Outstanding fishing at Redfish University!! The fish are biting well during this stable weather period. Guided a few GCFC members yesterday for an instructional/catching trip and my friends from Berkley/Penn/Pure Fishing this morning. Both mornings were excellent topwater bites with the Sebile Bongos being the go-to baits. Found redfish and trout shallow and over sand/broken bottom contour. The lack of mullet made me a bit uncomfortable but we found plenty of fish to keep action all morning long. Even found some more very nice stripers and caught one chain pickerel as well. Stayed with topwaters most of both mornings as they continued to pounce baits well after sunrise. I got in on the action this morning and watched a 26.5″ redfish clear the water for my Bongo. Great fishing all week!! More reports to come. Sorry for the poor photos, I only had my Iphone. Thanks, E Holstman Please click an image to...

When I see swinging traffic lights and a temperature change of 25 degrees, I know I’m in for a difficult today. What a huge difference a day makes but with yesterday’s awesome trip, I knew there would be some fish to catch. Can’t always fish in perfect conditions! Blowing 30mph and a cloudless sky, so I  guided Ike and Oscar this morning for an instructional and fishing catching trip at Redfish University. My main objective this morning was safety, slow presetations and trolling motor boat control. I made it a point to have the guys making long casts with the wind which would certainly present many more opportunities to hit some fish. Started at 630am and found the water to be dropping extremely quickly. Tossed Berkley Gulp! Jerkshads in camo with 1/4oz Marsh Works jigheads(could have used heavier) in search of redfish and trout. Found some trout immediately and it wasn’t long before a 4# fish was in the boat. Found a few more fishable areas where we hit the trout pretty well and grabbed some more fish between 2-3.5#. The redfish were extremely difficult and only managed a small fish mixed in with all the speckled trout. I’ve never seen the water move out quicker!! Used the jackplate a lot today. Found more trout in a few more areas but as the water dropped and the pressure rose, we found the bite really slowed to a crawl. Nevertheless, caught quite a few nice trout and I hope even more was learned about inshore fishing during absolutely horrific conditions. Kept 4 nice trout for dinner. I invited the duo for a scouting trip with me in the near future so that I can show them a few more areas we couldn’t reach and stick a few nice redfish. Indeed, boat control today was a major reason we produced the fish that we caught. Hopefully, next week’s weather will be stable and we’ll return to the normal high production at Redfish U. Thanks, E Holstman Please click an image to...

The fishing has been outstanding at Redfish University this week. Outgoing tides and calm conditions have allowed us to sight fish for both tailing and cruising redfish and speckled trout in very shallow water. The average trip consists of 7-15 Redfish, 10-25 trout and a few flounder mixed in.  At first light we’re launching topwater Sebile Bongos over sandflats and mixed bottom littered with mullet and bait. We’ve experienced some of the best topwater action of the year with solid 2-4# trout and redfish between 23-33″. Also finding flounder in the same areas resulting in some classic inshore grand slams. With the dropping water temp, topwaters are working until about 9am and then we’re switching to Johnson 1/40z. Gold Spoons and Berkley Gulp! Jerkshads rigged on 1/80z. Marsh Works jigheads. Plenty of fish but in very few areas. Mullet and bait are a must. Plenty of upcoming trips so I’ll post more soon. Thanks, E Holstman Please click an image to...

Quite a few trips this past week. Last week’s fishing was outstanding with easy limits of both redfish and speckled trout in East Bay, Escambia Bay and Blackwater Bay. Early morning topwaters produced lots of fish as did Gulp! Jerkshads inside and outside large schools of mullet. Found more stripers in the same areas with most fish between 2-4#. Most schools of mullet to the north held a few redfish and Johnson 1/4oz. Gold Spoons were inhaled immediately upon arrival. This week, the fishing slowly tapered off with the cold-front conditions but we were still able to find decent numbers of redfish and trout in warmer, deeper water. Today was the most challenging day with very cold temps in the morning, high pressure and cloudless skies. Very few mullet and bait schools but the schools we found definitely held some quality redfish and trout.  A very slow presentation tricked some finicky fish but I wouldn’t say it was the normal hot action that we’re accustomed to. It should improve as the weather stabilizes and becomes more consistent. Lots of trips upcoming so I will give another report soon. Memory card malfunction in my camera but the photos are much like the last 30 Redfish U. trips. Thanks, E....