Big Trout, Light Tackle Reds & More! Mega-Bite Inshore Charters
Capt. John Rivers
May 23, 2013
Pensacola - Saltwater Fishing Report
Mega-Bite Inshore Charters / Saltwater Fishing Academy has been very busy the past two weeks with basic inshore charters for bay snapper, fishing the pass, and inshore fishing on the flats with artificials for trout and redfish.
I really like May and June here on the gulf coast; it's not too hot and the big trout are hungry! Nothing makes me smile more than when my clients hook up with a big trout, unless of course, it's me hooked up with a big trout. I actually do really enjoy watching my clients finally "get" how to use the right technique while reeling in an artificial, and when they see the positive results by way of a huge catch, it just makes my day!
As a professional veteran guide of the area, I've spent countless hours on the water learning what the best areas are to target quality trout and redfish. I take the guesswork out for you so you're 4-6 hr trip is spent catching not fishing.
Areas I've fished the past couple of weeks are Santa Rosa Sound, Big Lagoon, the Florida side of Ono Island, Escambia and East Bay of Pensacola, and Blackwater Bay near the Milton area of Florida.
With all the big trout on the flats right now, it's hard to pull us away from the great flats fishing to do much of anything else. We had a neap tide this week, but we fished anyway on those days, and despite the conditions, we did pretty well - 8 redfish, and some really nice trout. We had two trout that if weighed together their weight had to be 9 –10 lbs, which is some healthy trout.
Here are pics of the two big trout whose lengths were 24" and 26.5".
I've been catching redfish both on the flats and on the docks of Santa Rosa Sound. On the flats I've been using ZMan's Paddler Z 4" & 5" bait in colors of redbone and badshad. I've also been tossing MirrOlure's 17Mr Baits for reds, but we are catching more trout with them. I use the same ZMan baits to catch trout on the flats, and these are rigged with either a 5/0 weighted worm hook or a ¼ -1/8 oz jig head. Trust me when I say, these baits work.
Now let's talk about red snapper as the season is just about to kick off,
My bay spots are producing some nice fish, mostly 15-18 inch fish, but I've not fished my good snapper spots yet, as I am waiting for Snapper season to open up. Once it does I shouldn't have to venture out in the gulf for two weeks or at least I hope so.
If you're looking for a few snapper for the dinner table and don't want a long boat ride, you've come to the right place.
There are charters, guides and imitators, but there's only one
MEGA-BITE INSHORE CHARTERS / SALTWATER ACADEMY, your one stop inshore guide fishing destination.
www.captainjohnrivers.com
www.saltwateracademy.com
FUN FISHING or SERIOUS FLATS FISHING? We do it all!
See you out there,
John
Target Species:
redfish, Trout, Snapper
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