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Snapper season is over but the Redfish and Flounder are biting
Hey Folks, welcome to paradise and the start of winter fishing on the Gulf Coast. I bet you are thinking, hey, it is winter and there is not much for fishing here. That is where you are wrong. Winter fishing in the Pensacola Beach area is pretty good and there are lots of good eating fish being caught too. Especially redfish!!!
Starting with the Charter Boat and offshore fisherman where local Captains can fish for Gag, scamp and black groupers in the waters off Pensacola. This is great news for us because in the winter when the water gets cooler the big grouper move into the closer wrecks. In addition, fishing offshore in the winter is still pretty good for big Amberjack, triggerfish and mingo snappers. If you find yourself and some friends looking for something to do this winter, book a charter for some great winter fishing or get your boat out.
Pensacola's Famous Red Snapper season however is closed through mid April of 2007 if they do not act on the proposed changes. With that being said, if you are a fan of Red Snapper fishing this is the time to be getting with your favorite boat captains or friends and planning that "Opening Snapper Day" fishing trip. Every year this is the most exciting bite you can get and all the boats book up early. This is one of the most exciting fishing events in our area and the Snapper bite is usually hot. The pressure has been off for nearly 6 months and they are hungry too. There are actually 2 openings with the first being State, that is reefs within 9 miles of the shore. The latter is Federal and that is when the deeper water opens up usually a couple weeks later.
 | | Robert McNutt from Georgia with his Grouper. |
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On the pier, winter fishing brings to end fishing for King Mackerel and Spanish Mackerel, however, if you must have another shot at a Spanish Mackeral then you could try Pensacola Pass and in the mouth of the bay where some schools and catches are being reported. If you are interested in some of these catches then bring along some light trolling plugs, gotcha lures or spoons which are what they are taking mostly.
Winter fishing on the pier brings a hot Flounder bite along the pilings of the pier. The most popular fishing technique for flounder is a small lead headed jig with just a taste of shrimp on the hook. Casting out using light tackle either away from the pier or along the pilings (my favorite) retrieving very slowly bumping your bait along the bottom. See, flounder will not go looking for the bait like some fish, however, put the bait in front of their nose and you have a strike!
Also on the pier this time of the year is some of the best Redfish fishing in the area. The big bull reds come passing through easily topping the scales over 40 pounds. However, you cannot keep the bull reds because redfish have a "slot limit". This means that they have to be between 18 and 27 inches. This allows the fish to spawn and repopulate. In Florida, you can keep one slot red. I keep wishing that they would allow one bull red, but it has not happened yet.
So, now we know where the bulls are were and how do we get a slot redfish. Well, they are caught just outside the first and second sand bar on the pier. Walk the pier looking at the water until you see the water getting a little darker, at this point the sand bar is dropping off and you will find the reds feeding. Redfish like cut bait fished along the bottom. My favorite rig for this is a pyramid lead tied to a loop 18" to 24" inches above the hook. This allows the lead to sit on the bottom and the bait to float freely about.
If you like fishing for Speckle Trout and Redfish in the bays, then check out the bay bridge and especially the Interstate Bridge, Hwy 90 Bridge, Garcon Point Bridge as well as East Bay there are lots of nice catches up that way and it seems that the fish are moving that way now. If you have access to the Escambia River basin or East Bay at the I-10 bridge there are also lots of nice speckle trout and redfish being brought home there as well.
Ok, you have the scoop now let's go fishing!
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