My Past Fishing Trips & Local Fishing Reports

Pensacola - Navarre - Gulf breeze - Perdido Key

 Inshore Fishing Report By

 Captain John Rivers

Archive Reports - 2007

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!

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

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.

Nearshore fishing for King Mackerel and Spanish has been very good also; trolling live and artificials has proven to be the technique for this season. I have found that having two trolling rods out with medium sized trolling plugs plus two more rods in the T-top rigged with live baits have proven to produce more fish this year than just trolling live baits. I’ve gotten a fair amount of strikes on artificials this year than in most recent years.

While catching Kings on these setups, we have also hooked up some big Bonita or what we call Bo Bo’s. These fish are great on light tackle and will give any angler a great fight.

Further offshore the Red Snapper bite is good, but should really start to pick up when the weather and the water starts to cool. Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi) catches are the best they have been in years, and should stay strong until the end of September to mid October. 

The next few weeks should be great fishing, so grab your favorite rod and reel and go out and catch that fish of a lifetime.

See ya on the water.

Capt. John

July:

July King fishing on the panhandle has been off the charts!

The King Mackerel are here, and the bite has been very satisfying on some of the nearshore wrecks. Just a little further offshore, but within state waters, (9 miles out), they have been catching some nice weight Wahoo and even some mouth-watering Mahi-Mahi. Catching these deepwater fish in close is somewhat unusual, but this year it’s been happening more often.

 If fishing just off the beach, you’ll find plenty of Bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and Skipjacks. You’ll discover catching these fish on light tackle is great fun. In the pass, we are still catching some big Redfish by drifting live or dead baits, and we are even hooking up a few Mangrove Snapper on a few drifts. In the middle of the bay large schools of Spanish Mackerel have moved in, so be sure to keep a spoon or buck tail jig handy; then you’re sure to bring home some dinner.

 It’s going to be an awesome month for inshore / nearshore fishing. July has always been one of my favorite months to fish because every type of summer fish has arrived, and they are hungry. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s go hook our limit! See you on the water.

 Capt. John

June:12

Hot Temperature Means Hot Fishing in Pensacola

For the past few weeks, the wind had made fishing tough, but now that June is here, the weather has been picture perfect.

Fishing has been off the charts for Kings and Spanish mackerel. With the seas much calmer, especially with the milder wind, we were finally able to get out and go after some drag-screaming kings.  And the kings were ready for the taking!  Not only are the kings running good, we are seeing some big Spanish mackerel in the same areas where we are hooking up the kings.

A little closer inshore we are catching some quality speckled trout, with some reaching close to 3 – 4 lbs.  Skipjacks and bluefish are plentiful and are great fun to catch on light tackle. The rest of this week looks great, and with temperatures in the upper 80’s to lower 90’s and variable winds, it should make for great fishing along the Panhandle.

If you’re looking for some great light tackle action, give me a shout and we’ll get you hooked-up on a Smoker King!
See you on the water.
Capt. John

Mega-Bite Inshore Charters

June:1st

Fishing this past week was as good as it gets along the panhandle of Florida. 

I’ve been catching a fair amount of specks on a lot of my morning trips. We have even seen some big schools of Redfish working menhaden in the bay. King and Spanish mackerel are here, and the bite has been very good. Most of the Kings are still being caught just offshore, but it won’t be long till they are in the pass and in the middle of the bay feeding on small cigar minnows and threadfin herring bait schools. Spanish mackerel are everywhere along the coast and in the bay, and respond well to small jigs and spoons. 
The pompano bite has been off the charts this season. Shore-bound anglers and those in boats are getting their limits in just a few hours. While casting for Pompano from a boat, keep a close eye out for large schools of Jacks cruising down the beach. Just a few days back, I spotted the biggest school of Jacks I had ever seen; well over 200 fish. I had two 30lb class rods rigged with large top-dogs ready to entice a hungry jack. We followed the school, and hooked 11 and landed 8. At one time, we had 4 jacks on at once and landed all four for a great photo. 

As you can see, the fishing in mid-May is very good, and it’s only going to get better in June.

 The bait is arriving more and more every day, and along with the bait comes the fish,

 so grab your favorite rod and reel and go catch that fish of a lifetime. 
I had a day off a few days back and went out and hooked my first every 

Wahoo, topping the scales at 45lbs – 50lbs, and measuring well over 60” long. 

May:

Two words all anglers like to hear are FISH ON!

Well, the weather has definitely turned for the angler’s benefit. This week, as it was last week, the forecast looks great for fishing, with light and variable winds and temps in the low to mid eighties.
The speckled trout bite has really started to heat up on the flats.  We had some rain last week, and that helped push the trout out onto the flats, and it even mudded up the water a bit. I find that this helps with the bite, as the clearer water spooks ‘em and they get leader shy. I’ve been catching some nice redfish in the same areas as the specks, just slow down your presentation, and you’ll be sure to hook up. The sheepshead bite has slowed down a bit; they are still around, but most have already spawned in the gulf and are making their way back to the rivers and inlets where they will hang out the rest of the summer.

The big story the past week is the abundance of Spanish mackerel in the bay and pass. I’ve even caught some while trout fishing up in the sound on the flats. The other big thing with the Spanish is their size!  They are running big; most of the fish are well over 20”, which is big for early spring.  If you venture out along the beaches of Pensacola in search of more Spanish mackerel, keep a close eye out for the brown clown, better known as Cobia. The annual run is still going strong, but should start to taper off in the next two weeks, and then most of the cobia will be caught while bottom fishing as they will hang out on offshore reefs. The red snapper bite has also been very good the past few days, and seeing that the seas are going to be less then 2ft all week, I’m sure that a few will be sitting pretty in the ice box.  I plan on making a trip or two out to finally bring home some of that red snapper that my wife has been craving.  Perhaps I will hook into a cobia, too!  Yep, that’s what springtime fishing in the Panhandle is all about!  Get out there soon and enjoy yourself!

April:

4-16

Last week was cold and windy, and this week the sun heated things back up, but here we are again, and it’s cold and windy. I’ve been able to sneak out a few times, and when we were able to get out on the water the fishing was great. We boated some big Spanish mackerel and few big specks.

The big story is Red Snapper season, which opened up on April 15^th in state waters, and will open up on April 21^st in federal waters. Check with FWC to see what the new limits are on Red Snapper, as they have undergone some new management with NMF and FWC.

The sheepshead bite is still going strong in the pass and along the rock jetties. Up in Santa Rosa Sound we are catching good numbers of slot Reds and the speck bite has really started to pick up, too.

Pompano are showing up in the bay along with big schools of Spanish mackerel.  Reports of King Mackerel being caught of the Pensacola pier, and I’ve even seen a few sky on bait pods in the bay and pass.

The cobia run is still going strong and should be good until the end of April, and then it will slack off. They are calling for calmer winds the week of the 15^th through 22^nd, so the fishing should be better. Spring is back, and the fishing should be coming on big time!
Till next time, bent rods and screaming drags!

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

Capt. John

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4-1 

March madness was all about fishing, and April should be just as good. The Sheepshead bite was off the charts the past few weeks, and should stay hot for the next month or so. Not only has the Sheepshead bite been great, but I'm also catching a fair amount of keeper Redfish and Black Drum, and even a few Pompano mixed in. Speck fishing has started to heat up on the flats in the early morning hours, where we're using live shrimp and Berkley Gulps on a popping cork. I've also caught a few big trout on top water plugs; so don't forget your favorite popper to entice that hungry gator.

 April is known for many different types of fishing, but our annual Cobia run along the Panhandle has many anglers spending long hours in tuna / cobia towers trying to catch a glimpse of the “ big brown clown,” (that’s what we up in the panhandle call the cobia). This season is starting off pretty good, with a few big Cobias over 60lbs caught over the past few days. Along with our annual Cobia run, Pompano start to be show up on the sand bars, and the word is the bite has already been very good in the early morning hours, and sand flees is the bait of choice.

Large schools of Jack Crevalle have been spotted cruising up and down the sand bars, while working the bait pods.  Spanish Mackerel are busting baits both in the pass and just off the beach in the early morning hours. With the weather warming up and the fishing as good as it has been, I can’t think of a better place to be, than on the water fishing your favorite spot with your favorite lure.

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

See you on the water!

March: 

3-31-2007 

March madness was all about fishing, and April should be just as good. The Sheepshead bite was off the charts the past few weeks, and should stay hot for the next month or so. Not only has the Sheepshead bite been great, but I’m also catching a fair amount of keeper Redfish and Black Drum. Speck fishing has started to heat up on the flats in the early mornings hours, and we’re using live shrimp or Berkley Gulps on a popping cork. I’ve also caught a few big trout on top water plugs; so don’t forget your favorite popper to entice a hungry gator.

3-28-07
Wednesday was a fun day out with a couple my good friends, Corby and Joe.

We only fished about 5 hrs that day and still loaded the box for a good fish fry planned for next weekend.  Fishing with good friends is always fun. 

3-29-07

Another good day out on the water. I met up with Mark from Orlando and his godfather Paul from Minnesota.  The weather could not have been nicer, with calm seas to boot. The bite started off a little slow, because the tide was not moving too well, but as soon as the water started to move a bit, the bite was on!  They both started to hook fish after fish for a good hour or two. Paul was in the lead for the first hour or so, but Mark was not going to be outdone as he started to fill up the box with his own big Sheepies! The last fish of the day for Mark was a nice 25” slot Redfish. What a way to end the day.

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

3-30-07

I did not like the conditions for fishing today: 12 –15 knots winds out of the SE.

I met up with Brian, Lindsey, and Gene from Arkansas for a fishing adventure and that’s exactly what we got. I fished out of Perdido Key that day and when I came around the point just pass Big Lagoon; the wind slapped us in the face, blowing a good 15 knots. I knew it was going to be rough in the pass, and I told them it was going to be a little bumpy, so it was their call if they wanted to try it anyway. Brian said they were here to fish, so when we got there we had solid 2ft waves with occasional 2-½ footers showing up off and on. We tried to fish but the current and waves made it tough. We had a few good bites, but it was hard to feel them. I motored over to Ft. Pickens to get out of the wind and waves, and that was a good idea as we started to catch some fish, not any sheepshead, but we did manage to bring in two black drum and boat some big bluefish. This went on for a solid two hours and then I noticed that the wind had died down. We moved back to the pass, and what a difference two hours makes! The waves were a little calmer and the current was not as bad. Brian was the first to hook up, and he handed the rod over to his son Gene, who is 9yrs old and had never caught sheepshead before. Was this ever a treat for him, as these fish pull hard. The bite stayed good for another two hours, and Lindsay and Brian were hooking into some big fish, but once again the big fish of the day was Gene’s slot 27” Redfish. I had to double check this fish to make sure it was in the slot with two different tape measures. When it came up, I was not sure if it was going to make the slot, but it did, and when it hit the ice in fish box, little Gene was all smiles.
Brian, Lindsey and Gene fished hard and didn’t let the windy conditions and rough seas deter them from having a good time on the water.

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

Till next time, Bent Rods and Screaming Drags.
Capt. John 

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3-20-2007 

Spring has arrived in full swing with temperatures in the high 60’s to middle 70’s.
Fishing has been very good. The annual sheepshead bite has started, along with the pompano run. I’m also catching the occasional slot redfish.

It’s been a bit windy the past few weeks, so it’s been a little tough getting out. We haven’t had much rain this month, so the water is very clear. In fact, I actually prefer the water to be a little murkier than it is right now; it helps when the fish can’t see your line / leader.
In the next few weeks, the trout bite should start to pick up, as the trout will start to move out of the rivers and deep holes and into the flats.

Yesterday's trip was great! Cliff, his brother John, and John’s son-in-law, Bobby, had a great time catching sheepshead, black drum, and redfish. We had a neap tide, which made fishing, or actually catching, tough, but we managed to bring home a pretty good box of fish.

Today's trip went great, we caught a Sheepshead, and Black Drum.

 No Redfish today, we had a couple on, but they took us up under the piling and broke us off.

Here are few pictures of yesterdays & today’s catch.

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

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Pensacola Inshore Guide Report By Captain John Rivers

3-15-2007

Panhandle sheepies on the move

 With spring just around the corner and the water warming up, the annual migration of Sheepshead will start. These clever bait stealers move out of the rivers and upper bays and head out to the gulf to spawn. This happens every year right around St. Patrick’s Day like clockwork, but this year the water is a bit warmer and it looks like the migration might start a week or two sooner than usual. Sheepsheads are notorious for stealing your bait before you realize it’s gone.  With their Sheep- like teeth they can pick at your bait and leave you fishing on credit, as I like to say, which is when you bring up an empty hook!

Sheepsheads eat primarily crustaceans and barnacles, and live mostly near oyster beds and along bridge pilings and old docks.  The baits of choice are live shrimp, fiddler crabs, and a little secret that not a lot of people know about:  Oysters. Stop over at a seafood market and pick up a pint of oysters and put one on a hook, and you will see that this works great when the others are not producing well.

I had a few trips this past week, and the bite was very good as long as we had some current. Make sure that when fishing for Sheepshead, you have some type of moving water. We hooked some good fish on my last trip, with a couple topping the scales over 6 lbs. Here are a couple of big sheepies.

During the Sheepshead run you will also catch Pompano, and many people agree that Pompano is one of the best-eating inshore fish along the gulf coast. Pompano also show up in mid-March when the water temperature starts to rise above 60 degrees. Many anglers catch them surf fishing off the beach or in our bays by using a variety of baits such as sand-flees, shrimp, or small jigs known as Pompano Jigs. Also, don’t forget to cruise the beach and sight-fish for Redfish and more Pompano. These fish can also be caught using jigs and live bait.

March and April are my favorite times to fish, because the weather is great!  Not too hot, and the fishing is very good. With a variety of fish to be caught like Specks, Sheepshead, Pompano, and slot Reds, it’s no wonder why many winter- bound anglers get the fishing fever the first week of March in the Panhandle.

Till next time, Bent Rods and Screaming Drags.

Capt. John

February

Friday  - 9th

February is here and the inshore Redfish bite is very good along the bridges and pilings. I met up with Capt. James LaVanway from S.C. and his buddy Tim to do some mid- February Red fishing along the beaches of Pensacola and in our bays and inlets. Our first stop was out off the beaches out of the pass about 7 miles. We spotted some birds working the area, and within a few casts James was hooked up, but the fish spit the hook. We moved around searching the skies for bird activity and watching the bottom machine for some glimmer of a Redfish, when I finally spotted some fish on the machine.  Once again, James was hooked up and again the hook pulled. I checked the hook to make sure it was good and sharp, and it was. We continued to look for fish in the gulf, and after a couple hours of looking, I decided to head to a few secret spots where we had been catching some nice White Trout, Specks, and a few Reds. Well, I definitely made a good call. I had James and Tim working a jig off the bottom with a Berkley Gulp, and they quickly started hooking up Trout. James was the first to hook up a nice 34” Red. James said the Red hit the jig like a ton of bricks.

After a few more hours of catching Reds and Trout, the wind started to pick up and we were ready to call it a day. The weather could not have been better, 68 degrees and partly sunny with a light NE wind around 6 knots. The fishing was great and the company even better. James and Tim had such a great time hooking up Reds and Trout, that they booked another trip on Saturday, even knowing Friday would be hard to top. Total for Friday’s trip was 12 Reds hooked, 9 landed, and too many White Trout to count.

Saturday  - 10th

We arrived at the boat ramp around 8am, and the cold front that the local news was talking about last evening had arrived in full force. The temperature in the morning was a chilling 38 degrees, with the wind coming out of the north a solid 12 knots. I told the guys that it was going to be tough conditions, but being the diehard fishermen that we were, we decide to give it a shot.  This time, I worked the west side of the bridge, hoping that the bridge would shield us from some of the wind, which it did. We were able to fish, but it still wasn’t as good as it was on Friday. On James’ first cast, he hooked up with a Monster fish, although we never got to see it.  It headed straight for the pilings, and there was no turning it. It had to be either a big Redfish or a large Grouper. During the winter months, large Grouper come into our bays, and from time to time the bite can be pretty good. James and I were not happy about losing a fish to structure, but that’s fishing. It wasn’t long until Tim hooked a good fish, and it also took to the pilings for safety. This happened a couple of times during the day, but not to worry, James and Tim redeemed themselves. James had a bet on who would land the first Red, and both Tim and James had their chance a couple of times. Well after about 15 – 30 minutes of catching White Trout, Tim yells out FISH ON and I could tell by his voice and the rod bend it was no Trout. Tim was about to be $10 dollars richer.

The wind made it tough to hold position with the trolling motor but I managed to keep us close to the structure. We were only going to fish for 4 hrs as they had to get back to the hotel and get on their planes to had back home, Tim was from North Alabaman and James from S.C. so since we were more on a time schedule than on Friday we wanted to fish up to the last minute. James wanted to fish tight to one of the bridge pilings and I moved the boat as close to the structure as I could and it proved to work out well as James pulled out a nice 19” Speck, we took a quick pick and let it go back to be caught another day.

 Take care and See Ya on the water.

Till Next Time Bent Rods and Screaming Drags.

Capt. John Rivers

Feb 1st

These cold winter days have made even the most dedicated anglers wish for warmer weather.  It has made it tough to go fishing anywhere. Just a day or two ago, on an unusually cold Florida morning here in the panhandle, I risked frostbite, (okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little, as it was nearly 50 degrees), to go take my new boat out to see how she handled. With the brisk north wind blowing, I couldn’t help but miss those warmer days on the water. I also couldn’t help reminiscing about what finally brought me to this fishing paradise.

 Fishing is a passion of a lot of people across the world and has been a passion of mine since I was old enough to hold a fishing pole. I can remember when I was just a kid and my dad took me bluegill fishing, and we caught big hand-sized bluegill ‘till the cooler was too full to shut the lid properly. As an adult, as soon as I was able, I bought my own little johnboat, and started to visit different lakes in the area searching out new hot spots to hook into some big Midwest large mouth bass and whatever else pulled my drag.

It wasn’t until I was in my late 20’s that I found my true calling, and that was when I came down to the Gulf Coast on vacation with my in-laws, wife, and my then 18-month-old son. I had never been to the Gulf and I had never fished it either. It was late springtime, and the big Reds were still running. Now, I didn’t know this at the time, but that was ok with me, I was just happy to be near the water and to have a fishing pole in my hands. The condo we were staying at had a private pier, and as soon as we arrived and checked into the condo, I was out on the pier fishing. I felt right at home, although I wasn’t used to all the seagulls squawking above me! There was an elderly local man on the pier, and he offered up live bait to me, which I remember being small finger mullet, and showed me how to rig them.  I rigged up my first bait and tossed it out, hoping to catch whatever might be swimming by. I didn’t expect too much, because I figured maybe the man wasn’t having much luck, since he was giving his bait away and all. Well, I certainly was in for a big, and I mean BIG surprise.  Within 15 minutes, I had caught a 30lb Redfish, the biggest fish I had ever caught! This is when I became hooked on pier fishing the gulf. I got him up on the pier with the help of the local man with a pier net.  I took some pictures of this big awesome fish, and unless I was sleeping or eating, I was out on that pier. Back in Indiana, every time I looked at those photos, I felt “homesick” for the gulf.  Of course, it wasn’t too long before I decided the gulf was going to be my home for good.  We moved to Pensacola in 1999. Unless I was working, sleeping or eating, I was out fishing.

 A year or so later, when I was asked to go out on a friend’s boat to do some bottom fishing, I jumped at the opportunity.  On my very first drop, I hooked into a nice 17” Red Snapper. I was all smiles, but it wasn’t until a few hours went by that I hooked the fish that made my day. I hooked into a small ruby red-lip, and the guy who brought me along told me to toss it out and put the rod in the holder. I knew how to rig up live bait from being on the piers for the past year.  After bottom fishing for a little while, my bait had been soaking, waiting for some hungry fish to swim by and eat it up. I decided to check the bait and I started to reel it in. I noticed once my bait was close to the boat, that it was dead, but at that very moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a very large brown shadow cruise out from under the boat. I yelled out SHARK, but my friend yelled out COBIA, and my bass fishing instincts took over. I twitched my bait like I would freshwater fishing, and with only that one twitch, the MONSTER COBIA inhaled my bait and the fight was on!  My reel was screaming like I’ve never heard before, and I had this gut-feeling that this big awesome fish was not going to come to the boat quietly. I was right about that. After a good 20 minutes on 25lb test spinning outfit, I had landed my first ever Cobia, which weighed in at a whopping 50lbs. With my heart pumping fast and sweat pouring down my face, I had only one thing in mind, get my own boat and do this again and again. On my first day in the gulf bottom fishing I caught some nice Red Snapper a few Trigger fish and my first ever Cobia. I was truly HOOKED ON SALTWATER FISHING!

So, during these long, cold winter days as you’re going through your tackle, remember why you fell in love with the wonderful sport of fishing. And remember, it won’t stay too cold too long, and I’ll see you out there soon.
Till Next Time, Bent Rods and Screaming Drags.

Capt. John Rivers

Copyright© - Mega-Bite Inshore Guide Service

January

Rob screamed out, “I’m on!” Alex said, “Me too!”  Then Derek and Dave shouted out they were on, too; a quad hook-up!  It was like this from the start and for most of the day today as we boated 50 REDS!

Today was by far the best Red fishing day I have had all season. We started out fishing 3 Mile Bridge a little while for some Trout and to see if we could boat a few Reds. The guys boated some nice Trout, but they really wanted to see those Pensacola Big Reds.

After a about an hour of fishing for Trout, I said let’s see what’s up in the Gulf. I fired up the motor and made my way to a few spots where I’ve been catching some good fish recently. With the fog still around at 11a.m., I carefully motored our way out into the Gulf, and about 30 minutes later, I spotted what I’ve wanted to see all winter: 200 – 500 fish crashing on top after bait fish.

It was a feeding frenzy like you only dream about! I told everyone to get ready for some great action, and that’s what we had for 4hrs non-stop. My crew had never been saltwater fishing before, and they definitely got spoiled on this trip. Rob and his buddies were down here from Purdue University finishing up on their MBA’s, and were looking for some R&R in Pensacola and to also experience our Red fishery in January. They got exactly what they were looking for as the fish gods were smiling down on us today. It was surely a day to remember for everyone on board.  I had a great time watching everyone hook up fish after fish, and then listen to their “complaints” about their arms being tired from catching 10+ reds apiece.

The frenzy lasted for well over 4hrs, but it was time to head for land. We left them biting as I motored back across the gulf.  While we were cruising along, we spotted more Reds busting the surface. We all wanted to catch more, but it was getting late and we were worn out and ready for a warm meal and a soft couch to rest our sore bodies.  

Till Next Time, Bent Rods and Screaming Drags.

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

December

Dec28:

Calm waters and cool temperatures are a perfect match for big Redfish. We hit the water around 10am and made our way across the west end of Pensacola Bay. The brisk cool air made for an eye-watering ride, but that was ok, as we were all fired up to hook into some big Reds. Pensacola is known for its big Redfish, and my clients were eager to see how hard these big Bulls pulled. With no birds to show me the way to our pot of gold, I had to use my trusty bottom machine to locate bait and the elusive Reds lurking below. I starting out trolling to see if I could locate them, but when I couldn’t, I packed up and headed east into the gulf, where I spotted a few birds marking bait.  After watching my bottom-machine light up some fish, I decided to put out the stretches again, and it didn’t take long before we had our first knock-down; a good 20lb Red was boat-side, ready to pose with Mark for a few quick pictures.

With one nice fish boated, we had gotten the skunk out of the boat. We were ready to hook into some more big Reds. Still trolling along the east shore off Pensacola, I spotted a few more birds working, so we made our way over, but it turned out to be nothing this time.

I decided to head back into the bay, and then I spotted a very large flock of birds working hard on a big bait pod across the island. It was a short 7-mile run back through the pass to where I wanted to fish, so we motored up and flew across the smooth waters. It was a good call, because when I arrived, it was a Red fish bonanza!  Reds were busting baits on top while pelicans were attacking the bait from the air.

 I was the only boat to see these fish, and I didn’t want to spook them, so I cut the engine, drifted into the school, and we had a triple hook-up in seconds. Now the fun really began, trying not to have three big fish tangle our lines, as I stood back and watched Derek, Anna and Charles work their fish, moving around the boat, going under and over with their rods in hand. Anna was the first to land her fish, which was also the biggest fish of the day, a whopper well over 30lbs!  Charles boated his next, and then Derek had his on board, which made the count three on and three released. Mark watched all the mayhem, and said he had one on, but i