Don Ard Memorial Reef (BA0209)
Artificial reef Bay County, Florida, Gulf side. 3 Florida Limestone Modules.
What bites on Don Ard Memorial Reef
Structure in 124 ft on the Gulf coast usually holds: Red snapper, Red grouper, Vermilion snapper, Amberjack, Scamp. What is actually biting changes with the season, water temperature and tide — the day's plan for this reef has the bite window and what to target that day.
Anchoring on Don Ard Memorial Reef
In 124 ft, pay out about 640 ft of rode at 5:1 in calm water, or 896 ft at 7:1 when it's blowing. Drop the anchor up-drift of the structure by about the same distance and fall back onto it. Before you drop, kill the engine for 60 seconds and watch your GPS track — that's your real drift, and it beats any forecast.
Today's fishing report near Don Ard Memorial Reef
Panama City Beach fishing report — today: tides, wind, seas, water temperature and the GO / NO-GO call for inshore and offshore, updated through the day. Also nearby: Apalachicola fishing report (53 mi).
Nearby reefs
| Reef | Distance | Heading | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC NRDA Reef #28 BA0588 | 0.9 mi | ENE | 126 ft |
| G. Merrill Clift Memorial Reef BA0208 | 1.0 mi | S | 128 ft |
| MBARA-LAARS-5 BA0195 | 1.2 mi | E | 115 ft |
| MB-84 BA0211 | 1.4 mi | W | 124 ft |
| MBARA-LAARS-6 BA0196 | 1.4 mi | W | 115 ft |
Before you go
Size limits, bag limits and seasons change — check the current Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules for the day you fish, and federal rules, since this reef is in federal water. Carry a descending device for reef fish you release.