My Past Fishing Trips & Local Fishing Reports

Pensacola - Navarre - Gulf breeze - Perdido Key

 Inshore Fishing Report By

 Captain John Rivers

Archive Reports - 2007

Dec. 30th

With the wind blowing for the past 3 weeks, it’s been a while since I’ve been on the water. My clients Steve and Tom had booked this trip 4 weeks ago, but Mother Nature just wouldn’t give us a break; that is until today. With a calm breeze and sunny skies, and the temp around 60 degrees, the day was perfect for fishing.

We started our trip out at noon since low tide was around 10:30am. I wanted to fish the incoming tide in the pass and see if the reds were there. I stopped over at Ft. Pickens first, but it was loaded up with a few fishermen. (It seems I was not the only guy who was eager to get out and fish). Since Ft. Pickens was a little crowded, I headed over to the rock jetties; again there were a few other guys who had the same idea. I put down the trolling motor and managed to find room among the other boaters. I felt like I was at the craps table at the Isle of Capri waiting on my chance to roll my dice. Fishing the jetties is hit and miss; you have to hit the tide just right and when the bite’s hot, you just have to move over and share the wealth.  I don’t mind, as long as everyone’s catching fish. There was a guy in pontoon boat fishing with two guys and some kids, and one little guy hooked up a nice red. You should have seen the smile on this boy’s face when they brought his red onto the boat. I told the guy it looked like 26 ½”, well, it measured right at 25. A few other reds were being caught nearby, but they were on the north side of the jetties. I was on the south side, so we had to throw our baits over the rocks hoping not to get hung up or lose a fish in the rocks while fighting them. After a while, we managed to hook a nice 26” red.

 I decided to move over to the north side of the rock jetties, where we just wore out the black snappers. Or maybe they wore us out. They weren’t the biggest fish in the sea, but they were fun and plentiful. We managed to hook another red, but it took Steve into the rocks. I moved to the steel jetties, and the black snapper bite was just as good there. Tom managed to hook into a nice 2-½ lb black snapper. We fished the jetties for a while and then moved to another spot, but the bite was slow there so we headed to Ft. Pickens. I saw a fellow PFF’er ---(not sure if his name is still Got Salt), he said hi, and told me that he was having some luck with a couple of reds, including one keeper and one over the slot. 

After we tried Ft. Pickens with nothing to show for our time, we moved to 3-mile for some white trout action, and it was a little slow, but we did manage to have a few stretch the line.

No reds at 3-mile today, but there’s always next time.

What a great way to end the year fishing with great clients.

Here’s wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year.
See you on the water next year!

Dec. 9th

Will this wind ever go away? It has been really blowing out the past couple weeks here in the panhandle. With it whipping 20+ knots, it's hard to find a place to fish where you don't get beat up, but luckily I have been able to get out and catch a few fish in-between these fronts.

My last outing we managed to boat 12 reds and a few black snapper on an outgoing tide. Most of the reds were just above the slot, but we did manage to put two in the ice chest for dinner.

The black snapper were fun to catch as well; these pesky bait stealers were gobbling up live shrimp on a #2 Gamakatsu circle hook.
I was fishing one of my black snapper holes, and they were thick. I may have to get out there again to catch some Christmas dinner for the family.

I also went up to the north end of the county and fished Blackwater this weekend and the bite was a little slow. I waited till the mid morning as it was an outgoing tide, and I wanted an incoming tide to fish my spots. Most of the reds were in the lower end slot, but I did get one 26-1/2 inch fish, but let him go to grow up and bend my rod another day. The big thing up in the north end of the bay is the trout bite; it's on fire right now, and they were hitting a small mirror lure suspending twitch bait in the mullet pattern. They couldn't get enough of this lure. Cast after cast, it was fish on, and the fish were very healthy, with most in the 15 – 18" range.
With winter upon us, the water keeps cooling, so remember to slow down your presentation and bring hot chocolate with you in the morning on your fishing adventures. Get out and fish in the New Year!
Here's wishing you tight lines this holiday season.
Capt. John

Nov. 24th

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so as you plan your meal with friends and family don’t forget to save a little time to hit the water for some great November fishing along Pensacola’s waterways.

As I’ve stated in a few of my last reports, the fall redfish run is in full swing and the bite has been as good as last year’s, maybe even better.  Most of the reds are in the 15 – 25lb range, but we hooked a few this season in the upper 30’s and had a couple top the scale at over 40lbs.  Whether you’re an experienced angler or a novice, red fishing can be a great time spent with family and friends.  When fishing for these big bronze bruisers I always use 30lb braid (either Spider Wire or Stren), tipped with a 40lb Berkley fluorocarbon leader. Lure choices are very easy when it comes to landing these big monsters. Just use a good strong jig in the ¾ - 2oz range; I like using the Spro Jigs as these jigs have strong hooks and don’t tend to bend when a big red starts shaking his head.
When it comes to top-water, I like throwing a mirror lure Jr top dog in the mullet or red and chartreuse color patterns.

 These lures have the 4x strong hooks and hold up well to these powerful fish. Along with hooking up a few reds the past few weeks, I’ve also been catching a few nice flounder and some good-eating white trout. I was not able to get out much this past week, not only due to high winds and much colder temperatures than normal, but a flu bug that was kicking my butt. The week of Thanksgiving looks pretty good, and hopefully the big reds will be schooled up in the bay and pass like they have been the past few weeks.

I haven’t been going after the black snapper much the past few weeks, but I’ve heard reports of some being caught on the south rock jetty in the pass. Live shrimp is the way to go when you want to have a few tasty black snapper on the Thanksgiving menu. Beats grandma’s green bean casserole every time!

So when you get a few hours to get away from the hustle and bustle, get off the couch and stop watching those college games, set the DVR, send the wife to the mall, and go fishing. Better yet, bring the wife along; she might just need a break, too.

See you on the water.
Tight Lines.

Capt. John

Nov. 10th

The big story this week is not the election; it is that the fall redfish run has begun! Okay, so maybe Tuesday was a big deal politically, but while history was being made at the polls, I had one of my best fishing trips in history for redfish. Tuesday evening, I was actually out on the water with a couple of buddies from Indiana. We got into a thick school or maybe it was schools of redfish, and we had to finally call it a night, because our arms were spaghetti from reeling in monster reds! I’ve been on the water the past 3 nights straight and the bite has been red hot for reds. I’ve not been able to get out in the gulf due to higher than normal seas, and I’ve taken my clients out right after dusk, because the weather has been better in the evenings, and so has the bite. We have been catching reds in the pass, the bay, and at a few of the local bridges. To catch them, we use a variety of rigs. Baits consist of an 1/8 oz – 1/4oz jighead with just about any style of Berkley Gulp. It seems that the swimming mullet in white yields a few more white trout and the 4” shrimp will get the redfish bite. I just started using the Cabo PT Inshore Series (#CBIS 703 MA) rod and the PT Cabo 30 – 40 spinning reel, and it is one of the finest combinations of rod and reels I’ve used for light tackle applications.

Click on picture to view larger pic.

The white trout bite has also been very good. Most of the trout have been caught day or night on the bridges.  Cut strips of bait work great along with most any type of Berkley Gulp on a jighead. I haven’t been up on the flats the past few days, but I’ve gotten reports of some redfish being caught. Most of the fish are in the lower end slot (18-22 inches). There are some in the upper slot; you just have to pick through the smaller ones. The water clarity in Escambia Bay and Blackwater is very clear, so stealth is the key when targeting these tailing fish.

In the ICW, they are still catching a good bit of speckled trout, and on the docks, there are a few slot reds. As the water cools, the trout will start to move to deeper holes and to the mouths of the rivers.  The flounder run has also gotten off to a decent start along the panhandle. Most of the flounder are being gigged, but you can still catch them on rod and reel in the pass and along the beaches. Using a live bull minnow or shrimp on a Carolina rig has proven to work very well for fetching a flattie.

As you can see, the fishing community of Pensacola is very active this fall. If you’re heading my way, give me a ring, and we’ll get you hooked up on the Mega-Bite.
Tight Lines.

Oct. 30th

It’s quarter after 6 a.m. on a Saturday, and I’m rounding the pass as the sun is coming up over the horizon. It’s cool and calm, and looks like it’s going to be a wonderful day for fishing. We head across Caucus Shoal and off to the west I see what I’m looking for, which is birds diving on bait pods of blood minnows. I know that we are going to start off the day right for Redfishing. On our first pass over the area we have a double hook up, and the biggest was a whopper, easily tipping the scales at over 33+ pounds. It’s not even Halloween yet, but we definitely got our “treat” early.  Remember that the fall Redfishing run is just getting started, and that over the next few weeks, time willing, I will be reporting back with what is sure to be tales of great fishing.

Most of these fish are in the 18 – 25lb range, but there are some real bruisers out there, so be prepared to go to battle. My typical set up for these reds is a 7ft Fenwick rod, 12 – 17lb test, 20lb Berkley braid on a 4000 series reel or a 5000 series-spinning reel.  My lure of choice for these big reds is a 1 – 2 oz Spro jig or a Mann’s Tidewaker. Toss out either of these two lures anywhere close to these bronze beauties, and you’re sure to hook up.

If you like using a bait-caster, then use the same style rod, rigged with a bait caster with 20lb braid. These reds are hard fighters and are loads of fun for the experienced angler or the beginner.

There are still plenty of other fish to go after, if you just plain get tired of hauling in red after red; the white trout bite has picked up in Big Lagoon and on 3-mile bridge. Over at Bob Sights Bridge they are catching a few specks in the deeper water during the day and they are also hooking up some keeper red fish. Live shrimp seems to be the ticket, or you can also bounce a Berkley Gulp Shrimp or Grub off the bottom on a ¼ oz jig head to get a good hook up.

In the bay, we’re still seeing signs of kings hanging around as well as lots of Spanish mackerel. They should hang around for a few more weeks until the water temperature drops below 68 degrees.

Flounder have started their yearly migration out to the gulf, so deep-dropping the pass with live bull minnows, shrimp, or even a 2” – 3” Berkley Gulp Shrimp will be just what the flounder ordered.

Fall is here, and even though the temperature has dropped some, the fishing is still red hot.

So what are you waiting for? Give me a ring and let’ go fishing!
Tight Lines.

Capt. John

Oct. 12th

Fall has arrived, although with the wind blowing like it has been, you’d think it was March. On the calmer days, the weather has been just perfect for getting out on the water and going fishing.  Last weekend, I headed out to Blackwater with my wife and spent the afternoon doing a little sight fishing for reds to see how we’d fare. My wife said it was similar to fishing back in Indiana and Kentucky, where we both grew up and went to school. I grew up bass fishing for years and even participated in some tournaments back then. The only real difference in Blackwater and back home was that I was sight fishing for reds along with some a lot of blind casting for reds and specks. That, and my “johnboat” is a lot bigger.

Click on picture to enlarge

We started out on the water pretty early, especially for her, around 6 a.m., and although there was a little chill in the air, the forecast promised warmer weather as the morning progressed.  The wind was supposed to kick up later that morning, so we wanted to be off the water before noon. We managed to hook a few reds and also lose a few. I landed 2 reds, with one measuring around 19”and a nice 26” red weighing around 6+lbs that I would have been proud to pull out at any tournament. My wife caught a few specks, we both missed a couple of reds that we shouldn’t have missed, but we enjoyed the day regardless. I wanted to head back to Blackwater this Sunday, but with 15 – 20 knot winds, we decided to sleep in.

Fishing the sound and Pensacola Bay
This past week the fishing has been very good despite the wind, with nice big Spanish hitting the deck and some slot reds. Mixed in with the Spanish are some big Skipjacks and Bluefish. Fall is one of my favorite times to fish, since the temperatures are more bearable, and the waters aren’t as crowded.  Most of the Spanish have been hitting Mann’s little Georges slow-trolled on trout rods with 20lb braid and 50lb mono leader. Here’s a great picture of a monster 26-½ inch Spanish mackerel. As a matter of fact, when I first saw the fish I thought it was a small king.

Click on picture to enlarge

 When it comes to catching the reds, the trick is to be very close to the bridge next to the pilings; that’s where this nice 25” red hit a ½ oz jig head with a 3” New Penny Shrimp Gulp. 

Click on picture to enlarge

I have a few friends that have been fishing a few of the bridges in the afternoon and at night, and they tell me you don’t need to be right up on the bridge, that drifting out a fresh cut mullet or menhaden usually does the trick, as will a medium live shrimp or even a gulp.

As you can tell, Pensacola in the fall is a great time to hit the water. Don’t forget about the annual fall redfish run that’s getting closer everyday. Starting around November 1^st, hundreds of big reds will invade the panhandle, and you better be ready! 

Click on pictures to enlarge

 I know I will be ready and raring to get out there with rod and reel in hand and a trusty Spro jig tied on. Those big reds won’t know what hit them.
See you on the water.
Tight Lines.

Capt. John

Oct. 6th

It's been a great start to the fishing season so far this fall and it looks like October will continue the trend. 

We’ve been on the water quite a bit these past few days hooking a lot of Spanish mackerel and even a few kings in the bay. Most of the Spanish were caught on Mann’s Little George. This lure has proven to catch its fair share of Spanish, bluefish and all the skipjacks you want. Slow-trolled or tossed into the school of fish, Little George will surely get you hooked up on a fun fighting fish. I have been getting lucky at some of my red-fishing honey holes, and most of the reds have been keepers. If you like redfish on the grill like I do, then get ready for the redfish run! The reds have been hitting a variety of baits. I like throwing an 1/8oz – 1oz jig with a Mann’s grub or a Spro Jig. These two baits will surely increase your hookup ratio.

The past few days I went up into the backcountry of Blackwater Bay, and let me tell you, the redfish bite is on. It’s not for the novice angler or impatient angler as you are casting over and over for that light tackle redfish bite. When you finally see a tailing redfish in two foot of water, you get such a rush when you cast right into his territory. On Sunday I took the day off and spent the day with my wife on the water and we had a great day. We managed to bring two keeper redfish to the boat, which she talked me into releasing to be caught another day. 

 I’ve seen more bait so far this month than I’ve seen all year long in the bay, pass and even up in the backcountry. So the trick to catching these reds is to find the right lure and use the right presentation, because they probably aren’t that hungry with all this bait around. Today, we pretty much had to get the lure into the redfish’s hideaway to entice him out.  The trout bite was not too hot today, but we did get a couple of smaller ones to come aboard for a quick hello.

Keep checking back for more fall fishing reports. Remember, it won’t be long before the big reds will finally be here.

Here’s wishing you bent rods and screaming drags.

Sept. 17th

What a week. Hurricane Ike made landfall in Texas early Saturday September 13th causing havoc along its coast. What it brought to Pensacola was rough surf, a little wind, and hopefully good fishing. After Gustav came through the fishing was very good for grouper and just about everything else.  With the swells that Ike brought in for a few days, the fishing will definitely see a boost.

We had a great day of fishing on Tuesday the 15th, with specks, loads of Spanish mackerel, and one of the largest schools of redfish off in the bay I’ve seen in years. My trip started out at 6am fishing the flats of Santa Rosa Sound using popping corks with a small 1/8 oz jig head and a 3” grub in chartreuse made by Mann’s Baits.

 It turned out to the bait of choice for the specks. I decided to head down the bay to the west to see if the Spanish were hitting, and what I found instead was a nice surprise; one of the biggest schools of red fish I seen in years. The only problem was they didn’t stick around long; we hooked up two and landed one. After we failed to find the reds again, we decided to go after large schools of Spanish mackerel busting up on all the large schools of blood minnows. The fishing was excellent, and we boated somewhere around 15 – 18 Spanish in the 2 – 5 lb range, and even lost just a few that would have topped the scale at 6lbs.

Mixed in the schools of Spanish were huge ladyfish and bluefish, and on light tackle they are loads of fun. As you can see, fall has arrived and the fishing is red hot. So if you’re going to be in the area this fall, give me a ring and we’ll see about getting you hooked up on the Mega-Bite!

Here’s wishing you tight lines.

August 20th

Well, the summer season is coming to an end, and the kids have headed back to school. So let’s talk about what has happened in the panhandle the last few weeks and what’s in store for the end of August and into September.
The past few weeks, fishing has been pretty good for big Spanish, skipjacks and bluefish in the ICW and in the pass. The speckled trout bite has also been picking up the past few days in the ICW in depths of 3 – 7 ft, and should continue to pick up throughout September. During the first few weeks of August, the redfish bite in the pass was very good, although it has slowed down during the past week. Not to worry, as it will definitely pick back up later in September and October.  While the redfish bite was on, we were hooking some big fish well over 25lbs. Of course, after a few quick pictures all fish were released. Closer inshore on the docks in the sound and near Fair Point and Deer Point, the slot-sized redfish bite has been very good. Most of the fish have been hitting 3 to 4- inch Berkley Gulp Shrimp in new penny on a ¼ oz jig head.  The gulf fishing has been hit and miss depending upon the weather and the seas, but when I have been able to get out there, the red snapper bite has been decent. The kings still haven’t showed back up, but that should change closer to September. During this time, the kings will start to head into Pensacola Bay and feed on the large schools of menhaden. They will also be just off the beaches and in the pass. Most of the kings during the fall run are bigger than the summer kings, so it’s great light tackle action. Summer is a great time to fish, but fall is my favorite time to fish because the big reds are here and it’s not too hot out on the water. Also, the crowds are not as thick, but the fishing action is awesome! 

Take a look at my photo gallery for some new pics

If you’re looking for some great light tackle action, give me a ring and we’ll get you hooked up on the Mega-Bite!

Tight Lines.

July 21st

Red snapper are plentiful and so are the kings.

Fishing has been very good the past few days, but now we have a tropical storm in the gulf named Dolly, which will keep me in the bay for the next few days, because the swells out in the gulf and along the beaches are anything but swell.

The nearshore red snapper bite has been off the charts. I’ve been getting my clients their limit on every trip and still get the persistent king mackerel from time to time. After we hit the red snapper hole, we’ve been going in and drifting the pass for a few reds or go sit in the bay and do a bit of shark fishing.

Summer fishing has been very exciting and it’s not nearly over. August and September are great months for red snapper and kings out in the gulf. If you don’t like heading out to deeper water, then red fishing in the pass and drifting the flats for specks might be the way to go.

If you’re heading down to Pensacola, give me a ring, and we’ll get you hooked up on the MEGA-BITE.

Till next time, here’s wishing you bent rods and screaming drags.

Capt. John

July 6th

Well, they say “time flies when you’re having fun,” but can June be over already? They also say, “April showers bring May flowers,” well, July thunderstorms bring kings, Spanish, trout, redfish and sharks. (Okay, I’ll admit poetry is not my thing!)  I’ve been on the water almost everyday dodging thunderstorms and I’ve got some great action pictures to show you of the great fishing.  Here are a few pictures to show you that this is no fish tale.

For the kings, I’ve been using live cigar minnows rigged with a small steelhead Tormenter trolling lure, and I’ve also been running a few Mann’s stretch 25’s. The two most productive colors for the Tormenter lures were blue/ silver and black/ red/ silver.

With the stretches, it’s the bonita and pink colors. Slow trolling these lures around 3 mph has produced some quality fish. On the flats, I’ve been tossing a few Exude lures, and the golden bream RT slug rigged on an 1/8oz jig has been generating some great bites from some decent trout. Mann’s new hard nose soft body jerk bait got me a nice 3lb speck two days ago when I rigged it with the weed-less hook set up that comes in the package.

When it comes to shark fishing, I’ve been using bonita for my bait. I hook small four-inch strips of bonita on a Gamakatsu 3/0 – 4/0 circle hook rigged with 90lb coated Berkley steel leader and 60lb Stren stamina line. We’ve been hooking mostly black tips, but on my last shark trip, we hooked three nurse sharks with one easily nine to ten feet. I wired the leader and was very careful not to harm this magnificent creature as we got him boat side where we took a bunch of pics before we let him off the hook. 

For summer fishing that’s off the charts, give me a shout, and I’ll get you on the fish!

Tight lines, Capt. John

June 20th

“Would you like a banana?” Kara asked. I turned around quickly and said, “Who brought bananas?” I couldn’t believe my eyes! She was holding up a bushel of the little yellow devils.

 My crew today consisted of Steve Haines, his wife Kara, John Puia, and Dale Tinner. They were all in town for a wedding this weekend, and wanted to experience some great Pensacola fishing. It was supposed to be a big party trip of ten people, so I called my good buddy, Capt. George Ballard, and he was able to help me split the trip up into two boats. At the boat ramp only eight showed, which made for a little easier day in the long run. We made our way out to the bait boat, loaded up on cigar minnows, and made our way out into the gulf for what we hoped would be a great day of fishing. And that’s when the bananas showed up. I told them about the myth, but they were not the superstitious sort, at least when it came to fruit and fishing. I was only a little worried, but I figured they were already on the boat, so we just crossed our fingers, ate bananas, and fished. We were slow trolling live cigs with and without skirts and the kings seemed like they couldn’t get enough. Our first two knockdowns did not produce any fish, as one was a short strike and the other one pulled the hook.  I glanced over at the rotting banana peels. Our third and fourth strikes were successful hookups, and we boated two nice keeper kings. Whew!

George was also having a banner day, (not to be confused with a banana day), and we were red hot on kings for a solid 4 hours.  We lost more than I wanted to due to short strikes. After we boated a few more keeper kings, we hit a few inshore wrecks for some tasty snapper.

 Both parties were having a great time bowing up on fish. But the prize of the day came at the end when I heard one of George’s clients ask, “Is that a shark?” Now both George and I were only about 15 feet away from each other fishing the wreck and when George’s client spotted this supposed shark, George said, “Feed him the cigar minnow.” George and I both knew we had a cobia within our grasp. The first guy dropped his bait in the water and the fish ate, but the angler jerked it out of the ling’s mouth. Then the kid on his boat dropped his bait in front of the fish, and the fish ate again, but again the bait was yanked out of the fish’s mouth. During this time, I was on my way over to George’s boat to check out this cobia. I hoped my clients would get a chance at the cobia, and I nodded over at George, and he said to have at it. I tossed out a live cigar minnow and the fish mouthed it and spit it out. Bananas! So I grabbed another rod, cut the line, removed the weight and hook, retied the line to the swivel and tied on a 3oz Spro Chartreuse Buck tail jig, tossed it out, and that’s all it took. I handed the rod to my new friend and banana buddy, Kara, and she played the fish like a pro. After a few minutes we had it in close enough to gaff.

 So as of June 20^th, 2008, the first official day of summer, the MEGA-BITE is now banana proof!!

Tight Lines everyone!

June 15th

This is how we fished last week: throwing top-water for ladyfish and trout in the morning on the flats, and ending the trip with a few sharks boat side for toothy photos.

The king bite for the past couple weeks was still not much to bother fooling with, but a few of my captain buddies told me this weekend that the kings are starting to come out in full force, so next week should be interesting. Although I was anxious for the king bite to turn back on, I decided to target sharks for a few days. On my last afternoon trip, we hooked up 18 sharks and landed 12. On my morning trip that same day, we hooked up 12 and landed 9. My shark hole was producing some quality fish. Most of the sharks are around 2 – 3 ft, but a few have been around 5 – 6 ft. We even boated a five-foot hammerhead, which we hoped wasn’t hanging out with his larger cousins.

During the early morning hours, I’ve been hooking up some nice trout, in the fourteen to nineteen inch range, with a few over twenty. This past week, a couple of my clients have landed a few trout just over twenty-six inches long! Along with hooking up some nice specks, my clients have also been hooking up some nice bluefish and skipjacks.

Now that the kings have arrived, I’ll be running out to see if I can beat last year’s trophy king that went 48” (which on the fish calculator web site was estimated at 42lbs).

It was a stud, and the fish was caught about 200yards off the beach slow trolling a live cigar behind a Tormenter Mini Tuna Dart. What is cool about this rig is that when trolled by itself, it works very well on Bonita and Spanish mackerel. When piggybacked with a live cig, however, the kings cannot pass it up.  If you’ve got a boat, get out and go fishing, because summertime is the right time to do some fun fishing.  If you don’t have a boat and you want to experience some great light tackle action, give me a ring and I’ll do my best to show you a great day on the water.

Till next time, tight lines.

Capt. John

June 1st

Red snapper, speckled trout, redfish, bluefish, and ladyfish have been on the menu the past few days while fishing the ICW. Today’s trip started out at 05:30 in the morning before the sun came up, and the bite was red hot just like the temperature at high noon. We hooked specks on top-water, soft body jerk baits, and live shrimp. I also had my clients free-line out a small, live pinfish, and just when we were down to our last pinfish, we boated a nice 23” speck. 

 What a way to end the trip! Not only are we hooking up some nice specks lately; we have also been catching ladyfish, bluefish and even a few Spanish mackerel.

Just a little further offshore on Friday I went out for few red snapper, and the bite again was red hot. By 9am we had our limit of snapper and decided to hit the beach in search of jacks or ladyfish. We didn’t see any jacks, but the ladyfish were thick, and they are a blast to catch on light tackle.

 Most of the specks were caught on top-water plugs like a small Jr top dog. I was also using a Golden Bream Exude Shrimp rigged on a 1/8oz jig head, and it was just what they wanted. The king bite has not really turned on yet, but it shouldn’t be long and the bite will be on. The water temperature has warmed up quite a bit the past few days and a lot of bait schools are showing up along beaches. 

Summer is here, and that means great fishing. If you’re heading to Pensacola Beach, look me up, and we’ll get you hooked up on some great light tackle action. 

Hope everyone has a great and safe summer season.

Tight Lines.

I told Mark to get over here and put the boots to this fish. Well, all I can say is Mark and his family will never forget this trip. Mark told me that this was the longest he has ever fought a fish.

 

 He's a bass fisherman from Tennessee, and after a solid 45 minutes his arms started to cramp up and he had to hand off the rod for a few minutes to rest up and get a drink. I took the rod and let him recuperate for a few minutes, and then he went back to work on the man in the brown suit.

What a battle! Of course, with 60lb mono and 60lb leader, it was a battle that we could lose very easily. I didn't know how the fish was hooked, but I was pretty sure the fish was hooked in the mouth since we hadn't been cut off, yet. Everyone on the boat wanted to see this fish and after about an hour we had him boatside.

When we got the shark boatside, it was a very cool sight. My crew had never seen a shark in the wild before and needless to say, they were very excited.

I put the gaff in the shark's mouth, so we could snap a few pictures, and then we released him back to his stomping grounds.

 

Now, I'm no shark expert, but I think it's a bull, but I'm not positive. I estimated the shark to be over 7ft, maybe even 8ft long. He was very fat and had some nice pearly whites!

I guess he may have weighed somewhere around 200 + lbs . This fish was very fat, but we weren't going to keep him around discussing diet tips.

 

Tight Lines. 

---

May1st

 April 23rd

April 15^th Red Snapper season opened up in State waters, but the winds were still blowing too hard to make it out. But for the past few days, Mother Nature decided to give us a big break, and it’s been perfect with variable winds and temperatures hovering around 80 degrees. I called a few of my clients that have been holding out for better conditions, and I said let’s go bottom bumping!  I loaded up the boat and we hit the water.  This past Saturday my crew was some young guys from the Navy base who just got transferred here; they wanted to try their luck on the Sheepshead run, but when we arrived at the spot, we found out that the bite was almost non-existent. I looked toward the gulf and noticed that it was calm, and suggested that we go out and try for some Red Snapper. Josh and the crew were all about it, so I dropped the hammer on the throttle and we made our way to a well-known public wreck just offshore. The Paradise Hole is a very large area of natural bottom about 6 ½ miles offshore. As soon as we reached it, I got on my numbers, and the bottom machine lit up. This was going to be fun. Now, keep in mind that for this trip, I didn’t have any offshore tackle with me, just my Sheepshead gear which consists of four Penn 5500’ss spooled with 30lb Ultra- Braid Spiderwire and four CVL 400 Shimano Corvalus’s spooled with the same line. I figured if these rods could handle 4 – 8 lb Sheepshead, then surely they can handle 4 –8 lb Red Snapper, but if we hook up with a big daddy Snapper then we’d have to improvise. I had to change out my hooks on these rigs, so I put on some # 5 – 6 Gamakatsu circle hooks for Snapper. So with 30lb pound Spiderwire Ultra Braid as my main line and 30lb – 40lb mono as my leader, we began our drift and began hooking up right away. Let me tell you, if you have never tried fishing for Red Snapper with light tackle, give it a try!  Not only is it fun, you will learn to let your rod and reel do the work for you and you will also learn how to work a fish. While fishing this area for a good 2 ½ hours, we boated our limit of Red Snapper along with a few nice Mingos (Vermillion Snapper) and a few medium Triggerfish. The fishing was great and my crew from the Navy (who had never fished saltwater before) had a blast.

Tuesday’s trip was a repeat trip; Mark books me four or so times a year and this time he wanted to try his luck on some Red Snapper since the season had just begun. Again, Mother Nature gave us a break, with even better conditions than on Saturday. The seas were under a foot and the winds again were perfect. I headed to my honey hole that was near Saturday’s expedition, and again I started marking fish. This time I put out the anchor and started chumming, and let me tell you if you have never seen hundreds of red snapper swimming up near the surface it’ a very cool sight. Again I brought out the light tackle, but I also had some big tackle with me for some bigger baits just in case we started getting broke off and needed to step up our tackle. The bite was on fire and we boated our limit in a few hours along with a mix bag of Mingos. 

After we bottom-fished for a few hours, we hit the beaches for some Pompano and Spanish mackerel, but the bite there was not as productive as the snapper bite. We fished the beach looking for a ling (Cobia) for a while, and tossing out jigs hoping for a strike by a tasty Pompano, but they seemed indifferent to our offerings. No sour grapes here, as we still had our limit of Red Snapper and some Mingos in the box.

Well, as you can see, spring fishing is finally here, and it is hot!
Coming in a little closer to shore, the Speck bite on the flats has started to pick up and next week it should really start to get good with the temperatures around 80 degrees the water temperatures will start to be where they should be. Also, the inshore Redfish bite has been really good on a few of my favorite docks, and I’ve also been catching a few Spanish mackerel in the bay while fishing for Specks.
I’ve got a big tournament this weekend with the famous Fishing Chix, so wish my lady anglers luck!  I’ll post a report on Sunday.
Here’s wishing everyone tight lines.

Capt. John

April 16th

With great catches of sheepshead and redfish it sure looks like this spring is shaping up to be super. Last week it was a bit windy, but I did manage to get out a couple of days; this week I was only able to get out on Sunday and Monday, as the small craft advisories kept me grounded the rest of the week. When I have been able to hit the water, the fish have been there and they have been hungry. I’ve been drifting near the pass over rocks in some deep water. Most of the fish are holding tight to structure near the pass and if you’re not right on the spot, you’re not going to get a bite. Actually, it’s a lot like bottom fishing in the gulf, but you’re inshore, and when you’re on the spot, you better hang on, because it’s sure to be some rod-bending, drag-screaming fun. The sheepshead this year have been running big; most are right around 5 lbs, but the past 3 – 4 trips we’ve boated a few over 7 lbs. These fish are great eating, and man, do they ever put up a good fight.

On a few of these drifts, we hooked up some monster reds. On Monday we hooked up a stud well over 25lbs! This fish gave Mike a run for his money; it took him a good 15 minutes to land on light sheepshead tackle. This was Mike’s first ever red, and as you can see from this picture he was stoked about hooking into this trophy fish.

Early that day I had one of my repeats, Leighton from north Alabama and his kids come see me each year, and what’s cool is they come down different times to experience the different aspects of our fishery during the different seasons. Last year they came down for the Redfish run, and this year they came down for the Sheepshead run. Next year they said that they were going to try and come down in July to go after some smoker kings. Leighton and his kids are a blast to fish with, and we all have a great time. Watching them wrestle with these big sheepshead and sharing the memories with their father is what makes my job so enjoyable.

Not only have I been fishing near the pass for some tasty sheepies, but also I’ve hit a few of my honey holes for specks and small reds. The bite was ok on the flats, and we managed to boat a few specks, but the bite has not really turned on just yet, however, give it a few more weeks and it’ll be on fire. We did manage to hook up on a big Jack, but after a few minutes the hook pulled, but we’ll get him next time out.
It looks like it’s going to be a great new season. Just remember to keep only what you’re going to eat and release the rest for future generations.

Tight lines,

Capt. John

April 1st

Man, what a day, 84 Sheepshead in 4 hours… APRIL FOOLS!

Just kidding, with the wind coming out of the SSE at a brisk 10 – 12 knots, it was a little breezy on the water today.  I met up with Tim, Kim and their two sons, Andrew and Jacob from Michigan at 7:30 am to do a little Sheepshead fishing and see what else we could hook up.
They told me that last night they went down to the Perdido Key bridge and fished a little there, but only got catfish. Well, on our first 3 drifts that’s all we caught too. I asked them who brought the catnip on my boat. I had to move spots, as it seemed this spot was littered with little 2lb meow mix critters. After I relocated and started our drift I was sure that our catfish days were over, but noooo! Little Jacob hooked up another catfish! Then Dad said, “I’m on!” and the way his rod was doubled over, I knew it was no catfish. As the fish peeled line off the reel, I heard Tim say, “If this is a catfish it’s the biggest one I’ve ever hooked,” but as it got closer to the boat it showed its stripes and was I ever relieved; it was our first Sheepshead of the day. Mom and Andrew were eager to hook-up on some hard fighting Sheepies, too, so I rebaited the lines, and we repositioned again and started our drift.  This time we had a double hook-up and both fish were nice 4 – 6 lb Sheepies. Andrew was the lucky angler of the day, hooking up on 6 striped keepers. It was a fun day on the water, though we boated more catfish than I wanted. We ended up with 15 Sheepies, and had 3 big fish take us to the bottom and one fish straightened out a hook. Tim and his family were a delight to fish with, even though little Jacob told me at the end of the trip that he wore his lucky catfish hat.

Tight lines!

Capt. John

March.23rd

When the wind blows, the fishing will rock. With gusts well over 35 mph and some reaching 40mph, I had to keep the boat on the trailer for the past few days until Mother Nature decided it was time to let us go fishing again. Today was the first day of spring, and my charter for the day and I decided we would ring in spring right. It was a chilly morning, around 40 degrees to start, so we headed out around lunchtime. I was ready to do some fishing and so were Terry and his new wife, Mimi, who were visiting from Texas.
They had come to Pensacola for their honeymoon and wanted to do a little fishing, but the wind had kept them off the water and out of the surf for the past three days. What’s a honeymooner to do? Red flags had been blowing all week, which mean to stay out of the water because of rough surf.

Well, enough of the weather report, let’s talk about what we hooked up. I made my way to my honey hole where I’ve been hooking up some big sheepshead and some keeper redfish. The bite wasn’t exactly on fire, but we managed to boat some quality fish, and the treat for the day was a big 24” grouper. The cool thing about this catch was we caught it on light tackle, in fact on the same rods I use for sheepshead fishing. The big Gag hit a live shrimp. Well, he actually hammered it!  I had a third rod out, and put it in the holder hoping maybe a redfish might pick it up and hook himself. Terry yelled out, “there’s a fish on that rod!” and sure enough there was, but I had no idea that it was going to be a 24” Gag. I handed Terry the rod and he began the fight, and on this light tackle outfit it was not easy, but I had 20lb Berkley braid and 30lb Berkley mono as a leader and this was the only reason we landed this fish. A few minutes into the fight, the fish rocked himself and Terry said,” I’m hung up,” so I took the rod and gave the fish some slack to see if he would swim out of his hole. Sure enough, after about 30 seconds he swam out and I turned his head and pulled him out of the rocks. I then handed the rod back to Terry to let him complete the battle, but it was no easy task landing this fish, it still took a few minutes to get this beast to the boat. When we all saw what kind fish it was we were all smiles; a keeper gag on light tackle, what a treat.

 
The wind is supposed to calm down during the next couple of days and the fishing is only going to get better. Hey, it’s spring! Do some spring-cleaning, fish cleaning, that is!
If you’re going to be near Pensacola, give me a ring and let’s go fishing.
Tight lines,

Capt. John

March.14th

Can it get any better? On Wednesday it was calm seas and great fishing all day.
The bite has been off the charts the past few days, and I’ve been saying this all week, it’s only going to get better. I had a double on Wednesday and both the morning and afternoon trip went very well. In the morning, the tide was coming in slow, but just fast enough to keep a good bite for the whole trip, and then for the afternoon trip the tide was heading out at the same pace, and the bite did just as well. The tally for both trips was two good boxes of fish, including Redfish, Sheepshead and Black Drum. 

Here are few pics to prove this is no fish tail.

   

On Thursday we were met with even warmer temperatures in the morning and a bite just like it was on Wednesday. I have a few honey holes that have been producing well and today they didn’t let me down. If you’re looking for some great inshore action, the sheepshead bite will be going strong till the end of April. Not only will the sheepies be here, there is a good chance for hard-pulling redfish and a big black drum.

What are you waiting for? Get off the computer, give me a ring, and we’ll get you hooked up on some great inshore fishing.
I have a few days left open in March and April, so don’t miss out!
See you on the water.

March.10th

Two great days of fishing.
1^st Trip:

Our first fish was a big sheepshead, our second fish was another big sheepshead, and 3rd & 4^th fish were slot Reds. Then we starting boating some big black drum. It was non-stop for four hours.
I fished a secret spot that had produced well for me last spring, and it didn’t let me down today.

It was very cold in the morning, a brisk 38 degrees. The tide was not running the way I wanted, so we left the docks at 11am and fished till 4pm. High tide was supposed to be around 5pm, so I figured the bite would be very good from about 1pm to 4ish, and it was. My clients were from Michigan, and although they were used to cooler temps, they had never caught a saltwater fish before today. We boated 3 reds, (with one being over the slot, which we released to be caught another day), 5 Sheepshead, 7 Black Drum, and 2 nice keeper Mangrove Snapper.  The water was a little murky, but the tide was finally running right and the fish were hungry. All fish were caught on live shrimp and/or Berkley Gulps, and on a Carolina rig. So now that the colder weather is hopefully behind us, it looks like this spring might turn out to be a good one.

The sheepshead bite should start to turn on in the next few weeks, and we should be seeing some nice slot reds. Also be on the lookout up and down the beaches for Pompano. If you can make it out along the gulf, don’t pass up looking down the beach for these tasty critters. Another good way to hook these tasty fish is to anchor off a sand bar down along the gulf side of Ft. Pickens or Johnson’s beach, and send out a few sand fleas and have one rod rigged with an orange and white ½ - 1oz Spro pompano jig.

Day2

I went out fun fishing with my buddy Ed, and did the weatherman ever get it wrong.

The winds were supposed to be 5 – 10 out of the east, but when we hit the bay it was a solid 15 knots. We made our way across the bay to a few spots I frequent near the pass.

What a ride we had, with the wind whipping out of the east and a solid chop or actually swell out in the pass. Not too rough for fishing, but it was sloppy.

I have always heard that the fishing is better in rough weather and today proved that theory. Our first fish was a big fat Sheepshead, and after that it was one Redfish after another. They were stacked up off a ledge and the bite was hot for a good 2 hrs or more. We were pitching live and fresh dead shrimp along with gulps, and it seemed though they couldn’t get enough. We managed to boat a few slot reds, only keeping two for dinner, which are going to taste great on the grill.
After our arms were sore from hooking up all those reds, Ed managed to find a few sheepshead to add to the mix bag of fish, and I managed to find a lonely black drum that found his way into the ice chest.
Get your fishing poles dusted off, because the fishing is hot, and is only going to get hotter!

Till next time, here’s wishing you bent rods and screaming drags.

March.1st. 

Saying goodbye is hard to do, unless it’s goodbye cold weather, and hello Spring!

As the temperatures rise and stay warm all this week, it won’t be long until the trout will start moving out to the flats. Right now, they are still up in the deep holes and near the mouths of the rivers, and some are holding up in the local bayous. But in the next 3 – 4 weeks, they will start to make their move to the ICW and onto the flats of Big Lagoon. Speckled trout were out of season for the month of February, but starting March 1^st, they are back on the dinner menu.

Also starting their spring migration/spawning is sheepshead. These crustacean eaters start their annual spawn near the middle of March, usually around the 15^th – 31^st. And when they do, the fishing is red hot.  I like to fish with live or freshly dead shrimp on a Gamakatsu #4 circle hook or J-hook, depending upon how the bite is. You don’t need a big hook; just have a fast tip rod so you can feel the bite. These fish are notorious for stealing baits, but after hooking a few, you’ll know what the bite feels like, and then it’s all over for the fishes. Fishing near the mouth of the pass with shrimp is a perfect way to bag some of these tasty fish for the dinner table.

If you’re looking for some keeper redfish, then don’t pass up cruising up and down the beach on calm days. Reds, pompano, and jacks are cruising near the sandbars looking for sand-flees and shrimp to munch on. Once you find a few good fish, either put out the anchor or power-pole, and hold your position and wait for more fish to head your way. This is a great way to ambush the fish. Once you catch a few in this area, give it a little while, and hold your position, because sooner or later, more fish will move in. Just this past week, I had a trip and we hooked up two nice keeper Reds while white trout fishing. We were fishing near the rock jetties in Pensacola Pass using freshly dead shrimp. I was using a Gamakatsu kahle hook on a Carolina rig.

Starting in just a few more weeks, spring breakers with their families will be heading to Pensacola.  During this time, many families book inshore guides for the annual sheepshead run; it’s light tackle at its finest. Most of the fish are 3 – 5 lbs, but I catch a lot of fish in the 6 – 9 lb range during this time period. If you’re looking for bigger fish, then look me up starting the first part of April. I have added a new feature to the boat, which is a Cobia spotting tower. When the gulf is calm, I now can sight fish for these monster fish that cruise by our beaches every spring. These fish range from 20 – 100lbs, and on a Med /Hvy spinning outfit, it is insane how much fun these fish are to catch!

So, now that winter is almost officially over, don’t let spring fever keep you off the water. Get out on the water, and catch some fish!

Here’s wishing you tight lines and screaming drags!

Feb.1st. 

Well, only 5 weeks away and spring will be knocking at our doors. But in the meantime, winter is still here to deal out the occasional cold day. Fishing in the bay has been pretty good this past week. We hooked up a few nice Grouper by trolling stretches, and we hooked up some fat 33”+ Redfish by trolling the same area. We were using the Mann’s Textured Stretch 25” & 30” in the colors of Cabo Sunset & Redhead Holographic; these two colors have been producing some quality catches. The White Trout bite is still on fire near 3-mile bridge. I’ve been catching 40+ trout every time we go out, and they are running big, (most are in the 16- 18” range, but a few are well over 20”). We have also hooked up some good eating whiting and a few reds in this area. The lures of choice are the Berkley Gulp Curly Tail and 3” shrimp. Put these on a ¼ - ½ oz jig head and you’re sure to have a banner day. With spring just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to book a fishing trip. Reserve your trip now, because the Sheepshead fishing in March is superb, and they are fun to catch and eat.

During the month of February, speckled trout season is closed, but they’re biting on live shrimp and they’re also hitting jigs that you slow bounce off the bottom. A good place to catch trout is Jim’s Fish Camp off of Hwy 90 before the Pace bridge.

Near the pass we have been hooking up a few Mangrove Snapper on live shrimp and just off the beaches we have also been seeing a few small schools of the big Reds. Fishing for them should still be productive till the middle of April and then it will die down.

Venturing out a little further offshore has been a little tough these past weeks as the seas have been around 4 - 7ft, but not to worry, as spring will be here soon and that means the big Cobia run. If you do venture offshore, check out the 3-mile bridge and catch a few small live baits and put them in the live well; big hungry groupers can't pass up a lively bait.

 The Amberjack bite near the Chevron Rig and the Oriskany has been very good using a Diamond Jig and also a 2 - 4 oz Spro Buck Tail Jig with a chartreuse or green grub attached. A few Black Fin Tuna have also been caught out near the Edge and the Nipple, but not many. Off to the west near the Hump, the Yellow Fin Tuna bite is on fire, and just last week two fish over 200lbs were landed. The Tuna bite over at the Hump will stay good for the next 4 - 7 weeks depending upon the weather.
Not too many reports of Trigger fish being caught offshore and just a few Mingo being caught, but there are plenty of Red Snapper, but remember that you can't keep them until June 1st. So when Mother Nature gives us a window of sunshine, get up off the couch and go fishing.

Jan. 18th

Wow! What a change in the weather! Last week it’s 30 degrees, and this week it’s in the middle to upper 50’s, and even reaching the 60’s and now it’s going to cool again. The fish are just as confused as we are. The redfish bite has been a little slow this past week, as it’s been unseasonably warm for this time of year. We had a cold spell, but it didn’t last long enough. When the cold weather sticks around longer, the bait balls up and this makes the redfish easier to find. This week, it’s still going to be a little cooler with temps in the lower 60’s to middle 50’s, and this should help the redfish bite start to turn on. The speckled trout bite up in the rivers near the mouth of Escambia River and in some of the bayous has been very good. Throwing an Exude RT Slug in the Golden Bream color has put some nice specks in the box. The fish are running big, mostly in the 17 – 19” range.

We are still catching a lot of white trout on the 3-mile bridge, and even a few slot redfish. The two baits I’ve been catching these trout on are the 3” Berkley Gulp, in the Natural Shrimp color and the Berkley Gulp in the Root Beer Curly Tail Grub. These baits on a ¼ oz Jig head have proven to be the ticket to landing fish

Jan. 1st

2008 arrived with high winds and very cold weather.

2008 arrived with high winds and very cold weather. Last week it was downright cold, with lows at night in the upper 20’s, and for us that’s COLD! But hey, we still have to fish. Just this past week I was up near Jim’s Fish Camp, and let me tell you, the speckled trout bite is on! I was catching them on one of my favorite lures for specks, Exude’s Saltwater RT Slug in Golden Bream. As the weather warms back up to around the middle 50’s – 60’s, the fishing will get better too. I was also out near the very east end of Escambia bay fishing the flat for reds and specks, where the bite has been very satisfactory. Just a few days ago, on the last day of 2007, we went to 3 mile bridge and boated over 60+ trout on Berkley Gulps, both the 3” Natural Shrimp and 3” Curly Tail Gulp in Root Beer color. We fished them with ½ oz jigs, slow bouncing them off the bottom. The white trout could not resist these jigs, and kept coming back for more. The red-fishing has been a little slow the past few days, although we are still catching a few on each trip out.

As it gets colder, the bite should pick up. I have also caught a few grouper in the bay by trolling a Mann’s Red and White Stretch 25, and the other hot color is the new textured Blue and Silver. Toward the end of the week, the weather should turn back to normal, with it staying near the middle 50’s to 60’s. Hitting the water near 8am until about one in the afternoon is the perfect time to fish and not get too cold. This year make a New Year’s Resolution to book a fun fishing trip with me on the Mega-Bite.

Dec 21st

Fish on! It’s pulling drag-- must be a Redfish. Redfish and trout have been on the menu for the past few days.  We’ve stayed in the bay looking for fish, as the gulf has been a bit rough this past week. The white trout bite has been productive, and we’ve been using 3” natural color Berkley Gulp shrimp on a ½ oz jig head (red or white).  I cannot believe the size of these trout. In the past few trips we’ve boated some over 19”. I personally measured one at 21”, and that’s big for a white trout. We have also been hooking up some nice keeper reds using ¾ - 1 oz Spro Jigs. This past week the weather was in the upper 70’s and humid, which was a treat for those fishing here in December.  However, Mother Nature is about to let us know that winter is here with a cold front coming in this week, which will drop temps all the way down to 34 degrees in the morning, then warming up only the middle 50’s and 60’s by afternoon. The good news is that this should really turn on the big reds. It’s been a little slow the past few days for reds off the beaches; most of the reds have been caught near 3-mile bridge. With that north wind, the gulf is always calm right near shore, and these large schools of redfish show up and feed. Keep watching for birds working the water, and you will find the reds, and when you do, get ready for some fun fishing action! Using 30 lb Stren braid on a 7ft med-hvy rod will guarantee rod-bending drag screaming fun for sure!  I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again; winter red fishing has to be my favorite time of year to fish.

Capt. John

Dec 5th

December is here and the big reds that we’ve been catching all November long are still around. The weather is still very nice, even getting up into the upper 60’s and 70’s on some days.  You gotta love Florida. I’ve been catching more fish in our bay, which isjust how it was last December. In November, the reds were in the pass and just off our beaches, but a good quantity have made their way into our bays and the bite has been very good. When fishing for these big reds, always be on the look out for a large congregation of birds working bait pods. There is a very good possibility that there are some red fish lurking below. I always have a few rods rigged with a couple of different lures, such as a 1 –2 oz Spro Buck Tail Jig, second a 5” High Roller Top-water plug, and don’t forget to put on a Berkley 7” Power Bait Holographic Black and Gold lure that imitates a mullet. You should always keep a Mann’s Stretch 25 ready for trolling. I like Pink, but keep a few other colors on board because sometimes they won’t hit pink and they will go for something else. Having this set of lures will provide you with just the arsenal you need to have a productive day of red fishing.

Click on picture to enlarge

Throughout December the water temperature will continue to drop, but the fishing will still be very good as long as you don’t mind a little cold weather. Flounder fishing will still be going strong in deep holes in the bay in and along the drop-offs in the pass. Don’t pass up the rock jetties for a few tasty Mangrove Snapper, since this year has been the best year for Mangrove, and so far it’s still going strong. Along 3-mile bridge and the deep holes in Big Lagoon, there are more white trout than your cooler can hold. They are great fun on light tackle, and for kids, it is a great way to get them hooked on fishing, because they will stay busy on these plentiful fish. Most of the trout are in the 1 – 2 lb range.

As you can see, December is going to be another great month to fish, so if you haven’t already hooked up on one of these awesome big Reds, give me a shout and we’ll get you your first every trophy Redfish.

Click on picture to enlarge

See you on the water.

Capt. John

Nov.11

“Fish on!” said Joe for the third time today. We had only been fishing for maybe twenty minutes, and Joe had already brought in two nice bull redfish. Corby was still fighting his fish that had taken his rod to the gunnel twice already. This was Corby’s first ever Redfish, and would you believe that it measured over 42”? It was a pig, and had to weigh well over 35 lbs! We had decided to go out for a day of fun fishing, and what a day it was!

With the past few cold fronts and the water cooling down the past two weeks, the Redfishing along Pensacola has been off the charts. I know I’ve been saying it for the past month, but they’re finally here!  Big reds over 25lbs! Yesterday we boated 38 Reds and 5 Kings. We were using just three different baits for these Redfish, one was the ever-trusty 2oz white and green Spro Jig, the other was a new bait that Berkley sent me: a 7” Berkley Powerbait Realistix. These soft-body jigs work like the real thing; this one was holographic gold and black. The last bait was a lure I’ve used for years catching reds; a Mann’s Stretch 25 pink color. Now you can use any color you like, but I have found that pink works best with my second choice being a red and orange stretch.

The red fishing was awesome on Tuesday, but the big surprise was all the kings! We must have spotted 10 or so kings sky out of the water, and earlier that day I had lost a few of my jigs to these toothy thieves. I had to switch over to coated steel leader near the end of the day so I wouldn’t run out. Joe and Corby did manage to land a few small kings, which were thrown back to enjoy another day in the gulf. We certainly enjoyed the day. The winds were out of the SW to start out our day of fun; the gulf was a little choppy, with the seas running around 1-½ feet. They were calling for a cold front to move in around 11am, and the wind was supposed to switch around out of the North, and it did just that. After that, the gulf laid down just like I thought it would, and the sun came out and the fishing only got better. Good fishing with good friends is what it’s all about.

The new Florida Sport Fishing Magazine just hit the shelves and there is a great article about the winter Redfishing here along the Northwest Florida coast. I’m a little biased, since I wrote it, but I talk about hooking up these big reds, which if you have never been out and felt the power of these big fish, you need to give me a ring, and we’ll see about getting you your first ever Monster Redfish over 25lbs, too.

Closer inshore, near 3mile Bridge and in Big Lagoon, the white trout bite has really picked up along with some nice catches of slot reds. The trout bite has been very good up near the mouth of Escambia River where the freshwater and saltwater meet. The nice thing about this area is you can catch a variety of fish, like bass, trout, reds, stripers, and even some pan fish like bluegill. Red snapper season has closed, so if you do venture offshore for some bottom bumping, and you bring up a red snapper, remember to vent him and let him go. As you can see, the start of November, even though it’s a little cold, is really heating up. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get you hooked-up on the Mega-Bite.

Nov.1st

1 fish, 2 fish, 3 fish, redfish! We stopped counting when we hit 20, yes, 20+ slot reds on Friday! I took out Doug and his son, Max who usually fish south Florida, but decided to give the panhandle a try. Little Max was eager to hook up his first ever redfish. Well, it certainly was easy to help grant his wish, as not only did he catch his first ever red, but he helped break the record on my boat for the most slot reds ever caught in one sitting! This kid is going to be one great fisherman when he grows up…What am I saying? He already is a great fisherman! He knew how to throw out the lure, reel when he needed to, and he set the hook like a pro. Daddy Doug was a pretty good fisherman himself, and hooked up plenty of reds, but young nine-year-old Max wanted to reel in all the fish. With a total of 20+ reds, 3 Mangrove Snapper, and 2 Black Drum, it was a great day of fishing. You should have seen the water just boiling over with these reds as we drifted in to catch our limit!

 Most of the fish we caught on Friday were caught on 2” new penny Berkeley Gulp, rigged with a 1/4 jig by bouncing it off the bottom. A few of the Redfish were hitting top-water plugs, and I had to try out my new 4.25 High Roller Stick Walker Blue Shad. It performed well and held up to the hard strikes of these powerful redfish.

Be warned, not every day can be this spectacular, but I’ll do my best to put you on the fish.  Remember, some of the fun is just getting out to test out your new tackle or just enjoy the beautiful day. Of course, catching the fish is what makes the trip! As a guide, I enjoy watching my guests catch their fish more than if I were catching them myself.  It is thrilling to see a kid’s face beam as he holds up one trophy fish after another to pose for a picture that his friends back home will see. And to see proud Pop take that prize picture, well, it just doesn’t get much better. 

November is going to be another great month for fishing, with temperatures still in the middle 70’s and in the lower 50’s starting out the day.  The trout bite on the flats should be very good this next week.  Obviously, the Redfish bite has been exceptional, and those big Bull Redfish I’ve been talking about the past few reports should start showing up in the next two weeks. Black Snapper are still available for the taking on the rock jetties, and although the annual fall flounder fishing has just been ok, it should pick up in the next two weeks. If you have never hooked up a big monster redfish over 25 pounds, give me a jingle, and we’ll get you hooked up, too!

Oct.17th

Black snapper on light tackle is the hot ticket this week in Pensacola along the rock jetties in the pass and on few of the bridges in the area. Most of the fish are in the 14 – 16” range, but a few are topping the scale at over 4lbs. These tasty fish are great fun on light tackle, and using a small #4 Gamakatsu bait hook with a live bull-minnow or small live shrimp was working well. We even tried a 3” natural Berkeley Gulp which resulted in some good fish. I was using the Gulp on a 1 oz jig-head, pitching it close to the rocks in search of a redfish holding tight to the rocks. I did manage to get into one red today, but he was short and was tossed back in to grow up a bit.

Not only were the black snapper biting well, so were juvenile gag grouper. They were also holding tight to the rocks. Spanish mackerel are in the pass and in the bay along with even larger schools of ladyfish. On light tackle, these fish are great fun for family outings. Over near 3mile Bridge I’ve been catching a few King mackerel by drifting live and dead baits behind the boat on a float. Also on a few of my charters while we were anchored up catching kings, large schools of Spanish mackerel were showing up near 3mile Bridge. Pitching a small 1oz silver jig or spoon has proven to yield many fish. 

The trout bite has been very good in upper Escambia Bay. This week the lure of choice was the Exude RT Slug in the root beer / gold, black flake; the fish were jumping all over it. I also found that they liked the Golden Pepper Shiner on a ¼ jig head bouncing near the bottom. October has turned out to be a good month so far for fishing. Make sure you hit the water early, since the wind has still been a little bit of a problem in the afternoon.

Only a few more weeks and the big redfish will start to move into our bays and just off our beaches. These awesome brutes are great fun to fight. If you have never hooked-up a 25lb redfish, then November and December are great months to be here, just give me a shout and we will get you hooked-up on the Mega-Bite.

Oct. 1st

October has arrived in style with slightly milder temperatures. Red fishing in the bay has really picked up the past few days, with most of the fish hanging around depths of 4 –6 ft near drop-offs or deeper water. I have also caught some nice upper slot fish on a few of my favorite docks that are in the ICW. I’ve been pitching a 3” Natural Color Berkeley shrimp on a weighted super-line EWG Gamakatsu hook. This type of hook adds just enough weight for a slow presentation to entice a hungry Redfish to strike. The trout bite has also picked up as the water temperature has cooled. Fishing in October is a great time to fish for inshore species since they start to feed more regularly as the water temperatures cool. King Mackerel and Spanish are flooding the bays looking for large schools of bait. Trolling a Mann’s Stretch 25 with 60lb mono will produce some good strikes from Kings and even big Spanish mackerel. If you have a live eley or cigar minnow on a wire leader this will put you on some fish, too. In the middle of October and near the end of the month, the bigger Redfish will start to show up off our beaches and in our bays. This has to be some of the best fishing there is, and it lasts until mid February.  Flounder are on the move, heading out to the gulf to spawn, and October is one of the best months to catch these great eating fish. If you are into bottom fishing for Red Snapper you only have until November 1^st, when the season closes. The last day to keep a Red Snapper is Oct. 31^st, so when you have time and the weather is right, go out and get some great eating red snapper for dinner.As you can see, the start of October looks to be a great month, and the fall fishing is only going to get better.
Till next time, here’s wishing you bent rods and screaming drags.

Sept.

Fishing the past week has been great for Black snapper and slot redfish. The speck bite in the wee morning hours has been pretty good also. Most of the Black Snapper have been caught using live shrimp while fishing in the pass near some of the rock jetties in depths around 25ft. The bite is very subtle, so make sure you pay attention and be ready to set the hook!

A few big redfish are showing up in some of the same areas and we have been catching them on top and below the surface. So have a rod rigged with a top-water plug ready for some great top-water action. King Mackerel fishing in July was relatively slow compared to last year’s catch. As the water cools down over the next few weeks, the King bite should improve. We did manage to hook a few nice fish this week by slow trolling live baits.

It’s not too early to talk about the fall redfish run, as fall is just around the corner and those hard fighting reds we all love to catch will be here in a few weeks.

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

Seas this past week have been a little rough offshore, but I hear the red snapper bite has really picked up around depths of 110ft – 200ft, and some of the closer in wrecks are still producing keeper fish; you just have to weed through them.

Aug: 27

With temperatures still in the upper to middle 90’s and the heat index over 100 the past two weeks, the fishing has been tough for sure. I have been hitting the water at 5am to 5:30am and I’m off the water by at least 11am. Speck fishing has been pretty good in the wee early morning hours and it tapers off around 8am.
The near shore King Mackerel bite has been a little slow this week, but when the gulf starts to cool down a bit it should start to pick up. There have been some good catches offshore in the 120ft to 200 ft range.

The big story the past few weeks is about all the slot Redfish that have been caught on some of the flats and docks. Using live elys, small pinfish, and Berkley Gulps 3” Natural Shrimp have been working well for me. I have also caught some nice big bull Reds in the pass by drifting live baits, and have also seen them come to the surface to feed, and that’s when you better have a top water plug ready!

Just off the beaches near Ft. Pickens I have been seeing some big schools of Jacks, and just a few days ago we hooked up a nice 25lb fish and a few more in the 15 – 20 lb class.

Small black tip sharks are also cruising the second sand bar, and a fresh-cut ladyfish is always a good bait to entice a black tip, but be ready for a fight, as these pesky creatures don’t come to the boat easily.
Fall is just around the corner, and with all this warm weather I’m sure I am not the only one saying: Bring it on!  I’m ready for some fall and wintertime Red fishing. The annual Redfish run starts sometime around mid October and ends near mid March, just in time for the annual Sheepshead run.
So if you have never caught a redfish over 20 lbs, give me a call this fall and we’ll get you hooked up on the Mega-Bite!

One of my redfish trips last fall 

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

See Ya on the water.

Capt. John

Aug: 1st

July was a great month for catching fish along the Florida Panhandle, and it looks like the fishing is going to be great for August, too. The seas have been very calm these past few days and the fishing has been, well, let’s just say, my clients have been all smiles. With big Redfish in the pass and drag screaming Kings just offshore, it doesn’t get much better. The inshore bite for trout has been a little slow, as the water temperature has been very warm. However, you may find the better specks hanging around the deeper holes and if you like to nightfish this is the time of year to do just that. Stop at a few docks that have lights, and pitch a live or artificial shrimp near the dock and hang on, because I’m sure a hungry speck will gobble it up in seconds. You might even get lucky and hang into a nice keeper Redfish.