Is there anywhere I can rent a small boat for fishing in the bay?

Kayak might be ok, not sure which bay you are talking about.

Um, the Choctawhatchee. I thought this was a forum about South Walton County, is there another bay here?

Actually there are, 1 down at Panama City and then back the other way towards Pensacola, a little drive but easily acessable, they are maybe a little smaller than the Chat.
I have fished under the 331 bridge without a boat, sometimes do pretty good, lots of baitfish. There is a very nice pier in Panama City, about 15 miles, good place if you like to pier fish. The weather doesnt look too good for surf fishing but I am a trooper and will give it a try. I will be out in from of the Sugar Dunes in Seagrove starting Sunday, come by if you like, hopefully catch some sand fleas and get a few pompano, bull reds seem to be biting, never know what you will catch.

Great, I'm not too hot on the geography! I have fished the bridge and the little pier at the very end of the Chat bay on 395? The house we are staying in has a kayak and I'm going to see if I can get it in the van. I'll try to figure out where sugar dunes is when we get there. We are going to be off Lakewood Drive at what appears to be the very last road before the state park

Hey, it looks like you are right around the corner, I'll try to look you up!

Yep, bout 1/2 mile. I was going to rent a Yak but I dont want to try it in the predicted weather, had thoughts of gigging some flounder at night if the surf dies down. I will be the old guy with grey beard,, have cart for rods etc, never can tell might get lucky. I caught a red last year that was about 42 inches, one about 26.