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Panhandle Fishing Report - Pensacola Bay & Choctawhatchee Bay
Capt. Eddie Woodall
May 9, 2005
Pensacola - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing Report For
Pensacola, Navarre, Fort Walton & Destin Florida
May has started out with a lot of FANTSTIC FISHING!
The last two weeks have shown a dramatic increase in the quality of Speckled Trout that we are catching. Yesterday’s trip with Bruce Goodwin and his 2 sons Simon and Marcus was proof. We had 3 Specks in the five pound range and didn’t catch an undersized Speck. Along with a limit of Slot Red Fish and a 15 pound Jack Crevalle with a hand full of Blue Fish that were eating everything that we put in the water, we had a blast!
I even saw a Tarpon in the 50 pound class as we were looking for fish on the beach East of Pensacola Pass; this is my third Tarpon sighting in as many weeks. Man this is a wonderful place to be guiding out of.
The Inshore fishing is as hot as it gets right now. The Specks are eating everything you throw at them; early before daylight on top water plugs. Then after the sun gets bright the Catch 2000 has been my go to lure. Although I have been catching them on Rattle Traps, soft plastic jerk baits, lead heads with grubs and live shrimp too. Rigging the shrimp live lined seems to draw the strike better than the popping cork right now.
Nice slot Red’s are eating good too, try a live shrimp on a Carolina rig with as little weight that can be used (according to wind and current) around structure, (NOTE) mainly ROCKS, and docks that have shade on them. For artificial baits, use the Catch 2000 or a Gold Johnson Sprite spoon in the same areas.
Pompano by the dozens, Spanish Mackerel in schools as big as a football field, schools of Jack Crevalle with 15 to 20 fish at a time going by, Cobia still showing up, (not in big numbers like they were three weeks ago) I got a cast at one on last Saturday’s trip, my bad cast caused us to miss that fish. Then last Wednesday I cast to a pod of 3 fish and hooked up a nice 40 pound Cobia for about 2 minuets then the hook pulled (that’s fishing not catching). King Mackerel are starting to be caught with some regularity and the False Albacore are just a hoot on a 10 pound spinning outfit. I caught my first Blue Runners on last Friday trip. These are Amber Jack candy, the first chance I get, it’s out to some of the near shore wrecks to see if the Amber Jack are there yet. Last year as soon as I started catching Blue Runners I started catching the AJ’s. Nice Red Snapper and Grouper are being caught also, the big Grouper have mostly moved back to the deeper structure in water over 100 foot deep, but there are still a lot of nice Snapper coming off the 80 foot deep wrecks and live bottom. It was early May last year when I caught my first near shore Mahi-Mahi, so I won’t be without the Trolling lures from now on either. I had a friend that caught a 20 pound Black Fin Tuna last Friday 3 miles off the Pensacola beach, so I’ll be keeping that in mind also as I headed to some of the near shore stuff.
The big weed lines were spotted 30 miles out last weekend so you blue water fisherman better start heading that way. When the weeds start moving in so do all the other fish. Wahoo, Blue Marlin, Sail Fish, Yellow Fin, Bull Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi) and who knows what else will be showing up.
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.
Tight Lines and Screaming Drags, Till Next Time! God Bless.
Professional Fishing Guide
Capt. Eddie Woodall
Full Net Charters
www.fullnetcharters.com
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