Ed Walline Regional Beach Access Fishing

Ed Walline Regional Beach Access is the public way onto the sand at Gulf Place, where Scenic 393 reaches the Gulf, and it suits anglers who like restrooms and parking a short stroll from the surf.

• A two-story viewing platform looks over the beach, handy for spotting bait and birds before you choose a trough
• ADA boardwalk, restrooms and parking, two picnic shelters and a water fountain
• Beach wheelchairs during the lifeguard season
• Pompano, whiting and redfish close in; mackerel and bluefish when bait shows
• Swimmers and surfers share the water in summer, so the fishing is best at the edges of the day

The access is at 4447 W. Scenic Highway 30A in Santa Rosa Beach, on the Gulf side of 30A at its junction with County Road 393.

• Getting there: follow County Road 393 to 30A; the lot is at the junction
• Parking: a public lot with ADA spaces; on summer days get there early for a space
• Entry: no fee is listed for the access
• The walk: an ADA boardwalk crosses the dunes, then it is soft sand down to the water
• Across 30A, Gulf Place has places to eat and shop

The Gulf Place surf follows the usual Emerald Coast calendar, and spring and fall give the best of it.

• Spring (Mar-May): pompano move into the trough as the water warms, whiting feed close in, and mackerel and bluefish chase the bait; now and then a cobia cruises past the bar
• Summer (Jun-Aug): whiting through the day, ladyfish and mackerel at dawn, redfish and jacks toward evening
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the mullet run pulls bull redfish and bluefish in tight, and pompano pass back through
• Winter (Dec-Feb): quiet; whiting and the odd pompano on calm, sunny days

Bring two outfits: a long surf rod to reach the bar and a light spinning rod for the trough.

• Pompano and whiting: a two-hook dropper rig with size 1 hooks and a pyramid sinker heavy enough to hold, baited with sand fleas, peeled shrimp or a scented strip
• Dig sand fleas in the swash for fresh bait
• Redfish: a chunk of mullet on a sliding-sinker rig, lobbed to the edge of the bar
• Mackerel and bluefish: a small spoon or casting jig on a short, heavy leader, cranked fast
• Keep baited lines tight in a rod holder, well away from swimmers and surfers
• No shark rigs and no chum: the county bans both from this beach

The tide is small here and usually turns once a day, so read the water rather than the tide table.

• Look for green, clear water and a gentle surf; flat, glassy days are slow
• Moving water on either tide gets the trough working
• In summer, the first hour of light is best, before the beach fills
• A hard south wind stirs up sand and weed; the surf usually settles a day or two after it drops
• Pompano turn up in numbers as the Gulf warms in spring

This is a guarded beach in season and one of the easier Gulf accesses to reach.

• Lifeguards are on duty from March through October; follow them and the beach flags, and set up well clear of swimmers
• Surfers use this beach when a swell runs; never cast across them
• Rip currents form along the bars, so never wade deep in rough surf
• Shuffle your feet in the trough to warn stingrays
• Get off the sand at the first rumble of thunder
• ADA parking, restrooms and boardwalk, and beach wheelchairs in the lifeguard season, help anglers with limited mobility

Visit South Walton and SoWal list what the access offers.

• ADA restrooms and a water fountain
• Two picnic shelters (a picnic pavilion in Visit South Walton's list)
• A public lot with ADA spaces
• An ADA boardwalk, and beach wheelchairs in the lifeguard season
• A two-story viewing platform over the beach
• A beach conditions flag
• Nothing for anglers is sold at the access, so bring bait and ice; food and shops are across 30A at Gulf Place

• Climb the viewing platform first: diving birds and nervous bait show you where to start
• Walk east or west along the sand, away from the lifeguard stand, to find room to cast
• Fish the near edge of the darker trough water, where pompano feed
• Clear everything off the sand before dark; the county does not allow personal property on the beach from an hour after sunset to an hour after sunrise
• Leave glass at home; it is banned on Walton County beaches
• Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, a few miles west, is quieter when Gulf Place is busy

The access is a Walton County regional beach access, and the county's Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance applies.

• Follow lifeguard instructions and posted beach rules
• Once a law enforcement officer warns that bathers are at risk, fishing on in the Gulf is unlawful
• The same ordinance makes it unlawful to intentionally fish for sharks, or to chum or bloodbait, from the beach or within 2,500 feet of shore
• A Florida saltwater fishing license is required unless an exemption applies
• Check current FWC rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything