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.
May18
Guided Jim Tully and Dustin Martinson for some redfish, trout and pompano fishing. Started out early with some topwater in shallow water and scored some decent trout and some medium redfish. Fished a few more areas but the bite was pretty slow so we took off to the beach to find some pompano. The pompano were very cooperative and we found them on washouts and deeper drops in the surf-line. Very hot action from 930am-1200 on the rising tide. We had some nice strikes near the boat as well as fish followed the bait on a quick retrieve and we were able to drop the bait to the fish. Pretty cool opportunities! Ended up with 22 pompano in a few hour period with lots of annoying ladyfish mixed in. Today, the fish were caught on Skitterwalks and Berkley Gulp! Jerkshads in the morning and all pompano were taken on orange pompano jigs. 15 Pompano were kept by Jim, Dustin and myself. Thanks for the pompano fellas and see ya soon! Please click on an image to enlarge and view...
May14
Guided Mr. Jeff Shiver and his son, John, this morning. Today is what we call, at Redfish University, a below average day. Started out early with some topwater action over shallow sandy bottom. With quite a few topwater strikes, we found it very difficult to get the fish to stick to the hooks. Speckled trout blew the bait out of the water several times but only a few were actually hooked. Tried several different retrieves as well before we had to switch to Gulp! Jerkshads to insure fish. Ended up with a handful of quality trout including a 4# fish. With the trout bite coming to an end, we jetted for some great redfish areas, areas that have been outstanding for the last few months. Arrived around 830am to sight fish these redfish and were greeted with a few boats in the same area throwing topwater. Weird… Threw spoons at redfish and caught some very nice fish there. Travelled four or five miles to escape the crowd and found lots of uncooperative redfish but did make a few bite our spoons. Ended the morning on a nice...
May13
Guided Mr. John Prudhomme and Mr. Richard Cobb this morning. Richard is strictly a livebait inshore angler but after today, we hope he’s a true believer in artificial baits for redfish and trout. Started out at 515am with some topwater speckled trout action. Found some medium-sized fish but it was much slower than earlier in the week and had some larger fish come unbuttoned. At 730am we took off for some clear water to sight fish redfish. Found some great concentrations on medium to upper slot fish in shallow water and even had some double hookups in some areas. The guys were able to see the fish and make great casts to entice some epic strikes. We also got some large speckled trout in the same areas. Early morning, the fish were taken on Skitterwalks and in the shallows, the redfish loved the Johnson 1/4oz. Gold Spoons. Great morning of fishing with 10-12 nice trout and 12-15 redfish and all fish released. Please click on an image to enlarge and view...
May11
Guided Mr. Bob Willice this morning. Stiff wind out of the southeast forced us to hide in some protected water. Started out very early with some topwaters for speckled trout and redfish. Threw over shallow sandy bottom and had some incredible topwater action with mostly big trout and a few redfish. Some trout were pushing 4.5# but most of the redfish that we caught were predictably small. After the topwater shut down, we switched over the Berkley Gulp! Jerkshads and pitched sandy troughs and bait filled banks. Stuck some more very nice trout and a few more redfish. By 1000am, the action had slowed drastically and we struggled the rest of the morning but I did win the “Catfish Challenge”, 3-1. They sure like the Gulp!! Anyway, caught a bunch of topwater trout and lots of action early. All fish released. See ya on Monday, Bob!! Please click an image to enlarge and view...
May08
Guided Jim Davis today for a short trip to sight fish some shallow water redfish. Found plenty of fish. Some were very cooperative and some ran from the baits. I guess that’s what makes this type of fishing so challenging and frustrating at times. With both of us fishing, we picked off a hand off of pretty decent redfish on broken bottom. These fish were relating to small patches of grass and small minnows so a well-place Johnson 1/4oz. Gold Spoon was again the bait of choice. We probably hooked 1 0f 10 that we saw but also fan-casted some areas that we know hold lots of fish. Not a bad ratio, but the larger fish were definitely more difficult that the 4-5# fish. All-in-all, a successful day of seeing fish and catching a few. All fish...
May05
Guided Mr. Tim Wright and friend Doug this morning. Both fellas wanted to learn about early morning topwater baits and techniques for redfish and trout. Started out at 530am and found some nice redfish immediately followed by some healthy speckled trout on the same flat. The topwater action ended around 800am so we headed for very clear water to do some sight fishing for redfish. Found large concentrations of redfish quickly and stuck some very nice redfish in shallow water. We had a plethora of sight fishing opportunities These fish seemed to prefer a slow-rolled Johnson 1/40z. Gold Spoon over everything else. Spent the rest of the morning picking off redfish and even found a large school of over-sized redfish but that ended quickly when a lady in a kayak paddled right through. Hot at times and slow at times but got to show lots and lots of redfishing and trout fishing techniques to Tim and Doug including the infamous Berkley Gulp! 4″ Shrimp deadstick on difficult redfish. All fish caught on Berkley Gulp! Jerkshads, Shrimp, Johnson Spoons and Rapala Skitterwalk. Three redfish and two...
