Cape Palms Park Fishing

Cape Palms Park is an easy Gulf beach access on the St. Joseph Peninsula, with facilities that make a long surf session comfortable.

• Open Gulf surf for pompano, whiting and redfish
• Walk-on access over a boardwalk, and drive-on access with a county permit
• Restrooms, a rinse shower and a covered pavilion
• Plenty of parking, including room for buses

The park is on Cape San Blas Road on the Gulf side of the St. Joseph Peninsula, south of the entrance to T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park.

• Getting there: from Port St. Joe take County Road 30A, then Cape San Blas Road around the cape and north up the peninsula
• Parking: plenty of spaces, including bus parking
• Entry: a county park with no entry fee listed
• The walk: a wooden boardwalk over the dunes, then soft sand
• Beach driving needs a Gulf County permit from the Tax Collector's office

The peninsula's Gulf beach holds the classic Panhandle surf fish through the year.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano and whiting in the troughs, Spanish mackerel and bluefish arriving, cobia cruising the beach
• Summer (Jun-Aug): Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and sharks; whiting and pompano early and late
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best season, with pompano running and bull reds on the bars
• Winter (Dec-Feb): whiting and redfish on calm, sunny days

A 9 to 11 foot surf rod reaches the bars; a lighter rod covers the first trough.

• Pompano and whiting: double-drop rig, size 1 to 1/0 hooks, 2 to 4 oz pyramid sinker, shrimp or sand fleas
• Redfish: cut mullet or crab on a fish-finder rig with a 5/0 circle hook
• Spanish mackerel and bluefish: small spoons or gotcha plugs on a short wire leader
• Pompano jigs bounced through the first trough
• Sand spikes and a cart help on the soft sand

Tides here are small and often once a day; surf and wind matter more.

• A light onshore breeze and a little surf stir up food in the troughs
• On flat, clear days use lighter line and fish at dawn and dusk
• An east wind blows offshore here and lays the surf down
• After fall cold fronts, pompano and reds move along the beach
• Rough, rip-prone surf is hard to fish and dangerous to wade

The park makes the beach easy to reach, but the Gulf is open and unguarded.

• Gulf County has no lifeguards on its beaches; learn the beach flags and never wade deep in rough surf
• Rip currents form along the bars
• Shuffle your feet; stingrays are common in the shallows
• Get off the beach at the first thunder
• The boardwalk makes the dune crossing easy; beyond it the sand is soft

Gulf County's tourism office lists restrooms, a rinse shower, a covered pavilion with picnic tables and a swing, and plenty of parking.

• Restrooms and an outdoor rinse shower
• A covered pavilion with picnic tables
• Walk-on and drive-on beach access
• No bait shop in the park; stock up in Port St. Joe or along Cape San Blas Road
• Bring shade; the beach itself is open

• Dig sand fleas at the waterline for pompano bait
• The first trough is often only a short cast out; do not overcast the fish
• An east wind flattens the surf here and clears the water
• Beach driving permits are sold by the Gulf County Tax Collector and run to the end of the calendar year
• Bring a cart; the sand beyond the boardwalk is soft

Gulf County manages Cape Palms Park and the beach driving program.

• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt
• Beach driving is allowed only with a Gulf County permit
• Shore-based shark fishing needs the free FWC permit
• Stay off the dunes and out of posted sea turtle nesting areas
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything