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

Muddy Water Adventures - Pensacola Fishing Charters

May is winding down and boy has it been a strange month to fish our waters. On April 29^th we had 26.81” of rain in 24-hours. The week before that, we had 10”. We had a few more rain days in May and those totals were around 5”- 7”. So from April 29^th to now May 24^th we’ve had over 40” of rain. It really messed up the water and the fishing in a lot of areas for a while. The trout swam right out to the pass in the deeper waters to get to the salinity levels they like. They also were just off our beaches outside the pass on the shoals; most of these fish were the big females spawning. As the month went on, we didn’t have much rain, which was a blessing and the water started to clear up. Now the water is still very muddy, but the salinity levels are getting back to normal on the flats, which is a good thing. The fish have slowly started to make

their way back onto the flats where they belong. Over the past 10 or so trips we’ve boated some really nice trout, many over 20” and a few over 25”.  Not only has the trout bite been incredible, so has the redfish bite. On my last trip, we hooked 8 reds and had 5 keepers and lots of small male trout with only 3 being keepers. June is going to be a good month on the flats for trout and redfish. All fish were caught on artificials; most of my trips are artificial bait trips. I don’t mind tossing live baits under a popping cork and waiting for a bite, but I have found that most fisherman like catching their fish on artificials.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tight Lines… 

John

www.captainjohnrivers.com

850-341-9816