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Halloween Fishing Report

a person standing next to a body of water

Welcome back everyone!

 

First, and foremost, we would like to send out our thoughts and prayers to all of those affected by Hurricane Helene. We were extremely fortunate on the western Panhandle of Florida. The Pensacola and Perdido Key areas were virtually unaffected aside from moderate wind and roughly 3 feet of storm surge. With a storm that big, even being hundreds of miles away, it was more than enough to keep everyone from leaving the dock other than for evacuation reasons. That being said , the next few days are looking to be great for getting offshore. The bottom fishing bite is typically hot following tropical systems. So that means it’s time to get it out there and book a charter trip with us!

 

Inshore fishing continues to get better and better as we get closer and closer to fall time. Speckled trout, redfish, and flounder are all staple catches for inshore anglers looking to fill the box. My personal first choice for targeting trout and reds are a popping cork with 18-24″ of 20lb leader to a DOA shrimp. For flounder I like to use a 1/4 to 1/2oz jighead and soft plastics. Z Man, Gulp, and Fishbites Fight Club all are great options. The key to catching flounder is to stay as close to the bottom as possible. Keep in mind the season for them closes October 15th, so make sure to stay on top of current regulations before you harvest anything. Surf fishing will also keep picking up more and more as the temps cool down. Pompano, whiting, redfish, and black drum are all common catches while using shrimp, sand fleas, Fish Bites, or Fish Gum. Flounder can also be caught in the surf as well. You’ll need to be ready to walk a mile or three while hunting out the deeper pockets of water close to shore, but there is something quite nice about being able to scale down gear to be able to walk and take in the view while catching dinner.

 

Vermillion snapper are always a staple catch this time of year, and with the daily limit being 10 per angler you’re going to bring home a pile of meat with those tasty fish alone. Triggerfish season remains open with consistent numbers showing up on various types of structure in 100 to 300 feet of water. Cut squid with a two hook rig is the standard for catching both species. A recent order from FWC announced that the amberjack season will remain open through October 31st now, so that gives you even more time to come pull on one of these reef donkeys. Large live bait, slow pitch or speed jigs, or even poppers are all effective options to test your tackle. Trolling boats are reporting white marlin, mahi mahi, wahoo, and the occasional blue marlin. The FADs are producing solid reports for yellowfin tuna and big blue marlin at first daylight. Trolling skirted lures, rigged horse ballyhoo, or live blackfin are the go to for getting into these trophy fish. Here at Entertainer we are capable of booking a fully custom trip to catch a fish of a lifetime. Whether you want to bottom fish for snapper and assorted reef species on a day trip or make it a 24/36 hour overnighter, we are your go to choice in the Pensacola charter fishing fleet. Call us and let’s get you on the books today!