Guided a nice couple from West Point, GA. this morning. Started with some nice speckled trout but found the bite to be pretty slow. Eventually, we found a big group of fish and had a decent run. At 800am, we took off to find those huge redfish everyone is coming to Redfish University to see. Got on the trolling motor and didn’t see a redfish! Checked a few more productive areas and didn’t even pick one up blindcasting. Very disappointing but they simply were not there. All fish released this morning and we’ll get the redfish later in the week. This afternoon’s trip with Mr. Colby is another story. More of an instructional trip this afternoon with a very good angler who was interested in learning a few new areas to produce great numbers in the Fall/Winter. Predictably, it started a little slow but really ramped up as the water rose and the sun fell. Stuck some big trout on Jerkshads and Bongos including a great 4.5# fish. We also had some great flounder action in shallow water. A few dropped the hook at the boat but got a few in the well for Mr. Colby to stuff this evening for the Championship Game. Next was the redfish. Found decent numbers in shallow water and again, some came unbuttoned. As the sun set, we both switched to Bongos and found great action with both large speckled trout and some redfish from 25-29″. Definitely a blast on topwater and we viewed some awesome explosions. We even got a nice black drum bonus in the same area. Not bad, some Grand Slams on a difficult day of fishing! Mr. Colby only wanted some flounder so that’s what we took. All other fish released. Oh yeah, and we ran into a lost white trout fisherman. Entertaining, indeed. You’re welcome.:) Thanks, E Holstman Please click an image to...

Today we performed two more extremely instructional and very successful trips at Redfish University. The morning session started at 600am and the matinee got underway at 1230pm. Both groups of anglers wanted to learn highly productive areas and techniques for the upper bay areas of Pensacola. Great tides today with falling water in the morning and a rising tide in the afternoon. The full moon was completely ignored as always by the fish and Redfish University. Both trips yielded huge catches of speckled trout, legal/over-sized redfish, flounder and striped bass. Both trips accomplished the Super Slam today with a redfish, trout, flounder and striper. We had some incredible topwater action for redfish today with some explosive topwater hookups with some fish clearing the surface to pounce on the Sebile Bongos. Gulp! 5″ Jerkshads and Sebile Bongos were the baits of choice for the morning and afternoon sessions. Lots of fish were released and quite a few were kept for dinner. Camera pooped out on the second trip but the photos are identical to the first. Another double booking tomorrow so more reports tomorrow. Trying to keep up! Thanks, E Holstman. Please click an image to...

Ran a double-header today and absolutely hammered the fish. Guided a new resident in the Milton area that wanted learn about the upper bay areas in hopes of producing great catches of redfish and speckled trout in the future. Started at daylight with a bunch of really nice speckled trout including some 3-3.5# fish. Covered some shallow flats later and found both redfish and large speckled trout mixed in the mullet. For the finale, we approached some schools of large menhaden and really stuck it to the 30-35″ redfish which were found under and outside the bait schools. Really fun morning of catching and lots of great instruction. Our angler took a few nice trout and a redfish for dinner this evening and will, no doubt, be very pleased with his future angling adventures. For round two, my clients, Roger and Barbara Orth, invited me to a poolside lunch before we took off to catch some large redfish in shallow water. Yellowfin tuna steaks, roasted potatoes, a ginger salad, Texas toast and (one) a fine Chinese beer called Chang. My clients are so good to me! Anyway, we left the bayou and they wanted to see and catch very large redfish. Arrived at our destination quickly. When the other boats and “charter fishers” departed after scaring the crap out the redfish, it was game on and a sight fishing festival. Posted out, sun came out, sun to our backs and let the groups of 15-30 huge redfish swim to us against the current. There’s some good advice!:) Continually stuck 20-30 pound redfish coming to the boat and the Orths did well to see them and have a great time catching them. We are very pleased to announce that Mrs. Barbara Orth broke yesterday’s new redfish record at Redfish University with 37 pound lunker taken on 6# Spiderwire Ultracast InvisiBraid, a 20# Stren Tinted fluoro leader and a Berkley Gulp! 4″ Shrimp in Lime Tiger. It was truely a mammoth specimen. I think I really wore the anglers out so we took off back to Bayou Texar with some great photos, laughs and long-lasting memories to be sure. All released...

Long-time Redfish University clients, Jeff and John Shiver, flew into Pensacola International Airport late last night to go do some catching at Redfish U. The fellas wanted to target some speckled trout for dinner and then catch some big fish for a little variety on light tackle. A little pressure, especially considering their extensive travel, but I put together the best plan for their requests. Started at first-light with 1-3.5# speckled trout on nearly every cast. Again, Berkley Gulp! Jerkshads rigged with jigheads and drop-shot style are absolutely the most productive baits and techniques. Fished in the fog for trout until 8am and then ran very slowly into the bay and a very thick fog. The Yamaha SHO doesn’t like to crawl at 19-20mph! Arrived on some shallow flats and immediately found what we were looking for. Huge redfish!! We don’t target diving birds or huge schools of redfish unless absolutely necessary. Used Berkley Gulp! 4″ Shrimp to sight fish some massive redfish. Admittedly, some of the redfish were very difficult this morning but seeing them from a long distance was very helpful and that’s where I was able to help the Shivers with direction and placement. A new record was broken this morning by Jeff Shiver. The old record 31 pound redfish was shattered by one of Jeff’s gigantic redfish which tipped the scales at exactly 35 pounds! I’ve only personally seen one fish bigger and that was in Venice, LA. Redfish Cup prefishing when my partner stuck a 41# redfish just to weigh the beast. Congrats Jeff! Anyway, wore the guys out with big redfish and headed back. Endless trips in the future so back soon. Thanks, E Holstman Please click an image to...

Happy New Year! The 2012 Redfish University season has begun with some outstanding fishing, lots of instructional trips, a “slammed” Winter season and some very exciting expansion and developments at Redfish University this year. Not to mention, Redfish University will throw the new 2012 Pathfinder 23 HPS/2012 Yamaha SHO 250HP into its arsenal soon and will offer some thrilling new services for the 2012 fishing season. Stay tuned! With the dismal trip last Saturday hanging over us, this week’s trips thus far have been much, much better. Guided some Pensacola Foolish Forum members on Tuesday, a really nice fellow from the GCFC on Wednesday and a few anglers from North Carolina this morning. Each Redfish U trip took place in completely different areas but all had one thing in common. Lots of fish! There are lots of fish in very few areas. Gulp! 5″ Jerkshads rigged with jigheads and drop-shot style were the most productive baits. Found quality redfish, speckled trout, flounder, stripers and even a bald eagle for some nice variety. Trips straight through to Monday so many more recents reports to come. Thanks, Eric Holstman Please click an image to...