Pensacola Red Fish and Sheephead
Capt. Eddie Woodall
February 29, 2008
Pensacola - Saltwater Fishing Report
March is just around the corner and the weather is right on schedule. I'll bet that there isn't a Cobia Fisherman that hasn't been doing the same thing that I'm doing, spooling new line on the spinning reels, checking out the local tackle shops for new and colorful jigs that are available and asking when the first eels are going to be available. For the last two years the first Cobia was caught in the first two weeks of March and with the mild weather that we are having I bet it will be the same this season. So all you Pier Rats and Cobia chasers; be on the ready- it's only a couple of weeks away!
On to the things at hand, the beach is just covered up with sand fleas already this season which makes the Red Fish and early Pompano real happy. I'm seeing lots of Red fish of all sizes combing the shallow Emerald Green waters in search of the tasty morsels. The Pompano fishermen are reporting impressive catches at the local tackle shops, and as usual the big ones are always the first to make their way along the beaches. I'm casting a half ounce SPRO bucktail jig to the Reds on the beach. They seem to be a little shy of the bigger lures due to the water being so clear right now. The Pompano are being taken on fresh shrimp tails on a Carolina rig or a Pompano jig tipped with a small piece of shrimp.
The Reds in the bay and Santa Rosa Sound are on the move, these fish are right on schedule. Although the water is still cold and the fish are moving a little slow they are still taking small gold spoons and very slow moving jerk baits and sometimes even no movement at all will draw a strike. Try Big Bite Baits new product Biobait, these baits are fortified with Bite Juice and the Reds are eating them up. You can find them online at www.bigbitebaits.com. I've been having real good success on the six inch Bio Jerk Minnow in the new penny color. The Speckled Trout are not quite ready to move from there deep water haunts yet, but if we keep getting these 65 to 70 degree days and the rain keeps falling I'll bet were going to be in for a banner March for catching big Trout. Stay tuned and I'll fill you in after a couple of weeks.
The Sheephead are on their normal migration pattern and showing up in good numbers around the passes, jetties and bridges. Sheephead, sometimes referred to as inshore Snapper are very good table fare and better than that they are a real blast to catch on light tackle. This is one of my favorite fish for youngsters, inexperienced fishermen and women. Once you locate the good schools of fish, it's kind of like catching fish from a barrel. I just anchor up give everyone a spinning outfit Carolina rigged with a live shrimp or fiddler crab on the hook and drop it to the bottom and reel it one or two turns and hold on. Try using Gamakatsu's #2 Octopus Circle in-line point hook and the fish will very rarely get by with stealing the bait, these hooks just don't let go.
Most of the world is covered with water. A fisherman's job is simple: Pick out the right parts to fish.
I know one thing for sure - You ain't going to catch'em sittin' on the couch!!
So get out there, and take a kid fishing. God Bless.
Professional Fishing Guide
Capt. Eddie Woodall
Full Net Fishing Charters
www.fullnetcharters.com
A special thanks to my sponsors:
Blazer Bay Boats, Yamaha Outboards, SPRO Fishing Tackle, Gamakatsu Hooks, Big Bite Baits, Inc.
Pure Fishing - Berkley Gulp & ABU Garcia, Shakespeare Fishing - All-Star Rods & Penn Reels.
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