IDA has come and gone, but have no fear, the reds are still here
Capt. John Rivers
November 18, 2009
Pensacola - Saltwater Fishing Report
Well, tropical storm IDA has come and gone, but have no fear, the reds are still here. I had a short 4-hr trip today, and as predicted, the bite was very good. We caught some good fish and fought a few that pulled the hooks, but all in all, had a great day on the water. Today's biggest fish was around 22lbs, and the fight it gave my client was awesome, especially on light tackle.
Most of the fish were caught on Mann's 1 – 2 oz plain jig heads that were either rigged with a Gulp or a 4.5" Strike King Shadalicious. I also pitched a few Spro jigs, and as always, they performed well and did not disappoint. Mixed in the big bull reds are a few slot fish, so if you're looking for dinner, and don't feel like stuffing a turkey this year, now is the time to get out on the water.
Stay tuned to see what's caught the rest of this week. The bite should stay hot, as the tides are just right and the weather, although a bit nippy in the shade, warms up nicely as the sun stays out. I'll post a report on Monday to let you know how the weekend goes.
My fall fishing bag contains a few constants that haven't let me down yet.
I always use 30lb braid, (either Spider Wire or Stren), tipped with a 40lb Berkley fluorocarbon leader. Lure choices are very easy when it comes to landing these big monster reds. Just use a good strong jig in the ¾ - 2oz range; I like using Spro Jigs as these jigs have strong hooks and don't tend to bend when a big red starts shaking his beefy head.
For the smaller reds, my arsenal consists of an 1/8 oz – 1/4oz Assassin jig head with just about any style of Berkley Gulp. It seems that the swimming mullet in white yields a few more white trout and the 4" shrimp will get you the redfish bite. My Cabo PT Inshore Series (#CBIS 703 MA) rod and the PT Cabo 30 – 40 spinning reel has been holding up very well for these reds. I plan on giving them a real workout over the next few weeks, as the fall redfish run gets even hotter.
Check back in a few days to see what's going on, and keep an eye out for some great new pics.
Tight Lines.
Capt. John Rivers
Mega-Bite Inshore Charters
850-341-9816
Thanks to my sponsors:
Mann's Lures, Power-Pole, SPRO Fishing Tackle, Pro Cure, Yamaha, Gamakatsu Hooks, Fenwick Rods, Pure Fishing - Berkley,Stren,Quantum
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