Hello from Paradise! Folks, the big storms have stayed away so far, all is clear and the biggest weather story we have seen with ole Weather Channel Jim reporting on rain off of Texas!!!

Now, that the big storms have moved on it has been pretty nice out here on Pensacola Beach with the great weather and good fishing. So I guess I will continue performing my "No Storm Dance" in case that is what is working for us.

OK, now on to something I do know a little about and that is fishing around the island. It seems as if the close-in snapper bite is looking pretty good for this time of year. Normally, I am writing about how they move off the shallow wrecks and the fish move further offshore. We expect this at this time of year due to the fishing pressure and water temperature.

I am pretty sure that this will change soon if not by now and the fishing will adjust some. So, where do you usually find the fish this time of year you ask; further offshore in the deeper waters. The nice thing about that is that the Gulf of Mexico has plenty of calm days in August and the ride is a lot nicer.

Red snapper are being caught using cigar minnows on circle hooks which seem easier these days. If you are using a circle hook and you are new to fishing, you will want to hold your rod, not rest it on the rail.

We are seeing a few king mackerel and I am not too sure why that is because the water seems perfect for them. triggerfish are hanging out in close on the taller wrecks. Hard tails can be caught some days in the pass for amberjack bait; however, you have to look for the large flocks of birds and troll for them. In short, if you want AJs in the morning you might have to get bait the evening before.

Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier is stepping up to the plate and the king fishing starts as soon as the first bait was in the water in the morning. Kings are taking hard tails and minnows caught here at the pier. Also, there have been some nice Spanish visiting the pier fishermen that are prepared with light tackle and a gotcha rig.

Another great big fish catch at the pier is the tarpon. They are taking live bait caught at the pier or bigger jigs. So far no one has landed one of these 100 pound plus fish, but has had a great time losing some line. As a side note, if you are fishing for tarpon on the Pensacola Beach Pier, be sure to have your fishing license with a tarpon endorsement on it. The pier's master license does not cover tarpon.

In other pier news, site fishing for pompano is pretty good now since the water clarity is up. In addition, they are also being caught on live and dead shrimp at 1/3 pier. Fishermen fishing with small grubs with a taste of shrimp are hooking flounder in the late evenings and early mornings.

Remember that flounder are tough because they will not come to you so retrieve very, very slowly and move around for best results. If you pick up some live shrimp on the way to the pier, you can get some nice flounder and pompano. I noted one man with a nice cooler of fish and that was his secret weapon!

Inshore, the guys are saying that the redfish are out and the speckled trout are in. East of the Bob Sikes Bridge has been producing the best results. In fact, just east of Portofino has been really productive for the last couple weeks with both speckle trout and redfish. In the last week we have seen some fishing activity in Little Sabine Bay which is a good bet with the reduced fishing pressure. So, take some time, take a charter, fish from the pier, the beach or the bridge. Fishing is good.

Microwave Red Snapper

4 (4 ounce) red snapper filets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 half onion, sliced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
juice from 2 lemons (approx. 1/4 cup)
1 lemon, sliced (for garnish)

Use a microwave safe shallow 13x9 dish to saute onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno in olive oil in microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove to another plate. Place red snapper fillets in the shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Pour the vegetable mixture over the red snapper and top with diced tomatoes, lemon juice, paprika, bay leaf and sliced lemon.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap, leaving one corner open to vent and microwave on High 15 minutes, turning once during cooking. Check for doneness when fish begins to flake. Garnish with lemon.

Makes 4 servings Serving Size: 1 filet and 1/4 of vegetables