2014 End of Year Report - Pensacola Fishing Report

2014 End of Year Report

The last part of December was tough here on the Gulf Coast, with lots of rain and wind, making it more difficult to get out on the water.

There were still plenty of days that were fishable, so I was able to splash the Triton, and enjoy some end of the year angling.

 

The big reds were MIA for a while during December, but did show up again just in time for the last week. While the big reds were gone, I was able to get my clients on some light tackle slot and upper slot reds while either jigging live shrimp or soft plastics at some of our local bridges. It’s always good to have a plan B.

Since the weather has not been the best the past 10 or so days, I don’t have much new to report, as I’ve not been out as much lately.

In the meantime, let’s talk about what the New Year should bring to the panhandle. In January the big reds should be around most of the month. But if the wind is too strong there are other areas to fish including upper Escambia Bay and Escambia River. Another good area to check out, and I might spend a little time over there in the near future, is Blackwater Bay and the rivers that feed it.

Since I’ve not been out much because of Mother Nature and me having an upper respiratory infection I’ll post a more detailed report in a week or so.

Tight Lines…
John

www.captainjohnrivers.com

www.satltwateracademy.com

850-341-9816

December Brings Big Reds - Pensacola Fishing Reports

November is in the books and it was the best I have ever seen with the amount of fish caught and the size. December came in with warm temps the first week, around 72 degrees all week, which was very nice. We did have a full moon the first week, which did impact the bite some on a couple trips, but not too bad. We just didn’t catch as many, but when you’re used to hooking up 20 –40 fish a trip and then it drops to only catching 6 or 8, then I guess I’m getting spoiled. Last night we got a small cold front and it will surely fire them off again. If you striper fish, these fish behave in similar fashion. They like the cold fronts and usually after each one they kick it up a notch. I’m still tossing Spro 1.5oz jigs at them with 7 and 8 foot

Medium Heavy Rods with 4000 to 5000 reels. I use two different rods on my trips, both St. Croix and Wright McGills, and for reels, I use Shimano.

I have found that these big reds can retire a reel fast if you don’t have good equipment that can hold up to their hard runs and their pure power. When you’re fighting a fish for 3 –6 minutes you need your tackle to hold up and not fail.

The last thing I want is you to lose that trophy fish because I didn’t have the proper tackle in excellent working order. 

The season should go strong until the middle of January and start to taper off. So if you want to experience some fun fast action fishing, you need to give this a try. Take a few days off, put the snow shovel down, head to the Gulf Coast and let’s get a bent rod in your hand with a monster redfish attached at the other end.

If you’re on Facebook, check out my fan page, you can keep up with me while I’m on the water and see what’s going on each day. I post more often on there than I do on my fishing reports page. This page gets updated about twice a month; Facebook is usually every day while I’m on the water.

 

Tight Lines... John

November is the month of golden reds! - Pensacola Fishing Report

November is the month of golden reds!

 Each year I look forward to the annual fall redfish run, and the start of this one has topped them all. We had another cold front on Tuesday and that’s a good thing, because these reds like it cold. Over the past two weeks, I’ve been on the water frequently mostly with clients and a few times with buddies enjoying some fun fishing for myself.
There is nothing like fishing our annual redfish run. These fish are large and in charge, and they put up a fight that you’ll never forget. More fish have come over the gunnel this November than in years past. And not only have we caught more fish, the fish are averaging much bigger than past years. The next 10 days look great weather wise and I’ll be out each day with clients having a blast, I’m sure. Watching their faces is priceless when they see how big their fish is when it pops up from the blue waters of Pensacola Bay.

I think they enjoy the running and gunning to get to these schools just as much as catching them. Sometimes we have to run fast to the schools of fish to get there first, and that’s where my Triton 240 LTS comes into play as far as ride, stability, and speed.  I can get you to the fish fast and safe and the ride is so smooth you’ll be hooked up before you know it!

Please keep in mind this trip is not a meat trip;  it’s strictly a catch and release trip as these fish are too big to keep per Florida Regulations. So that’s why we take extra care when we release them so they can swim off to make babies and/or be caught another day by maybe you!

Thanks for stopping by. If you’re on Facebook become a fan of my business page, and keep up to date on what’s happening in real-time when I’m on the water or what’s happening each day.

 

Tight Lines… John

Redfish Extravaganza - Pensacola Fishing Reports

November 12th Pensacola Fishing Report

I'm going to keep it short as I think the photos will tell the tail !

It’s been a redfish extravaganza over the past two weeks. This has to be one of the best starts to the annual redfish run I’ve ever seen.  So far on most trips anglers have been catching double digits. We’ve had some 20 and 30 fish days. Today’s trip (11-12-2014) we boated 32 reds and only had two anglers on the boat. These reds are big averaging about 18 lbs – 22 lbs with some topping the scale over 25 lbs and every once in a while we boat one over 30 lbs. Over the past few trips we’ve had a couple fish over 41”. These trips are pretty much all catch and release trips.

We are getting another major cold front in the middle of this week and that should really turn the reds on, as if the bite could get any better.

If you would like to experience this awesome fishery, give me a shout. I’ve got a few days left open in November, and December is getting pretty booked, but there are some spots still left open.

Thanks for stopping by, let’s get you hooked up on a Trophy Redfish today.

 

 

 

Tight Lines…John
Mega-Bite Inshore Charters  www.megabiteinshore.com 

850-341-9816

Fishing Report Oct 21st - Pensacola, Navarre, Perdido Key

October 21st^, 2014 - Fishing Report  -Pensacola, Florida

The past week has been outstanding for King Mackerel in Pensacola Bay. Live bait (Menhaden) is the bait of choice. While catching these Kings, we are also catching Jack Crevalle and Sharks. This style of fishing will last till around mid November and then we’ll be going after the bull reds that will start to show up right around November 1^st -10^th.  Let’s talk about trout and reds on the flats. The inshore bite on the flats in October is typically a great month for inshore fishing, but it didn’t started out that way. Not too many captains will post reports saying the fishing was slow when it is, but honestly it’s been a very tough start to October. Even though it’s been a challenge these past couple weeks, we are still catching fish, but we really have to watch the tides, and pick the right conditions for the clients’ needs.

So what do I expect the last 10 days of the month? Better fishing. That’s because the tides are going to get better and we’ll be getting some much needed cold fronts, and that should kick off the fall fishing that we are more accustomed to by now. I will be fishing a bunch next week both morning and evening trips, and I’ll post some reports and hopefully I will have good news. If it’s not I’ll let you know. I feel that if the fishing is slow, let the client know what to expect so they have an informed decision whether to reschedule the trip or take their chances. This policy has always been my motto and I feel it’s the correct way to run a fishing business.

I have a top of the line 240 LTS Triton, new or practically new rods and reels, and some of the best tackle on the market. My Humminbird 999ci HD si is essential for finding the structure where the fish are congregating when we are out scouting around for that elusive trophy fish.

Lastly, lets talk about what’s to come in November. The big reds should start to make their way into the bays in a few weeks. As soon as we get a few major cold fronts, it will kick off the fall redfish run. I’m happy to announce that the bay is full of bait and when I say full, I’m not exaggerating. All the blood-minnows and Menhaden are pouring out of the upper bay estuaries.

With all the bait in the bay, it won’t be long before reds get here.

Hope everyone has a great week. I'll post a new report on or after Halloween

Till then, here's wishing you bent rods and screaming drags.

John 

www.captainjohnrivers.com

850-341-9816

Pensacola Inshore Fishing Report

Pensacola Inshore Fishing Report   

September came to a close. It’s been very windy and kept me off the water more than I like, but I have had the chance to get out on the water a handful of times. With the busy summer season behind me, it was time to do a bit of maintenance on the rod reels and boat.  Upkeep is key to having your equipment in top-notch shape, plus I wanted to get all my ducks in a row before the fall redfish run which is getting closer. So one week was trailer work, the other week was checking wires, pumps, and fuses. You never want to get out on the water and have a problem, so it’s worth it to fix it before it breaks.
Of course, I did notch out some time to get out there and fish, so here is a report on those handful of day trips and even a few of those night trips for September.  The last few weeks fishing the pass for reds and trout was pretty productive, but the key was to get there when the tide was right.

For the redfish and trout I was tossing top-water plugs like MirrOlure’s Top Dog and the 17MR MirrOdine and ZMan’s PaddlerZ and MinnowZ. The night bite at a few of the bridges has been outstanding for white trout and redfish and even a shark or two. The white trout are so plentiful; it is perfect for kids and family outings. Most of the fish are 1 –1.5 lbs, but they are starting to get a little bigger as fall approaches.  We did manage to hook a few fish that were around 2.5 lbs, and those fatties made for a good fight on light tackle. White trout are pretty tasty, and the kids just love how easy it is to get one to bite that hook.  I’ve had a few guests with kids that were so worn out from reeling, that they had to give their wrists a rest before continuing.

The reds have been caught both deep and around the lights on top. I like to pitch a ZMan Jerkshad on a ¼ oz jig head for the reds, and also free line a live bait with no weight and just a circle hook  set in the rod holder while we’re jigging for trout and reds. As you can see, fishing has been very good and should only get better as fall approaches and cooler temperatures arrive. Starting in about 4 weeks the annual fall redfish run will start and I can’t wait. If you like the pull of a monster redfish over 25 lbs, give me a shout and we’ll get you hooked up for sure.

 

Tight Lines.. Capt. John

www.captainjohnrivers.com

850-3419816

Fall is not far off - Pensacola Charters

August is over and yet we still have about 5 weeks of warm weather and then it will be fall.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be working the same areas for reds, and targeting Spanish some with some speck fishing mixed in. The speck fishing will be halfway decent, but it won’t really get good until October when the water starts to cool off.

September is a good month for big Spanish in Pensacola Bay as well as big king mackerel. In late September king mackerel show up in our bay, and it is a lot of fun going after these toothy critters. So over the next few weeks, yes, it’s gonna be hot, so if you don’t like hot temps, try fishing at night on 3-mile bridge for reds, trout and even tarpon. Tarpon show up in July and August and in September they start to go make their way in to Pensacola bay and the upper bay areas, feeding on all the baitfish. During September at night it’s one of the best times to fish and catch a tarpon in Pensacola.

Lastly, don’t forget, if you’re heading down this way for November and December, the annual fall/winter red fishing will be in full swing. And let me tell you, if you want to hook up with a trophy redfish, then this is the time to visit Pensacola.

Till the next adventure, tight lines.

John 

www.satltwateracademy.com

www.captainjohnrivers.com

 

August Reds O'plenty - Pensacola Fishing Charters

August has pretty much started off similar to July, with lots of redfish, and plenty of spanish mackerel around. Mixed in are ladyfish and some bluefish. The trout bite has been so-so the past few weeks, here’s a tip, slow your baits down similar to what you would do if it was winter time. If you are serious about catching trout, try the lights at night or the last two hours of daylight. I’ve found the bite to be the best then for these yellow-mouth critters. I’ve been tossing a variety of baits on the reds from live to artificial depending

upon where I’m fishing. August is still a hot month as is September and it’s not until October when the fish start to make their migration up river and out of our area depending on the species.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be working the same areas for reds, and targeting Spanish some with some speck fishing mixed in. The speck fishing like I said is ok, but it won’t really get good until October when the water starts to cool off.

Don’t forget, if you’re heading down this way for November and December, the annual fall/winter red fishing will be in full swing. And let me tell you, if you want to hook up with a trophy redfish, then this is the time to visit Pensacola.
Till the next adventure, tight lines. 

 

John 

www.captainjohnrivers.com 

850-341-9816

Redfish O Plenty - Pensacola Fishing Charters

What a year it’s been so far; new boat, crazy temperatures, flooding, and lots of bent rods.  I’ve been fishing non-stop it seems like since spring break. I received my new 240 LTS Triton in February and I’m so happy with it. It is everything I’ve wanted in a boat and my clients are very pleased with it as well.

The summer break is nearly over and families are winding up their vacationing. Just like last year, it’s going to start to slow down tourism wise, and although I love my job, I’m okay with the thought of a few days off. Running just about everyday and doubles some days will wear you down and at 47 years young, I’m ready for a break.

So, you want to know how the fishing has been? It has been off the charts! This July is all about slot reds and lots of them. Over the past three weeks, I’ve been crushing the slot reds in the bay, sound, and flats. The bite has been astounding; it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. This redstravaganza can’t last much longer; it is crazy good! The only thing bad about this good of fishing is that each trip I worry that the bite will finally shut off, but each time we go out, the bite gets better.

Of course, with August right around the corner, summer is kind of over for me. The kids are going back to school and that means August is much slower, but the fishing isn’t over by a long shot. August is still a great month for all inshore light tackle species.  I’ll be targeting the same areas I did in July, and hopefully having some of the same results.

I have been guiding in the Pensacola, Navarre and Perdido Key area for over 11 years now and have been fishing these waters for 16 years. Trust me when I say I’m your guy when it comes to light tackle inshore fishing. With my new Triton, state of the art electronics, all the toys and gadgets on the boat, top of the line rods and reels, and all the best tackle the front hatch will hold, I can proudly say you’ll be fishing in style. See my Facebook page for up to date pics of my latest catches. I write reports on my main site about every two to three weeks.

Thanks for stopping by. 

John

Trout Mania with some Redfish in the Mix - Pensacola Fishing

June is in the books and what a great month it was for inshore fishing. Where do I begin? Since I like trout fishing so much, let’s talk about all the big trout caught this month. The entire month was great for big fish. The biggest trout landed this June was 26.5” around 6 lbs. On average, the fish ranged from 14” to 18” with a few over 20”.   Some days we’re catching some days we’re fishing, but no matter the outcome we had fun. Not only was the trout bite exceptional in June; I had some really good redfish days too.

As June progressed and the water temperature got hotter, the ladyfish and bluefish showed up. In June and July due to the hot temps, I have to start my inshore trips around 5am and end them around 9:45. My afternoon trips started around 3:15 pm and ended around 7:45pm. Both trips have been very productive for trout, reds with some ladyfish and bluefish mixed in.

July will be similar to June’s trips due to the summer heat. If you’re looking for a professional inshore trip, then you’ve come to the right place. I pride myself on my knowledge on how to catch inshore fish on artificials and having top notch equipment like my Shimano Stradics and the best lures on the market that catch fish, including ZMan Baits and MirrOlure Baits. These two companies have been helping me put big fish in the boat for years. Oh, and I also own one of the finest boats around: the 240 LTS TRITON matched up with a 250 J Mercury Verado.

With my knowledge of our fishery, my tackle, and my Triton I can assure you’ll have the most professional trip possible.

Hope everyone has a Happy 4^th of July.

Tight Lines. John

Summer Time Trout, Reds, Drums and more! - Pensacola Charters

Summer has definitely arrived with temps in the low 80’s in the morning and reaching near 90 around noon. This is why I’m starting my trips at 5 –5:30am and done by 9:30-10am. I’m also running late afternoon trips starting at 3:30 and ending around 8pm. Both trips have been very productive with lots of bent rods and smiles all around. I’ve had to change up my tactics over the past two weeks due to the flats heating up pretty quickly with the dog days of summer. Each trip has its own challenges; windy and sunny one day, and cloudy and overcast another. I watch the weather and marine reports very closely, so I am able to adjust things so my clients can have a productive trip. The trout bite has been great the past few weeks with fish as large as 26” coming over the gunnel. Not only has the trout bite been very good, some nice redfish and black drum are also making appearances.

June has started out great other than dealing with the hot temps, but I don’t think my clients mind sweating as their rods bend over with a big redfish on. 

Stay tuned for more reports.. Tight Lines... John