1 fish, 2 fish, 3 fish, redfish! We stopped counting when we hit 20, yes, 20+ slot reds on Friday! I took out Doug and his son, Max who usually fish south Florida, but decided to give the panhandle a try. Little Max was eager to hook up his first ever redfish. Well, it certainly was easy to help grant his wish, as not only did he catch his first ever red, but he helped break the record on my boat for the most slot reds ever caught in one sitting! This kid is going to be one great fisherman when he grows up…What am I saying? He already is a great fisherman! He knew how to throw out the lure, reel when he needed to, and he set the hook like a pro. Daddy Doug was a pretty good fisherman himself, and hooked up plenty of reds, but young nine-year-old Max wanted to reel in all the fish. With a total of 20+ reds, 3 Mangrove Snapper, and 2 Black Drum, it was a great day of fishing. You should have seen the water just boiling over with these reds as we drifted in to catch our limit!
Most of the fish we caught on Friday were caught on 2" new penny Berkeley Gulp, rigged with a 1/4 jig by bouncing it off the bottom. A few of the Redfish were hitting top-water plugs, and I had to try out my new 4.25 High Roller Stick Walker Blue Shad. It performed well and held up to the hard strikes of these powerful redfish.
Be warned, not every day can be this spectacular, but I'll do my best to put you on the fish. Remember, some of the fun is just getting out to test out your new tackle or just enjoy the beautiful day. Of course, catching the fish is what makes the trip! As a guide, I enjoy watching my guests catch their fish more than if I were catching them myself. It is thrilling to see a kid's face beam as he holds up one trophy fish after another to pose for a picture that his friends back home will see. And to see proud Pop take that prize picture, well, it just doesn't get much better.
November is going to be another great month for fishing, with temperatures still in the middle 70's and in the lower 50's starting out the day. The trout bite on the flats should be very good this next week. Obviously, the Redfish bite has been exceptional, and those big Bull Redfish I've been talking about the past few reports should start showing up in the next two weeks. Black Snapper are still available for the taking on the rock jetties, and although the annual fall flounder fishing has just been ok, it should pick up in the next two weeks. If you have never hooked up a big monster redfish over 25 pounds, give me a jingle, and we'll get you hooked up, too!
Till next time, here's wishing you bent rods and screaming drags.
Capt. John Rivers
Mega-Bite Inshore Charters
850-341-9816
Lets Go Fishing Today!
Thanks to my sponsors: Mann's Lures, Exude/Mr. Twister High Roller Lures, SPRO Fishing Tackle. Gamakatsu Hooks, Pure Fishing - Berkley ABU Garcia, Shakespeare, Sea Pro Boats
