Fishing has been good this fall, Dec, 28;
Calm waters and cool temperatures are a perfect match for big Redfish. We hit the water around 10am and made our way across the west end of Pensacola Bay. The brisk cool air made for an eye-watering ride, but that was ok, as we were all fired up to hook into some big Reds. Pensacola is known for its big Redfish, and my clients were eager to see how hard these big Bulls pulled. With no birds to show me the way to our pot of gold, I had to use my trusty bottom machine to locate bait and the elusive Reds lurking below. I starting out trolling to see if I could locate them, but when I couldn't, I packed up and headed east into the gulf, where I spotted a few birds marking bait. After watching my bottom-machine light up some fish, I decided to put out the stretches again, and it didn't take long before we had our first knock-down; a good 20lb Red was boat-side, ready to pose with Mark for a few quick pictures.
With one nice fish boated, we had gotten the skunk out of the boat. We were ready to hook into some more big Reds. Still trolling along the east shore off Pensacola, I spotted a few more birds working, so we made our way over, but it turned out to be nothing this time.
I decided to head back into the bay, and then I spotted a very large flock of birds working hard on a big bait pod across the island. It was a short 7-mile run back through the pass to where I wanted to fish, so we motored up and flew across the smooth waters. It was a good call, because when I arrived, it was a Red fish bonanza! Reds were busting baits on top while pelicans were attacking the bait from the air.
I was the only boat to see these fish, and I didn't want to spook them, so I cut the engine, drifted into the school, and we had a triple hook-up in seconds. Now the fun really began, trying not to have three big fish tangle our lines, as I stood back and watched Derek, Anna and Charles work their fish, moving around the boat, going under and over with their rods in hand. Anna was the first to land her fish, which was also the biggest fish of the day, a whopper well over 30lbs! Charles boated his next, and then Derek had his on board, which made the count three on and three released. Mark watched all the mayhem, and said he had one on, but it broke the leader, but I said let's get back on them.
They were only 50 yards off to the west and we made our way quickly over, and it was only a matter of minutes until we were hooked-up again with some monster Reds. This went on for a little while longer and then the feeding frenzy shut down. My thoughts were that the Reds had gorged themselves on bait and were ready for a nap; just like us! We had had perfect weather, sunny skies, calm waters, and great fishing. What more could you ask for? Just one more hook-up! Till Next Time, Bent Rods and Screaming Drags.
Capt. John
