February Fishing in Northwest Florida - Pensacola Fishing Reports - Charters

February Fishing in Northwest Florida

My first trip of the year was this weekend Saturday (2-22-2014).  The fishing was slower than I like, but sometimes that’s how it goes.  The reason I’ve not fished this year was in January I had my first and hopefully last shoulder surgery, and after weeks stuck in the house, I had been going stir crazy, and really wanted to get the new boat out on the water. Oh, yeah, another first. I bought a new 240 LTS Triton soon after the start of the New Year. 

I’ve had the new boat out twice and I’m excited about showing it to my fellow captain friends and clients. I went out a few days ago with the wife to get the final break in period and do a little scouting around, and we did pretty well. I found some nice reds and a good speck bite on the muddy flats. The boat ran great and the new electronics are going to be awesome this year.

I put the latest and greatest toys on the boat. The bottom machine is Humminbird’s 999ci HD SI. The fish can’t hide, not with this device on deck. I also put a new 8’ Power-Pole Blade for shallow water anchoring.  I didn’t want 10ft because I really never fish deeper than 6 –7 ft for trout and when I do I can use the Minn Kota I-Pilot to hold position, plus I felt that the longer Power-Pole would get in the way of me and my clients fishing. The boat is a sleek, comfortable, and dry ride, and the Mercury 250 Verado simply purrs, and is also one of the most advanced engines on the market.

That’s a little bit about the new Mega-Bite. Now, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I’m 46 years old, a family man with a great wife that has put up with me for 22 years, and a son, who is my real pride and joy, who attends Florida State University.

I’ve been guiding now for 11 years and I am one of the veteran captains in the area. I know our waters as well as the back of my hand, and I absolutely love fishing. I was in the Marines for 6 years, went to college to be a P.E. / History teacher, but when I moved to Florida from southern Indiana I somehow became a fishing guide. I am passionate about my job, and I can assure you a professional fishing experience, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Here are some links to my fishing sites.

www.megabiteinshore.com

www.saltwateracademy.com

Tight Lines..
John

New Fishing Maching for 2014 - 240 LTS TRITON

Quick report for Feb 7th. It's been a strange weather pattern to start February, one day it's the coldest day of the year, and then the next day it's warm. I for one am more than ready for Spring! Only about 5 more weeks and the annual sheepshead run will kick off and Spring will be here.

This post is more to tell everyone about my NEW 240 LTS TRITON bay boat. I picked it up three days ago and will be taking it out this weekend to start the break-in period. I ordered new electronics, Humminbird 999ci HD Si, Power-Pole's 10ft Blade and Minn Kota's I Pilot. The boat came with Lenco Trim Tabs already, so that was good.
It will be fully outfitted in just a few days. Can't wait to show my clients the new rig and have some fun with it this season.

Stay tuned for some great fishing in 2014.

Tight Lines.

John

www.megabiteinshore.com               850-341-9816

Ice Fishing in the Panhandle – Pensacola Fishing

Ice Fishing in the Panhandle – Pensacola Fishing

Ice and snow is not what we normally expect in January in the panhandle, but 2014 has so far given us the unexpected.

I moved to Florida 15 years ago during a particularly cold winter in Indiana, and although we still get seasonal weather, we haven’t had to break out the ice scrapers before. We had temps here around 14 – 20 degrees for two and a half days. It was just crazy and this place just shut down.

Needless to say we didn’t fish much the last week of January. Before the Ice Storm of 2014 for Pensacola and the surrounding area, the trout bite was pretty good quality in Escambia and Blackwater. Anglers had also been catching some nice slot redfish. For this time of year, I typically rely on artificial baits to go after the trout and reds. For my soft plastics, I like ZMan PaddlerZ and the MinnowZ, and I just started using the new PogyZ; these three baits rigged on a 1/8 –1/4 oz jig head are deadly and dependable.

With hard baits, of course it’s MirrOlure! One of my go to baits is the 17MR; I’ve been using the 17MR since I became a guide 11 years ago. Last year they came out with the 18MR, which sinks, and in water over 6 ft it is a deadly lure. This year they came out with a new bait called the Soft Dine, which is a cross of two baits, the Paul Brown and the 17MR. I’ve used this new bait and trust me when I say, you’re gonna catch some big trout and lots of them when you use it. Paul Browns usually are winter and fall baits, but I think the new Soft Dine will be great this spring on the flats!

The big reds have slowly moved back offshore, and with only a few schools still around, it’s kind of been hit and miss. This past November – December was just awesome for the reds, and I can’t wait till next season.

Before I jump off of here, let’s talk about what’s coming up in Feb – March.
February is a great month for trout in the upper rivers and upper bays, and from time to time you’ll come up with some fun redfish. Depending upon how cold it is outside will determine if the fish are deep in holes as deep as 18ft or in depths of 4-10 ft. Drop-shot rigs, and vertical jigging is a very good technique for trout in the deeper holes.

As February ends and March comes in, it’s the only time I exclusively put live bait on the boat for MONSTER SHEEPSHEAD! It’s tons of fun regardless if you’re an avid angler or newbie! The sheepshead bite starts around March 15^th and lasts till around April 25^th. So, if you’re in the area or heading down this way, look me up and let’s get you HOOKED UP on The MEGA-BITE!

I’ve been guiding for 11 years now and run two styles of charters; one is my basic charter business Mega-Bite Inshore Charters, and the other is listed below.

Three years ago I started an instructional fishing charter called

SALTWATER FISHING ACADEMY.

Saltwater Fishing Academy is a fishing experience like no other for local or visiting anglers to the Pensacola gulf coast. It's designed for both the experienced angler who wants to up his game or the novice angler who wants to improve his skills. I will teach you inshore fishing techniques for redfish, trout, pompano, Spanish, jacks, and much more in our area while using artificials. 99% of my fishing trips we'll be using artificials only, but I will also explain when to leave the plastics in the bag and switch over to live bait, for instance when fishing for Sheepshead in late March and early April.

This is the trip for someone who wants to be able to get out the next time on his own, and have a better understanding of how to fish our waters. The family style trips are still available, and they are booking up fast for spring break, so if you plan on coming down, give me a ring, and we’ll get you hooked up on the Mega-Bite.

Tight Lines,

John

www.megabiteinshore.com

www.saltwateracademy.com

850-341-9816