Enjoy the Best of Pensacola Fishing

Pensacola Fishing News Went out with my wife on Jan. 8, 2011 in Pensacola Bay. Water temp is 56 and depth was 28 feet. Made another fine catch of white trout over by the port of Pensacola. Next to the civic center we caught quite a few ribbon fish. I need to get another fridg/freezer and keep my ribbon because they are good warm weather trolling bait. Rig same as ballyhoo. Went fishing with my wife on Dec. 31 and again with my nephew on Jan. 2 in Pensacola Bay. On the 31st it was very foggy, but since I know the bay I made it to one of my spots ok. The water temp was about 59 degrees and the depth at 25'. We were using strictly red and white Mann's stingray grubs and caught about 50 white trout. My nephew went to the same spot, very windy and cold, and caught around 40. Same tactics, water temp at 60 degrees. I am going to try to give a report on my latest Pensacola fishing trips here, so check back. Before you begin your Pensacola fishing trip, you will need to be legal.

Like all states, Florida requires a license to fish its waters if you fall into certain age groups. To learn more follow this link. You can also buy a license or permit online here.

It is now mid Sept., 2011. The water temp in the bay now is 79 degrees, beginning to cool.

For tournament fishing info, go to bottom of this page.

If you are considering a fishing trip in the gulf, you should check the marine forecast first and plan accordingly. To aid you in this decision, follow this link: Gulf Marine Forecast.

I'll start first with freshwater fishing side of this coin and flip over to the saltwater side.

My wife and I went fishing in Avalon Bayou on Sept. 10, 2011. The pics below show a couple of the 30 or so redfish we caught that day while Pensacola fishing.

If you put in at the swamphouse head into the river and go left or north. Run up about a mile or so you'll be at the power plant. Go left into the channel, this is White Creek. Get past the barges to begin fishing.

Let's get the Pensacola fishing moving!!!

I try to stay on the outside of the bends where the current is stronger. For bass I start with a 1/8th oz. chartreuse or chartreuse and blue spinner bait.

If the bite isn't good on this I go to a dark colored plastic worm. Let me say that when the weather is cold and water temp is down, keep on your heading north up the river for something interesting. After a bit of riding you will come upon the Gulf Power run off from the generator cooling towers.

This is warm water and the fish will gather there in winter.

For bream fishing here I love using a beetlespin with a small yellow rubber tail.

Drop it close to bushes or stumps at the bank. It is best to cast upstream so the bait follows back with the current. Take these two techniques on up the river into the various creeks you see that empty into the main river.

By the way, if you follow White Creek along it will run back into the river.Now let's go a little farther upstream for some more Pensacola fishing sites. For Pensacola fishing in Quintet,go east on Hwy. 90 to Pace and turn left at the first light, at McDonalds. This is Woodbine Rd., follow it to the next light and turn left onto Quintet Road. Go about 5 or 6 miles until you see a bridge coming up. Just before you reach the guardrail, turn left onto a dirt road and follow on to the boat ramp. Put in and go away from the bridge, downstream. Go 1/2 mile or so to the first big bend,then take the creek to your right.

This is Quintet Lake. It is good for bass and bream. Use the tactics mentioned above and fish close to the bank. I've included some pics of Quintet Lake. While out this way, you will also be in the area of Beck's Fish Camp, so stop and give them a holler.

At the swamphouse, go to the river and go right toward the bay. This fishing is best when the weather srarts to cool. Around the mouth you can catch white and speckled trout closer to the bay. Get some Mann's stingray grubs, white and red, fish them on the bottom all aroung the area.

If no luck, head into the bay toward the bridges, you can see them. Fish around the pilings. There is also some good trout fishing at Jim's fish camp. It's on the left going toward Pace from the swamphouse.

There is launch fee at both these ramps, $5.00. Read on for more Pensacola fishing.

Blackwater River is next up. Take I 10 east to exit 26, go left towards Milton to the stop sign in Bagdad. Left there to Ella Drive and turn right. Follow down to the boat ramp.

That is called the Shell Pile. It's a nice ramp with a dock. Put in and head right to the river and fish along the banks for bass, bream, black crappie, and maybe a redfish. Use the same spinnerbaits all around the grass. You can go upstream if you like and try it there.

If you go about 3 miles you'll come to the boardwalk in Milton. Head out to the bay in the colder weather for some white and speckled trout.

He said that when you arrive at the fishing hole, boat or no boat, the first thing you should do is to go to the nearest tree and cast your bait as high as you can into it. Yank on the pole and line as long as it takes to get it free, then open your tackle box, dump it upside down and kick everything around 'til it is all knotted up. Now spend 20 minutes fixing it all back like it was.

Next, slap yourself in the face a few times so maybe the skeeters won't bite you there. Knock your glasses off your face into the water so now you can't hardly see what you're doing. Spit a big wad of tobacco juice on your shoes. After all this is done and out of the way, you can now bait up for fish.

He said that since it was illegal to bait a hole, you could get around that. Go to the supermarket and buy a small chicken. Go to the lake with your boat and some string. Launch the boat, go to a tree limb in the lake and tie the chicken to a limb.

Wait about 7 - 10 days and come back and fish under the chicken with maggots. Catch a lot of bream. He loved Pensacola fishing too.

A few years ago, Hollis went fishing one day to Juniper Lake near DeFuniak Springs, Fl. He caught about 15 very large bluegill. On the drive home he passed by a very small hole, not much bigger than the average living room, about 200 feet off the highway.

He thought he would give it a try. He parked, got gear, bait, and brought the stringer of fish to put in the water to keep them wet. After a bit, a man stopped and asked if he had any luck.

He pulled out the stringer of bream and said, "Not much, just these few." He told me that next day he passed by there and it was surrounded with people fishing. He told me he never caught anything in that hole.

Saltwater Fishing starts here. I went out for about twenty years with a commercial snapper boat out of Pensacola.

A good ramp to use is the Navy Point ramp. Click this link for directions to Pensacola Bay from there. One thing I would do was to tie on a cigar minnow or finger mullet when we were going through the Pensacola Pass.

I would try to troll up a Bonita to use for bait. Follow the buoy line for about a mile and you will see the Massachusettes to the west. Anchor and drift fish your bait for some Bonita.

Follow the buoy line to the last buoy, the sea buoy. Turn your compass heading to 168 and run for about 26 miles to arrive at the western edge of DeSoto Canyon. This canyon is the reason why deep sea fishing out of Destin is so good.

Your depth finder will show some ridges and drops. This is the reefs on the canyon edge. If you keep going the canyon edge will fall off to some 6,000 feet. Stay shallow and bottom fish with some squid or spanish mackeral. Read on for more of Pensacola Fishing.

Once out of the pass, you can troll with plugs or ballyhoo for some King Mackeral or maybe a Wahoo or two. When using plugs, I always had good luck pulling the bait in the prop wash.

I prefer ballyhoo a little farther back. Remember there are also Barracuda that will sometimes hit your bait. Don't put your hand around their mouth. If you catch a shark, don't panic, just don't pull it in the boat with you. Pensacola fishing, I love it!

I forgot to mention, at the shell pile if you put in near dark for some night fishing, go to the right and head toward the I 10 bridge. Look left for the dock lights and head toward the yellow light.

It is about 15' deep there. Throw your top water plugs at the breaking fish. They chase the bugs and such around that light. Fish with live shrimp. Incoming tide is best.

Now I'll add some humorous Pensacola Fishing tales that I have personally seen. Back in 1987, I had put my boat, I had a center console then, in at the Navy Point boat ramp. It was close to dark so I planned to do some night fishing.

I ran the boat back around the point to the east of the ramp, followed the point on around but not going under the bridge. There are two power poles in the water just down a bit. These poles back then had lights on them which attracted bait fish so the bigger fish followed. I was fishing there when I noticed a car on the bank drive up and stop.

It was about 2am when I saw a fire pretty close to the car. After a bit the fire got bigger and the horn began to blow. Then the tires popped and the fire was going really good. All this was some 200 yards from me. I cranked up and left because if the cops came, they would see me there and need a witness. Not me.

Many years ago I had a center console, about 20 feet, and I had went out into Blackwater Bay for some trout fishing, September I think. After about an hour of no fish, I decided to pull the anchor and move on.

When the anchor came up, I noticed a large clump of oysters on it. So I did what any average fisherman would do, I ate 'em then moved on for some more fishing. Another Pensacola fishing funny story. I was once out snapper fishing on the Miss Aimee. We had the captain's neighbor with us who was green at that type of fishing.

He had a big grouper on and got his right foot stuck in the deck bucket while winding up that fish. He would wind a couple turns, stop and kick. He kept this up for a minute or so when I asked if he needed help. He replied,"No, I got it, no problem." I said, OK, bring it up." He did but it took about five minutes to get his foot out of that bucket.

I kept my bucket on the fish box. Email me with your funny Pensacola fishing stories. hullware@aol.com

After I had been fishing on the Aimee for a few years the captain, Kenny, and me were out in the gulf once having breakfast before getting started. We were eating a sandwich while heading for a spot.

I was sitting at the table when I noticed one of the captains teeth fell out. He reached down and picked it up and said "That *&#@ tooth". He picked it up and put it on the console and kept eating. I thought that was kinda strange but kept my mouth shut and finished my breakfast.

After he had finished his, he picked up that tooth and cleaned it off then got out a tube of super glue. I thought "He ain't gonna glue that tooth back in his head", but guess what, back in it went. I was thinking this has got to be the toughest man alive.

Ain't no way I'm ever gonna cross him. If he could take that kinda pain, then torture would be a piece of cake. It was several years later that I happened to see him cleaning his teeth and I thought well you ol' so and so. He had dentures.

If you decide to venture out in the Gulf of Mexico for some pensacola fishing, let me suggest a couple of things that I think are great to have along. The first is a mirror, if you break down and need to signal someone it is invaluable.

Let's get the Pensacola fishing moving!!!

If party boat fishing is more your speed, follow this link for info on some local boats to try. Pensacola fishing is their specialty.

The mid-west is a land with great fishing opportunities. In the summer months you can fish one of the thousands of lakes either by boat or from the shore.

Fishing is a very pleasant activity that millions enjoy each day. It's a great way to stay in touch with nature, spend time outdoors, and have great times with your relatives and friends.

If you bring your own boat and wish to fish this area, here are a few boat ramps to pick from. Go to map quest and get the locations and plan your boat launch and Pensacola fishing trip from there.

Navy Point, from Sunset Ave. to Cousineau Rd., on Bayou Grande, Pensacola. See picture at right.

Bayou Texar has a boat public ramp on East Cervantese Street. After launch, go under bridge to reach Pensacola Bay at the three mile Bridge. Bayou Texar has great Pensacola Fishing.

Seaside 76, on Little Sabine Bay, Gulf Breeze.

Baird Fish Camp, 4080 Indigo Dr., Pensacola. Bayou Texar Boat Ramp, Stanley & Cervantes Sts., Pensacola

Bayview Park, 20th Ave. & Mallory St. on Pensacola Bay, Pensacola.

Big Lagoon State Recreational Area, 12301 Gulf Beach Hwy. SR293 on Big Lagoon and the Intracoastal Waterway, Pensacola.

Blue Angel Navy Recreational Park, 2100 Bronson Field Rd., Pensacola.

Grand Lagoon Yacht Club, 10653 Gulf Beach Hwy., on Big Lagoon, Pensacola.

Pensacola Naval Air Station, on Pensacola Bay at Sherman Cove & Sherman Pond, Pensacola.

Pensacola Yacht Club, 1897 W. Cypress St., Pensacola.

Rod & Reel Marina, 10045 Sinton Dr. on Big Lagoon, Pensacola.

Sanders Beach Center, Sonia & I Sts. on Pensacola Bay, Pensacola.

Seafarer Dock, 16401 Perdido Key Dr. on the Gulf of Mexico, Pensacola.

Weller Ave. Boat Ramp, Weller Ave at Bayou Grande, Pensacola.

Windward Dock, 16777 Perdido Key on Old River, Pensacola.

Quietwater Beach Recreational Area, SR 399 & Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach.

Sabine Yacht & Racquet Club, 300 Ft. Pickens Rd., Gulf of Mexico, Pensacola Beach.

Boat ramp listings are compiled from different sources, including: Inshore.com, the Florida DEP, and the Florida Cruising Directory 2001-2002

I hope your Pensacola fishing trip is all your wish for.

Listed below are some Pensacola fishing events:

June 18 & 19, 2011: 41st Annual Bill Hargreaves Fishing Rodeo. Hosting over 200 Junior anglers. 850.492.4660

June 25, 2011 Bud Light King Mackerel/Cobia Tournament@ Flounders Pensacola Beach, FL 32561 Pensacola King Mackeral/Cobia Tournament Come see the best fishermen in the area catch some of the largest king mackerel and cobia in the gulf.

This is one of the largest two-day boat events in the Gulf of Mexico with more than 1,000 anglers. Take-off and weigh-in will be at Flounder's Chowder House on Pensacola Beach.

For those interested in the Pensacola Billfishing tournaments, I've included this info. 40th Annual International Billfish Tournament Schedule of Events June 30, 2011 - July 03, 2011 Annual Pensacola International Billfish Tournament Palafox Pier Marina, 997 S Palafox Pensacola, FL 32502 , Annual Pensacola International Billfish Tournament

Happy Pensacola Fishing.

For the Lady Anglers who are looking to compete:

Ladies Billfish Tournament Jul 23, 2011 - Jul 24, 2011 WCI Lost Key Marina and Yacht Club Perdido Key, FL 32507 Awards Package up $20,000

850-453-4638 phone

Fixhin' Chix Ladies Fishing Rodeo Jul 23, 2011

Flounders Chowder House Pensacola Beach, FL 32561 Entry for the tournament is $100 for members with their own boat/$150 for non-members with their own boat/$200 for members that need a boat/$250 for non-members that need a boat through the end of May for the Early Bird Special.

All Registrations after June 1 are $150 for members with their own boat/$200 for non-members with their own boat/$250.00 for members that need a boat/$300 for non-members that need a boat.

850-916-4444 phone

Other tournaments that might interest you are;

• Pompano Tournament: Now through May 31. $10 to enter, prizes to top 10 anglers. Top prize, $1,000. Gulf Breeze Bait & Tackle,contact Victor Wright (850) 932-6789.

•Pier Cobia Tournament: Begins when first registered angler catches a cobia off of the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier. Sign up now at Gulf Breeze Bait & Tackle, (850) 932-6789.

• Outcast Cobia Classic: March 18- May 1, (850) 457-1450,

• Outcast Cobia Invitational: April 14-16, (850) 457-1450,

• Hook, Line, & Sinker Seminar Series: All events begin at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of every month at Flounder's Chowder House on Pensacola Beach. Buffet at 6:30

• Slots & Spots Redfish Tournament: May 1, Hot Spots Bait & Tackle, (850) 255-7288

• Hook, Line, & Sinker Seminar Series: Topic Redfish, May 10, 6:30 p.m. at Flounder’s Chowder House. Free food, seminar and door prizes, (850) 916-7176

• Outcast Inshore Slam: May 14-16, (850) 457-1450,

Check out this site for more info: Outdoor Fishing and Hunting

I know you'll love Pensacola fishing.

As far as the Pensacola fishing in freshwater goes, we have been getting our share of afternoon thunderstorms and rain. This will muddy the rivers somewhat but shouldn't affect the fishing much.

If you are after some bass, use spinner baits and you should do good. During the colder, I opt for saltwater fishing myself. Rmember, that in brackish water, the saltwater is heavier than fresh, so stay near the bottom.

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