Tons of fun as July ends and August begins!
Capt. John Rivers
August 1, 2013
Pensacola - Saltwater Fishing Report
Pensacola Fishing Report July 31st 2013:
With more rain days than I care to count this month totaling around 16" - 21", I would say this July was the wettest on record. I think we've had enough rain to last us the rest of the year. Getting out to fish has been a chore just working around all the early morning storms. The first week of July, I was only able to get out a few times. The week of Independence Day is usually very busy with trips and fun fishing, but a tropical low off the coast of Louisiana kept me in the house watching DVD rentals for 4 days. My tackle got organized over and over; I was well rested, and all caught up on my Netflix / Red Box must-see movies!
Despite all the rain, I was able to get out quite a bit this month and the fishing actually wasn't half bad. I've been fishing all the customary places, including Escambia Bay, Santa Rosa Sound, Big Lagoon, and a little in Pensacola Bay. I am happy to say that my new style of inshore charter has really taken off this season with my all-artificial trips. My northern brethren that have stumbled across my website and booked these trips say it's right up their alley. I use a variety of lures on my inshore trips, from top-waters to suspending twitch baits, and soft plastics. I also have tons of ways I rig the soft plastics and I go over detailed instruction on how to work the lures to ensure you have a high catch ratio.
The main difference in my style of charters from other inshore charters is that I don't deep drop in the pass in the summer months. I only fish the pass in late March & April for the annual Sheepshead run. During the Sheepshead run, all the inshore guides fish this area with live shrimp and it typically lasts for about 5-6 weeks. The bite is so good and these fish taste great. We also catch slot and big reds from time to time during the sheepshead run.
Let me explain what inshore deep-dropping is; this is when you take a live or cut bait and drop it down 40 –60 ft of water while drifting ledges about 80 yards long waiting for a bite. This can be a fun style of fishing, but I enjoy casting more and working baits on the flats and watching big trout, reds, Skipjacks or Spanish bust the water and feel the pull on light tackle.
Like I said in the beginning of the report, July was the rainiest July ever and I'm hoping that August is a little drier, as we need a break!
We've still got a few more weeks till the school buses make their way through the neighborhoods, and until then you need to make the most of what summer there is left.
So before you get stuck in the dog days of school/work, take a quick break and come visit me for a fun inshore light tackle adventure, so when you're daydreaming back home in class or at the office, it will be a fond summer memory of great fishing!
Thanks for stopping by, and here's wishing you a great end to your summer and
tight lines.
John
www.megabiteinshore.com
www.saltwateracademy.com
850-341-9816
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