Here are a few pictures from some of my recent trips. Today was really cool. We caught sheepsheads first and then decided to go look around in the gulf since it was so nice. We went 2 for 3 on cobia from my bay boat with no tower! One was small and we released the little guy unharmed, one was 40-45 lbs but I couldn’t get him to eat, and the one we kept was about 30 lbs.
Capt Matt Mcleod
850-418-5333 matt@hotspotstackle.com
On this particular morning I got the pleasure of guiding Edwin and his son Jeffery. Our goal was to target monster redfish on shallow flats in Pensacola Bay. Right now the big bulls are in pairs spawning on these flats so it makes for a great sightfishing trip! The only issue we had this morning was rain and wind which makes it very tough to see a fish. After riding the banks for 30 minutes, I knew we were fighting a losing battle. No sunshine made the visiblity very poor. I decided it would be best to blind cast the dropoffs on the edge of the banks. I figured we might find a few stragglers somewhere. It did not take long before we were hooking up with 35 to 40 inch fish. The cool part about hooking a beast like that is we were only 10ft from the bank. After catching a few nice ones, the rain, wind, and cold became unbearable, so we called the trip off early and headed in.
These monster fish should be in this area for at least another month. What some people may not know is that some big bulls actually come up in 3 to 4ft of water to spawn on sandy bottoms. It is best to look for these fish on sand where you are finding a bunch of pot holes and drops offs right off the bank. In this particular area it is 15ft deep no more than 10 ft from the bank. I think a fish of that size feels much safer on a shallow flat when he knows he is only a few feet from very deep water. It is funny, but I have also found that these spawning fish will eat almost anything thrown at them. They are not picky at all…
Capt Brant Peacher
www.fishtheemeraldcoast.com
American Rodsmiths is a fishing rod manufacturer based out of Huston, Texas. The company has been around for a long time building fresh and salt water rods that have been very popular in many parts of the country including Texas and Louisiana. They have come out with a new innovative idea that has changed the way people look at rod grips. They have put Winn golf grips on two models of their rods.
We got to try these out on a trip to Louisiana to look for some redfish this winter and we were VERY impressed. The other characteristics of the rods are right on also. They have many combinations of weight, action, lengths, and tip taper so that you can find the rod that is just right for you. Find a local American Rodsmiths dealer to check them out. If you are in the Pensacola area come check them out at Hot Spots Bait and Tackle.
Capt. Matt Mcleod
www.hotspotstackle.com
www.hotspotscharters.com
850-418-5333
