Meet Captain James Pic

Thank you for visiting our website. I hope you will enjoy reading about the fantastic fishing opportunities around Panama City, Florida. I can create an unforgettable fishing experience for you. I always catch fish – big trout, reds, flounder, Spanish, snapper, grouper, sharks, and many other species. You won't find a guide in the area with a more consistent ability to catch fish.

I have lived and fished in the area for over 40 years. Fishing can sometimes be a bit surreal for me as I pull up to spots with clients where I caught my first flounder and big trout almost 43 years ago. These bays have been my home for almost half a century, and there are few who can match my knowledge of the area.

I grew up in Lynn Haven, Florida, a small town bordering the northern city limits of Panama City. As a teen, I would ride my bike to the Bailey Bridge and fish off the catwalk every chance I got. I swore I would never eat another trout as an adult because of all the trout I ate growing up. To be honest, trout are one of the best eating fish in the area. We always had a boat, and whether we were catching trout, reds, flounder, jacks, or blues, I was blessed to be able to often fish with my father. If I got good grades, I got to play "hooky" one day each semester to go fishing. I'll never forget standing on the bank on December 27, 1972, and catching my first big trout on a piece of dead shrimp. I was already hooked on fishing, but that was the "hook set" which made me realize I had a talent.

I have always felt God blessed me with an ability to find fish and catch fish, which is why I'm so successful. For me, there is nothing more fun or gratifying than having some kids on the boat, allowing me to share what I have learned over the years about fishing. Another memory is of my first mahi-mahi caught off the Gulf Coast with a hand line while working the oil field when I was 24.

There are always fish to catch in our waters, no matter what month you are here. In the summer, I'll throw a cast net for live bait for trout and redfish fishing or for running a chum line. In the fall and spring, it's more about casting artificial baits, and winter is about live shrimp and artificial bait. Whatever time of the year you are here, there are always fish to catch, and a good fishing guide will put you on them.

Fishing has improved in our area, whether for monster speckled trout, redfish, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, flounder, or many offshore species. Then we have the sharks. Oh yeah, 40- to 100-pound sharks that continually swim our bays looking for a meal. I can customize your fishing trip to accommodate whatever you want to do. As a seasoned fly fisherman, I can teach the basics of fly fishing. If you want easy, we can fish for live bait. For those who like topwater action, we can chuck lures all morning. Whatever your preference, I can accommodate, and there are always fish to catch.

For many years, I ran without electronics. I just didn't need them for bay fishing. With all the fishing regulations in place, the offshore bite has been awesome. I have expanded offshore for grouper and snapper, and we have absolutely slain them.

I always recommend a 6-hour trip. Six hours is enough time to fish several different ways. A normal six-hour trip could start with fishing for trout, reds, and flounder, and then finish with fishing for big Spanish, blues, and sharks. If the weather is good and we go offshore, six hours give us the opportunity for grouper, snapper, kings, and amberjack.

While you're here, let me show you what over 40 years of fishing experience can do for you and your children. I get as much enjoyment watching kids catch fish as I get out of fishing myself. I have thousands of fishing memories; let me be a part of making some memories for you.