Guided Steve and his eight year old son Tyler this morning in search of speckled trout and some big redfish for Tyler to pull on. Found some nice trout around Gulf Breeze and then we hit some clear shallow flats where I was able to introduce Tyler to some very exciting sight fishing. This sand flat was full of redfish of all sizes and they were incredibly easy to catch which provided tons of fun for the fellas. Ended up picking up 15-20 redfish as they came by in singles-triples and Tyler even hooked several himself which resulted in an early afternoon nap. I know he’s hooked now but we’ll work on his endurance. All fish released and had a dead camera battery but I was sure to charge it thoroughly for Saturday morning’s trip. You”ll see what I mean. E...
Read MoreWinter Speckled trout and redfish tour at Redfish University-October 18, 2010
Had another instructional/location tour, with an angler who asked not to be named, in the upper Pensacola Bay area this morning. These trips have really gone over well and I really enjoy doing them! This shy chap was interested in increasing his winter productivity with the species of redfish and speckled trout. Found some nice trout and small/medium redfish in the normal muddy bottom flats in East Bay, Blackwater and Escambia bays but it will no doubt be much better as the temperatures continue to drop. Spent alot of time on the maps and bait selection in a number of very productive areas and picked up decent fish in most areas with some being much better than others(mostly areas a bit south.) Last hour of the trip, we talked shop at the boat ramp and discussed rod/reel, line and leader options that would be most optimal for the winter fishing in these areas. Fun day on the water! Book now to reserve an instructional trip or a regular Redfish University guided...
Read MoreRedfish and Big Speckled Trout at Redfish University-September 27, 2010
Guided Mr. Rick Sanchez this morning for some topwater and spoon fishing for redfish. Thankfully, we got out early this morning during great conditions with a light north breeze and lots of cloud-cover that produced low-light conditions until 830am. Stuck some nice redfish and trout on topwater baits including a big #6 speckled trout. Travelled east to look for some redfish we could take with Johnson Spoons. The redfish grabbed our spoons immediately and several heavy fish came to the boat. Found some schooling fish(10-25 fish) that were clearly visible as they were high-riding on the surface. Then the blue skies, high winds and high pressure came through and the fish completely shut off. Stayed around the same schooling redfish that we have hit for the last several weeks but they were most definitely against the high pressure system that came rushing through around 900am. Picked up some more trout luckily and called it a day. All fish released except for two redfish for the grill. Today I tried out my new Kodak PlaySport that captures video in 1080HD. Got some pretty nice footage. Book now to experience the thrill of Redfish University!! Please click an image to enlarge and view...
Read MoreDifficult but not impossible at Redfish University-September 23, 2010
Guided Mr. Mike Hancock this morning. We were a bit concerned with last night’s full moon and this morning’s very little water movement which is usually a sign of tough conditions. Today was no exception but thankfully the stiff east wind helped us produce some fish. I’m very happy that I was able to postpone yesterday’s guide trip as Wednesday would have been a real struggle. Started with topwater baits at first light and stuck some heavy speckled trout but the redfish were uncooperative with only a few followers and swing and misses. We did have one fish toy with the bait for about thirty feet and finally suck the bait but unfortunately it was lost at the boat. Made a long run and switched to Johnson Gold Spoons and Gulp! Ghost Shrimp. Lots of fish that probably dined all night! Ended up getting four and five redfish between 15-22″ but found the larger fish very stubborn. Naturally, these small redfish are more aggressive in difficult conditions and usually take a bait before the bigger fish. Our theory was proven a few times as most of the small redfish were accompanied by mid-slot and upper length fish. Not even a well-placed Gulp! Shrimp, Crab or 1/8oz. Johnson Gold Spoon could pull one of these fish off of a hooked redfish. Most unusual! We were pleased to catch some fish and I think we did as well as we could possibly do today. Conditions will no doubt change in the coming days and we’ll see huge catches of redfish and speckled trout follow. Book now to experience Redfish University. Please click an image to enlarge and view...
Read MoreA plethora of redfish at Redfish University-September 21, 2010
Guided Mark and Cindy Welch this morning. Mark does some redfishing over in Louisiana with my friend, Anthony Randazzo, at Paradise Plus in Venice and wanted to catch lots of redfish today. Obviously, the LA marsh is far superior to our local redfish fishery but I had some ideas on where we could catch a ton of redfish. We caught a ton of redfish today! Started out early with topwater baits and found redfish and trout very cooperative. Around 800am, we made a very long run @ 70mph to an area that has huge concentrations of quality redfish that just love small Johnson Gold Spoons. Lots of double hookup with groups of 10-20 redfish cruising the banks and chasing down spoons from unheard of distances. Many times four or five fish would almost bump into each other competing for the bait. Good eyes, long casts and slow-rolling were the key as always. Didn’t keep count but 30-40 is a safe guess. A few 26-27″ fish rode with us during the morning only to be released at the end after the Welch’s decided not to take any home. Great day and fun folks to fish with. Book now to experience Redfish University. Please click an image to enlarge and view...
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