Archive fishing reports from 2007

 To see up to date reports click on the reports link to the left.

Pensacola - Navarre - Gulf breeze - Perdido Key

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!

Here is a tripe hook-up on 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 it broke the leader, but I said let’s get back on them.  They were only 50 yards off to the west and we made our way quickly over, and it was only a matter of minutes until we were hooked-up again with some monster Reds. This went on for a little while longer and then the feeding frenzy shut down. My thoughts were that the Reds had gorged themselves on bait and were ready for a nap; just like us!  We had had perfect weather, sunny skies, calm waters, and great fishing. What more could you ask for?  Just one more hook-up!  Till Next Time, Bent Rods and Screaming Drags.

Capt. John

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

November Reds have come and gone, but December Red fishing has been just as good as last month. Other than the cool weather the past few days, I have really enjoyed this season’s Redfish run, and showing new fishermen our great Red fishery we have here in Pensacola. Watching them hook-up some of these awesome fish brings a smile to my face every time. If you have not been out catching some of these big fish, you need to try it at least once.

The White Trout bite has been very good, just the other day we caught so many that we started throwing them back. They are good eating fresh and along with catching some nice Trout we managed to catch a few slot Reds and a couple of Flounder for the ice box.

Here are some pics from some of my past trips.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Bent Rods and Screaming Drags,

Capt. John Rivers

Click on smaller pics to enlarge

November:

Redfish mania is here this November. On my last few trips, we have caught so many Redfish that we have had to take breaks to eat our lunches to replenish our energy! This past weekend, November 18^th, I had the pleasure to fish with Bill, Jerry, and Jeremiah. Jeremiah just got back from Iraq from an 8-month tour, and he was rea dy for some fun fishing. This trip was one of my best Redfish runs ever. We boated 30 Reds in just 5 hrs and lost around 15 more on hook-pulls, with some just busting the lures or breaking line. These fish are big, strong, and just plain mean. That’s why I call them the Bronze Bullies. The Redfish bite should be good the next few months as the water cools a little more. There is still a lot of bait in the bay and just offshore, so these Reds are feeding well. The Flounder bite has been hit or miss the past few nights. So far this fall’s Flounder gigging run has gotten off to a slow start, but hopefully it will pick up when we get a few more cold fronts. Speck fishing has been good at night under dock lights, and late afternoon in they bayous and inlets. The water temp is still around 60-62 degrees, depending upon where you are in the bay or just off our beaches.  Most of the summer fish, such as Kings, Spanish and other migratory fish have made the move to South Florida, but that’s ok, since the Big Reds have shown up and the bite is hot.

If you’re looking for some great light tackle action, give me a call and we’ll get you hooked-up on some big Reds, too.
Bent Rods and Screaming Drags.

Capt. John

Click on smaller pics to enlarge