Destin, Navarre, Pensacola Florida 2011 Spring Break fishing
Capt. Eddie Woodall
February 11, 2011
Pensacola - Saltwater Fishing Report
Spring Break is just right around the corner. It won't be long before crowds of people are on the beaches. The public piers will be loading up with pier rat's watching for the first cast to a migrating Cobia, and I'll fishing every day, Life is good!!!
March best bets are Sheepshead. It's time for these bait stealers to be in big numbers around the passes on rock piles, jetties, bridge or dock pilings and artificial inshore reefs. They're here for their annual spring time spawn and they're in big numbers.
Where do you find them you ask? Well I'll start by knowing the tide movement's for the days that I'm fishing. A very swift tide or a neap tide will put a damping on your results. Then it's a matter of checking the places that they should be. I'll start in the shallower water around 25 feet or so and work my way to the deeper structure till I get on a good bite. It's easier to fish in the shallower water, it takes less weight and the currents are not usually as strong. These fish are constantly moving so one day you'll find them in the 25 feet water and the next day in 60 feet. So be versatile, don't sit on a spot if you're not catching move around till you start catching.
For bait, it's all about live bait. I have only caught one Sheepshead on artificial bait. So that should answer your question. Live or frozen shrimp, fiddler crabs, oysters, clams and you can even harvest the larger barnacles and crack them open, if you so dare.
For tackle, it's all about the hook! These fish have extremely strong jaws for crushing the shells of the crustaceans. The Gamakatsu heavy duty live bait hook is the strongest on the market. Use a number 2 size hook for they also have a small mouth. Attach it to a 20 pound test fluorocarbon leader 12 to 18 inches long and whatever weight that you need to keep it on the bottom. NOTE: this could be the most important thing that you can learn from this article. If your bait is not just a few inches from the bottom the fish will not pay any attention to it. Their food is attached to or hiding in the rocks on the bottom, so when they're feeding they're looking down with their nose to the bottom, if your bait is three feet off the bottom you will be fishing above the feeding fish. So keep it on the BOTTOM!
Sheepshead are good table fare, we call them inshore snapper or poor man's lobster. The creel limits are liberal, in Florida it's 12 per person and a 12 inch size limit.
My prediction is that the first Cobia will be caught March 8th this year. I think the migration will start a little early due to the warmer weather and lots of rain we had in February and we're headed into March with lots of east southeast wind to help the fish along the coast. I‘ve not been out looking yet but it won't be long. I like to wait till the fish show in big numbers that way you have a better chance of catching one. This is usually towards the end of March and into April.
It should be a banner season for Speckled Trout, when we get the right amount of rain in February and March like we have so far, April speckled Trout fishing will be as good as it gets.
I've fished through fishless days that I remember happily and without regret!
I know one thing for sure - You ain't gonna catch'em sittin on the couch!!
So get out there, take a kid fishing and have a blessed day!
Full Time Professional Fishing Guide
Capt. Eddie Woodall
Full Net Fishing Charters L.L.C.
850-936-8203
850-565-0593
[email protected]
www.fullnetfishingcharters.com
A special thanks to all my sponsors:
Blazer Bay Boats, Yamaha Outboards, SPRO Fishing Tackle, Gamakatsu Hooks, Big Bite Baits Inc., Lee Fisher Bait Buster Cast Nets, Pure Fishing Select Anglers Program, ABU Garcia, All-Star Rods, Penn Fishing Tackle, Johnson and Stren.
©Full Net Fishing Charters LLC 2011
More Fishing Reports:
