Pensacola, Escambia County, FL
Partly Cloudy
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83°F
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Feels 90°
Naples Premier Offshore Fishing Charter
Pattern day — fish are predictable. Work structure and watch the feeding windows.
80-150lb mono leader with crimps
Tarpon require heavy, abrasion-resistant leaders; their mouths are tough and bony
Two-hook rig with sand flea bait
Classic beach setup — pompano love sand fleas; productive all year
Silver spoon (Hopkins, Acme)
Ideal for Spanish mackerel in the surf — fast retrieve, great flash
Classic shad-shaped hardlure plug
Beach staple — works for Spanish macks, bluefish, and mackerel
Local Fishing Resource
East Pass, Pensacola Bay, and the Emerald Coast — the Panhandle's top inshore and offshore fishery
Open the Escambia & Santa Rosa Cheat Sheet
Paralichthys albigutta
Flatfish common in coastal bays and flats. Excellent eating and popular sport fish.
Local Notes: Bury in the sandy and muddy bottom throughout Gulf Islands National Seashore. Slow-drifted live shrimp or finger mullet near bottom, or a 1/4-oz white jig.
Lutjanus griseus
Versatile species found from mangroves to offshore reefs. Excellent eating.
Local Notes: Hold behind every mangrove point and island near Gulf Islands National Seashore. Light fluorocarbon and live shrimp.
Sciaenops ocellatus
Popular game fish with distinctive black spot near tail. Found in shallow coastal waters.
Local Notes: Tailing reds on the flats at Gulf Islands National Seashore on low tide. Weedless gold spoons or DOA Shrimp.
Cynoscion nebulosus
Popular inshore species with distinctive spots. Found over grass flats and sandy bottoms.
Local Notes: Work the grass flat edges throughout Gulf Islands National Seashore with DOA Shrimp or live pilchards — best at first light.
Pogonias cromis
Large drum species found in estuaries. Can reach impressive sizes.
Local Notes: Root around oyster bars and shell flats at Gulf Islands National Seashore. Shrimp or crab on a bottom rig in 2–5 ft.
Archosargus probatocephalus
Bottom feeder with strong teeth. Found around structures and pilings.
Local Notes: Work any hard structure — crab trap buoys, mangrove prop roots, oyster bars — near Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Megalops atlanticus
Large powerful fish known for spectacular jumps. Migrates along Florida coast.
Local Notes: Roll through the backcountry creeks and bays around Gulf Islands National Seashore in spring. Sight-fish rollers with crabs or swimbaits.
