As all kayakers know, the one thing feared most is flipping. When this happens, you want all your gear strapped to the boat. Don’t find yourself swimming to the bottom in search of that reel….put a leash on it.
You can now buy most of your kayak gear from Hot Spots. They have leashes, floats, fasteners, rod holders, and much more. Come check it out!
Chris Dunn
Leash
Float
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
For anyone with a kayak, I would strongly recommend buying yourself a stickit anchor pin. Fishing on the flats is a whole lot easier if you have one. Deployment is easy. Just slam it into the ground and you’re stuck. No mess or hassle. Don’t burden yourself with ropes and pulleys. Keep it simple.
Use it off your bow
Use it off the stern
Chris Dunn
Guided Mr. Aaron Sago today for some trout/redfish action in East and Blackwater bay. We hit the Water around 1 oclock and headed to a couple deep water areas near east bay. We managed 2 slot reds and a rat within the first few minutes then the action slowed. We ran back towards blackwater bay checking a number of different spots with no luck. The tide wasn’t moving much and with all the mullet dead it seemed, that the normal hot spots were not producing fish.
Before heading north to chase stripers, I ended up checking a deep hole a couple miles south of the i10 bridge and it was on! We would drop a 1/4oz jig head down 20ft and the second it hit the bottom you were on. We pulled about 30 trout and several reds then moved on towards the bridge.
The area around the bridge was holding a few big fish but it was tough to get them to bite. We managed a couple nice fish around the bridge and called it a day. We ended up with about 35 trout and 7 reds. Surpisingly the trout were big! Most of them ranged from 16 to 20″ with several 22 and 1 right at 25″. We looked around for stripers at dark but they were MIA!
Capt Brant Peacher
www.fishtheemeraldcoast.com
On December 31st 2009 I guided Josh and his two sons on some Pensacola bay trout and redfish action. I was very confident going into the trip, seeings how I had located a good number of fish just two days prior. We were a little late taking off because the fog hurt our vision and it would have been unsafe to run through such conditions. Around 8 a.m. the fog lifted and off we went to our first stop. Little did I know this would be our last stop of the day. I had two of my clients rigged with a Berkely Gulp and the other with a live shrimp for trout. I got them into position and all three of them made great cast into the deep water droppoff that was holding fish a few days before. The two boys both hooked up with mid to upper slot reds
on the first cast.One was caught on a live shrimp and the other on a gulp. After that it was constant action throughout the morning. I ended up rigging them up with three soft plastics and let them cast and catch an assortment of trout, reds, and black drum. All of the fish were caught in 13ft of water off a dropoff. In fact I haven’t caught a good fish in less than 8ft of water fishing the upper bays in the last 3 weeks. This cold snap we are having is only going to make it better.
Capt Brant Peacher
www.fishtheemeraldcoast.com
Inshore
The muddy water has put a damper on the inshore fishing over the past week or so. Bull reds still are being caught, but you will likely have to fish for them with bait or troll diving plugs.
Anglers have been doing very well with the sheepshead fishing around structure like bridge pilings or rocks.
Even the white trout bite around the Pensacola Bay Bridge has been much slower than normal with the dirty water, but you can still catch enough for dinner.
Offshore
A number of anglers have done very well with the flounder on the offshore wrecks lately. This is the time of year when they congregate in the gulf to spawn.
The tuna reports from the floating rigs have varied from one boat to the next. There have been plenty of blackfins along with an occasional yellowfin.
Those who have ventured out bottom fishing recently have come home with some great stories. If you have some deepwater spots that usually hold grouper now’s the time to head out and give them a try.
Piers & Beaches
As long as the weather stays cold and the wind blows out of the north the bonita action will stay red hot on the Pensacola Beach Gulf Fishing Pier.
There are very few surf anglers hitting the beach, but those who are have been doing very well. There’s a surprising amount of pompano being caught considering how late it is in the year in addition to whiting and redfish.
Sheepshead have been the best thing going for everyone fishing on Bob Sikes Bridge. There’s always a good chance you hook into a big redfish as well.
Captain Chris Phillips
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