the Chattahoochee to our east.  I have a fishing friend who has lived nearby for years and he still can't pronounce the name.

LOL  

I know the Hooch; lived in Duluth, Ga as a child and nearby for several years. My brother (now in Destin) lived in Columbus a while.

Excellent information in this thread, thanks to other who contributed. By the way, I live in Pensacola and love bream fishing. Anybody want or need someone to split costs, I'd be appreciative to join up with you. I'm not always in town but when I am, I'm looking. Don't have a river boat and my 24 ft Bay Boat is a little to big for getting into the tiny spots needed for success. And of course when I go offshore you'll be welcomed to join up with me....Thanks

Robert...I fish the river with a little 14 Jon and 25 hp kicker. Not a lot of room but it works for a couple of people. It's a pretty good ride over here to the Choctawhatchee, but maybe someone who fishes the Escambia, Blackwater, or Yellow could get up with you for a bream trip when they start biting good in  few weeks. There are some Crestview  folks on the Pensacola Fishing Forum that post about bream fishing. They know a lot about the Yellow River.

However, if you want to fish the Choctawhatchee get in touch with me at jbh37@panhandle.rr.com,and we will discuss.  I'm also on PFF as 'fishwalton' in the Fresh Water section. 

Roger that JB. Every now and then I'll fish with my cousin over here on local rivers but their not all that big. He won't fish over their and he owns the rig, lol. I'm still researching and looking for a river rig and want to fish the Choctawhatchee. I'll send my cell number via email and if you send me yours maybe we can do a trip. I'm easy and respectful, 55 years has taught me that, lol. Looking forward to fishing with a Master! Thanks

I will probably be kayaking when I come down or I may have to see if my next generation old uncle (the one from my childhood is gone, but his sister's son in law has a boat in Laguna Beach) wants to go slay some panfish. He usually likes to catch specs though and wouldn't have to twist my arm too hard to do that instead...

Hi guys:   Change is in the air. Water temps in 68 to 71 range. The Choctawhatchee River is getting better by the day.  Went 2 times this week to Little Bishop Lake which is off the Choctaw. Access is at Magnolia Lodge on hwy 3280. I haven't been in there since I was a teen-ager about 60 years ago.

The launch is on Magnolia Run. You go upstream or east to Little Bishop, and you can go downstream and connect with Bishop Lake and on down to Mitchell River and to the main river.

We didn't catch a lot but enough for a decent meal. That's a lot better than I've doing for weeks. Up untll now I haven't caught a decent mess of fish since Jan 19 when I loaded up on river crappie. It won't be long now before the bite really opens up.  Here are a couple of photos from the two grips. Mostly warmouth with a few crappie 

Here is the other photo from last Wed.

Hope you guys are getting out on the water. Bream fishing is starting to pick up here and there along the Choctawhatchee, but I have only been able to get into the Warmouth.  Have been fishing a small lake accessed from Magnolia Lodge landing off hwy 3280 here in Walton County.  So far it's mostly Warmouth and Bowfins (mud fish) with just a few crappie, bream, and a couple of small bass and a cat.  

We had a good rain Sunday that is pushing the river back up a foot or more so that will muddy things up. It's actually good to have the high water up there for long periods during the winter and early spring. This can improve the fishing a great deal starting about April - June.  

The photo is the last trip a few days ago to Little Bishop Lake. Went to Alaqua yesterday mullet fishing and didn't get a bite. The Sunday rain had the creek very high and with the incoming tide.

I'm headed to Lake Talquin tomorrow for 4 days of mostly crappie fishing, but taking a couple of bream busters and crickets to poke around for some gills.

Starting to sound good J.B. Good luck on your Talquin...Hope you get a bout full. Tight lines with wiggling poles to you.

Turned out the Lake Talquin trip was a bust. We fished yesterday mornng the a rain storm kept us off the lake. This mornng the ran clouds were still heavy so we decided to pack it in and come home.  

I did get a report that a couple of guys got a nice mess of 44 bream earlier in the week. The gill bite is not strong but it's started.  I'm ready to hit the Choctawhatchee frequently and be there when they do crazy. It can happen overnight when the conditions get right.

Talquin trip for crappie was a bust so my fishing partner and I did a little recon down Dead Lakes way before we came home Consequently we will be fishing next Monday and Tuesday with a guy who knows the area and we will be looking for bream and do a little bass casting as well. 

Buddy and I fished 7 Runs/Dead River area yesterday. This is off the 'Choctawhatchee River below Red Bay, FL. Bite was slow but we managed to  box 22 nice eating size bream.Didn't get a throw-back all morning lond.  Used earthworms on bottom in 9 to 10 ft water. They were not intereted in crickets.

Got 2 big gills, one female and one male. The female had eggs and the male peed when holding for hook removal.

My bet is by end of next week we should be seeing some shellcrackers bedding. 

Going out tomorrow. This time will take my camera.  

Apparently my post with the photo yesterday did not post. I don't see it this morning. Here it is again.  Fished the Choctawhatchee River lakes before Comander's landing 8:15 to 12:00. River level, color, and temp is looking good. Bream are staging in 8 to 12 ft water, especially along drop offs all the bank. They are not in the usual 2 to 4 ft water close to shore. 

Last two trips they would not bite crickets....only earth worms and maybe big wigglers. Don't know about fly popping bugs...haven't tried. 

Ran low on bait yesterday so cut worm in half. This slowed the bite nd quality of fish. The big boys wanted the full worm. I just hook one end twice and let the worm dangle. When a gill hits you have to let him run with it a good time so he can get it deep enough to set the hook. 

My bet is next week thing will begin to really pick up if we don't get another weather front and it keeps getting warmer. 

Fished the Dead Lakes at Wewahitchaka yesterday. First trip. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Fished with a local who had knowledge of the lake so that made the trip all that more enjoyable.
Had hoped we would get a couple of hand painted or pied bream, but got sidetracked on shellcrackers. Managed about 20 in the box and they were really good ones.
Will be going back soon. Bream not on bed yet at this location.

Great J.B. Glad you got on some Shellcrackers.... Thank you for the report too...

We are into another steep Choctawhatchee River rise for the next few days which means little gill or bass fishing. The only anglers you will see on the river right now are those who know how to fish the backwater swamps. I know very little about n this but plan to give it a shot early next week, or might just resign myself to a nearby lake.  

Buddy and I did fish Lake Cassidy on Thursday but had not luck. After a couple of hours we hauled the boat and moved to Berrian Lake south of Ponce DeLeon just to try the high river.  One small channel cat for the effort. Snakes were on the move probably due to high water. We saw 6 or 7 cotton mouths.  That's it for now.

Fished shellcrackers and bluegills all of last week at Lake Seminole on Fish Pond Drain and Spring Creek. This was a 'relax' trip with non-stressful fishing. Our trips on the water were no more than 2 or 3 hours. 

Shellcrackers have apparently not spawned yet but they are ready. What we caught were all females and full of eggs. The male gills we all peeing on us.

Ended up with 30 to 40 crackers and gills. Brought a dozen home and gave the rest to neighbors for a family fish fry.

Crossed The Choctawhatchee River at Caryville yesterday about noon and a little disappointed it is still running a little high. Actually the lower river below hwy 20 is out in the woods. It will be anothe week before is goes down and starts clearing up.

I'll be out there Thursday but will fish way up the river above hwy 90. Maybe it will be a little better up around Cerro Gorda or Baker landings. 

Last few trips to Choctawhatchee River have been scarce on the catching but yesterday we did pretty well. Caught about 50 or so gills, shellcrackers, and 1 crappie using crickets.  This was in the Dead River area and Little Boynton Cutoff area.  

Weather is so hot now we usually go at the crack of day and quit around 11am. Heat takes it's toll on this old body.

Hope all of you are doing well and out there getting a share of the bluegill population.  

The Mayfly hatch is apparently in full swing on the Choctawhatchee River. I encountered them last Wednesday evening and again yesterday. Fly rod should work well this weekend if you can find a hatch area.

Also, from

local reports it looks like bream are starting to bed right now. Had 3 reports of bed catches in past 3 days.  

Hi gang:   Hope all of you are out there and enjoying Mother Nature and catching a gill or two.  I have been mostly on the Choctawhatchee River for past few weeks and fishing 3 or 4 days a week. Some days we get very few and others are much better.  So far I haven't hit a bream or shellcracker bed yet although have caught plenty to keep me and the neighbors in fish.  

The Choctawhatchee has really been up and down all spring. About the time it starts getting close to the best fishing level along comes daily rains and there is another rise. Of course the backwater guys love these times but I'm not good at it and prefer what I'm uses too. 

Fished the Yellow River south of Harold, FL last week for the first time in the Miller's Bluff area. Only access in that area is through a private club, or you need a 4 wheel drive to get to a public ramp.  Thoroughly enjoy this new water and we ended up with 12 channel cats and 6 nice big bream.  

With the river so high here at home I'm going to try Leon Brooks Hines lake up near Wing, Al on Tuesday of this week. It's a 175 acre state lake that has been producing some very good bluegill activity. Have been reading about it for some time so since I already have an under utilized Alabama license I'm going to give it a shot.  

We need to hear from some of you and what's going on in your favorit fishing hole.

I haven't fished the Choctawhatchee River in a couple of weeks now, but have been venturing up into Alabama.  Fished the state lake near Geneva, Al and the Chattahoochee River out of Abbe Creek Landing.  Last Friday I fished Leon Brook Hines state lake near Wing, AL....but it's easier to get to going through Backer and up through the Blackwater Forest by Hurricane Lake.

On the Hooch I picked up about a dozen bream and then switched to cats. Got 9 good eating size up to about 3 pounds.  At the Geneva lake it was 5 bass and 9 or 10 gills. Over at Hines it was 5 bass and 16 bills and shellcrackers.  

The Choctawhatchee River is coming down from a little rise a few days ago and by mid week it's going to be just right. I'll be there Wednesday to give it a shot. Will be fishing out of Dead River Landing or down at Smokehouse.