Fishing Forum – Pensacola, FL

Pensacola Fishing Community and Forum, with Helpful Forums, Links, News and Resources.

INSHORE – Sheepshead continues to be caught around Pensacola Pass and on jetties, while trout respond well in bayous for live shrimp or cut bait fishing.

Sheepshead are being caught along the beaches. Whiting and Pompano can also be seen using drum or pompano rigs.

Fishing Reports

Fishing in Pensacola, FL, has been excellent over the past few weeks. Inshore fishing for trout and redfish in bays and near-shore areas has been particularly effective, especially around docks with underwater lights after dark. Free-lining live shrimp or mullet on the bottom is usually the best way to catch these fish; Sheepshead fishing has also been excellent, particularly in the early morning hours as the weather cools off further.

Offshore – Keeper Amberjack fishing has been hit or miss this week from Port St Joe to the Alabama border, with some boats reporting limits while others finding short trips due to rough waters. Yellowfin Tuna have also been caught via trolling and bait, with larger specimens found closer to Louisiana while smaller tuna are captured further.

Sheepshead are still doing well on beaches throughout the Panhandle. While their bite may be slower this time of year, it should pick up once spring arrives. Bays and canals have had excellent Trout fishing on Z-man paddle tails, while Redfish have also been caught successfully on these. Deep docks in Gulf Breeze and Pensacola have produced Sheepshead as well. In particular, those situated closer to Florida offer great chances for Sheepshead.

Pensacola Beach Gulf Fishing Pier remains closed but is set to reopen sometime between March and April. Night fishing should produce pompano, whiting, and redfish.

May is often an excellent month for speckled trout and redfish fishing on grass flats, oyster bars, and mangrove shorelines – particularly nearshore, where live bait or artificial lures can be as effective in targeting these species. Nearshore fishing also tends to produce results for King and Spanish mackerels.

Pensacola provides anglers with an excellent opportunity for offshore fishing in search of trophy fish such as grouper and snapper, which has a 30-fish per-person citation limit per day and numerous opportunities on wrecks or artificial reefs to catch these species. Please check your local, state/provincial, and federal regulations before engaging in offshore fishing for these species.

Weather Reports

With cooler weather arriving, it is the ideal time to consider fishing. Speckled trout are still being caught throughout inshore waters from canals to bayous. Redfish remain prevalent, often being caught around bridges. Sheepshead are starting to show up and should become increasingly abundant as we progress into Spring; Pompano and Whiting can also be caught; drum rigs should yield good results in surf fishing and Spanish Mackerel!

General Discussions

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General Piers & Bridges

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