M.B. Miller County Pier Fishing

M.B. Miller County Pier is the county-run pier on the east side of Panama City Beach and a local favorite because it never closes. It reaches 1,500 feet into the Gulf, far enough for kings and cobia.

• Open 24 hours a day, every day of the year
• King mackerel, cobia and Spanish mackerel from the end; pompano, reds and flounder close in
• Low-cost daily passes for anglers and walkers; card payment only
• A bait and tackle shop with rod rentals at the pier

The pier is at 12213 Front Beach Road in Panama City Beach, east of Pier Park and west of the St. Andrews State Park area.

• Getting there: follow Front Beach Road to the pier on the Gulf side
• Parking: paid by the hour or the day through the county's parking app, with QR-code signs in the lot; Bay County residents can register their vehicles for free parking
• Entry: daily fishing and walking passes, with discounts for seniors, military and disabled visitors and free entry for young children; annual passes, sold at Frank Brown Park, also work at Russell-Fields Pier
• Payment: card only, with on-site kiosks that turn cash into prepaid cards
• Surface: level concrete deck with rails and benches; the walk to the end is more than a quarter of a mile

The pier fishes like the other long Panhandle piers, with the addition of St. Andrews Pass a few miles east.

• Spring (Mar–May): cobia along the rails in late March and April, pompano near the beach, Spanish mackerel and bluefish, kings from May
• Summer (Jun–Aug): king mackerel, little tunny and Spanish mackerel off the end; hardtails for bait; whiting and redfish close in
• Fall (Sep–Nov): kings and bull redfish with the mullet run, pompano back in October, flounder
• Winter (Dec–Feb): Gulf whiting, sheepshead on the pilings and redfish; the 24-hour access makes it a good cold-season night spot

Bring a light outfit for bait and Spanish mackerel and a heavy one for kings and cobia.

• Bait: sabiki rigs for hardtails (blue runners) and cigar minnows at first light
• King mackerel: live hardtails on a light-wire stinger rig from the end, free-lined or under a float
• Cobia: a heavy bucktail or live eel sight-cast along the rails; 50 lb class tackle
• Spanish mackerel: gotcha plugs and silver spoons on 30 lb fluorocarbon
• Pompano and whiting: pompano jigs or double-drop rigs with sand fleas or shrimp
• The shop at the pier sells bait, so you can top up at any time it is open
• A pier net or rope gaff is essential for kings and cobia

Gulf tides are small and often run once a day, so clean water and bait matter more than tide height.

• Clear, green water on a light onshore wind is ideal for kings and cobia
• A moving tide gets bait schools moving along the rails
• Murky water after a south blow sends pelagics offshore; fish the bottom close in
• Dawn and dusk are prime in summer; the pier stays open all night for reds and whiting
• The spring run starts as the Gulf warms past the upper 60s °F

A wide, level, railed pier that suits most anglers, including wheelchair users.

• Leave the pier at the first thunder; summer storms roll in from the Gulf in the afternoon
• No shade on most of the deck; bring water and sun protection
• Watch for treble hooks and backcasts when the rails are crowded
• Do not swim near the pier; rip currents are common along Panama City Beach, and the county lists the beach beside it as lifeguarded
• Level deck with benches, and mobility mats onto the beach

The county keeps the pier simple but well supplied, and because it never closes you can fish at almost any hour. Shop hours may be shorter than the pier's.

• A bait and tackle shop at the pier, with rod rentals
• Public restrooms
• Benches along the deck
• A seasonal drinks stand, six beach accesses along about 1,700 feet of beach, and mobility mats
• Paid parking beside the pier, with cash-to-card kiosks
• Restaurants and shops along Front Beach Road nearby

• The 24-hour access means you can fish the night bite for reds without a late fee
• Catch hardtails on a sabiki at dawn, then send them out for kings
• In April, stand high on the rail and look for cobia cruising under the surface
• Pompano feed near the first bar, well short of the end
• Download the parking app before you arrive to save time in the lot
• Card only at the pier; bring a card or use the cash kiosk

M.B. Miller County Pier is owned and run by Bay County, with rules posted on signs at the entrance and along the pier.

• The daily fishing pass is described by the county's tourism office as covering both admission and a fishing license on the pier; confirm at the gate
• Off the pier, a Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Read the posted pier rules before targeting sharks; the city's Russell-Fields Pier nearby bans shark fishing, and shore-based shark fishing anywhere needs the free FWC permit
• Follow posted rules on cast nets, gaffs and the number of rods
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything