The Gulf Coast's Ultimate Angling Experience!
Best Rates on the Gulf Coast!! $600 (1-2 anglers) for 5 hours. $50 for each additional angler up to 4 total anglers. Includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre and Pensacola Beach. Call (850) 748-4368 or email ericholstman@hotmail.com. *(Adjusted for fuel prices on July 1, 2022)
Welcome to Redfish University in Pensacola, Florida
Redfish University is a unique opportunity for beginner, intermediate and advanced level anglers to improve their skills in the art of shallow water fishing for redfish, speckled trout, pompano and flounder. Redfish U. specializes in the challenging realm of sight fishing for redfish with the use of artificial baits. Redfish U. also targets speckled trout, flounder, pompano and bull redfish on traditional guided fishing trips. Our extraordinary curriculum insures that no detail is overlooked. From bait choices and line selection; to casting presentation and approaching your target, you will receive unsurpassed angling instruction. Challenge yourself, broaden your angling knowledge and invest in your fishing future at Redfish University.
Nov09
Quite a variety of species this week at Redfish University. Earlier in the week, we performed some instructional and fishing catching trips in the bay system. Finding lots of redfish and speckled trout in shallow water resulting in some excellent topwater and sight fishing opportunities for our new and local Redfish University clients. Relatively calm winds and ideal tide conditions have made finding tailing redfish quite easy in the early morning hours. Bongos, Gulp! Jerkshads and Johnson 1/4oz. Gold Spoons are all a great choice. The coming front will make things a little interesting in the coming days but with the amount of fish, we shouldn’t have a problem producing big numbers of both redfish and trout. This afternoon, we tried a little bay grouper fishing. With the front approaching, good tides and a better bite in the afternoon from the full moon, I thought we may be able find some hungry grouper. Large live pinfish and 20z. white bucktails tipped with bonita strips produced a few nice grouper between 25-27″. Not hot and heavy like it was the other...
Nov02
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...
Oct29
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...
Oct28
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...
Oct21
Guided some regular clients, Brett and Bryan Enabnit, this morning. They asked to do something a little different today as they have mastered the legal redfish, speckled trout, sight fishing for legal/over-sized redfish, pompano and flounder with me in the past. Today’s request was bay grouper. I quickly admitted that they may have a more productive day with other inshore guides, namely Matt, Chris and anyone else with Hot Spots Charters. I am no expert in bottom fishing especially in our bays. They talked me into it, packed the Penn 6/0 and struggled to put together a plan. Met at first light and looked for some menhaden and medium-sized mullet. Found plenty but it would have been much easier if I was more skilled at throwing a castnet. Maybe it’s because my net is 12′ and weighs a ton. Anyway, actually threw a ton of livebait into my well normally reserved for 27″ redfish. Another problem is that I don’t have a bottomfinder on the Hewes 21 Redfisher, only a GPS chart but I know the general areas where I might...
Oct20
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...
