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![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Much like the last couple of weeks, weather has been a limiting factor for getting offshore. The bite has been great when the stars align, and last week was a prime example of that. Our 12 hour trip was a success for bringing a great group of fishermen on the boat and coming home with full baskets of fish. Vermillion and white snapper continue to be a staple catch, along with triggerfish, amberjack, and we thankfully managed to bring back a variety of grouper species. There are plenty of other fish being caught as well, some can come home while others have to be released to be caught again later.  Much like other trips, the sharks can’t be avoided at times. There’s a reason why we refer to it as “paying your taxes.”

As the weather starts to cool down, we will begin to see a transition away from the summer bite. Fall time offers a great time to take out a charter boat in the Pensacola area now that it isn’t so darn hot! We will continue to book trips year round, with plenty of availability to make those further trips to the deeper grounds. With 6 and 8 hour day trips being our standard, we also do 10, 12, 18, 24, and 36 hour trips too. These longer range trips are your best shot at coming home with your next trophy fish. Fall time is great for deep water bottom fishing for exotic groupers and snapper, tilefish, and who knows what else! Fall is also great to troll for pelagic species such as mahi, wahoo, and tuna. No matter what you want to pick from, Entertainer is here to make your next trip THE trip to remember.

If the offshore thing isn’t what you want to do for now, the inshore and surf fishing bite will continue to pick up as the temps drop. Fishing in the surf can bring you pompano, whiting, redfish, black drum, bluefish, flounder, and many more. Two hook “pomp rigs” with fresh shrimp, sand fleas, and your choice of synthetic baits like FishBites and FishGum are the go to choices for catching them. Inshore fishermen are seeing good results with speckled trout and redfish on the grass beds. It’s hard to beat a live shrimp with a popping cork for fishing the grass. Flounder and mangrove snapper can be caught close to any inshore structure using live shrimp or minnows on a Carolina rig. We have everything you need to get started at our tackle shop Entertainer Bait And Tackle in Perdido Key underneath the Theo Baars Bridge. We’re available by boat or land for all of your needs.  

Fishing and the weather have had a lot in common lately, it’s HOT! Whether you want to do a private booking or a walk on style trip, you’re coming home with some meat. Over the next several weeks we will begin to see a change from the summer months into the early fall swing. That means it’s a great time to book a charter trip for you and your family.

The vermillion snapper bite has been very consistent over the last few weeks with baskets full of these little gems showing up on the table. We’re still seeing some red snapper coming back to the dock, but with the federal season winding down so is the bite. White snapper, almacos, banded rudderfish, and the occasional scamp are being reported too. We have a few more days left for red snapper, then we begin to shift gears towards other targets. Triggerfish are also in season right now, and amberjack will open up September 1st.

My personal favorite season will also open up September 1st, and only lasts for 2 weeks this year. That’s right, it’s gag grouper time y’all! These fish are well prized and among some of the best eating fish in the Gulf. While they are a blast to catch and eat, it does require a bit more riding time to get to the grounds needed to locate them, along with catching live bait to bring on your way out of Pensacola Pass. That being said we will be offering 12 hour trips, both private and multiple chances for a walk on trip for those who don’t need the whole boat to themselves. Our walk on dates will be September 4th, 8th, and 15th. This kind of trip rarely becomes available for shared expenses, so don’t miss your opportunity! Call our booking office and get your spot reserved asap 850-934-1613

Here we are, almost 3 weeks into red snapper season, and the bite continues to do great! Both our 6 hour and 8 hour trips have been coming back to the dock with baskets full of fish. Red snapper continues to be the main focus for the majority of the charter boat fleets along the Gulf Coast.  Don’t let this fool you though, there are still plenty of other species of fish coming back to the dock every day. Catches include vermillion and black snapper, porgies, and if you’re lucky enough a scamp grouper may decide he wants to come home with you! Snapper season will continue to go strong for the next several weeks, so don’t hesitate to get you and your family on board with us.

What better way is there to start off the red snapper season than jumping on board the Entertainer?  The most well known deep sea fishing boat in the Pensacola and Perdido Key area.  When the weather isn’t very favorable to take out a smaller boat, you have the great option to join a walk on fishing trip with a party boat that’s three times the size of your average center console boat.  Charters are always a good idea if you’re coming to the Gulf Coast but don’t have the time, gear, or knowledge to learn a new fishery, yet want to bring home some fresh Gulf seafood. We offer several options for you to enjoy the area by boat if fishing isn’t something you or your group wants to do.  We also do sunset and dolphin cruises through Big Lagoon and Pensacola Bay, as well as viewing parties for the Blue Angels air shows that Pensacola is so known for.

With the water warming up, so is the bite!  Our trips have already been coming back with boat limits of vermillion snapper, aka beeliners or mingos, as well as white snapper, lane snapper, and various other “bonus” species like strawberry and scamp grouper, porgies, and mangrove snapper.  Most of our fishing is done with a “chicken rig” and squid. This gives you the biggest opportunity to catch a variety of fish from the depths. Once the limit of various snapper species is almost reached, it’s time to retire the small gear from the back of the boat and break out the big guns while everyone else continues to fish from the sides.  This is where the smaller baitfish that are caught as a bycatch during the first half are utilized to entice a huge red snapper to bite.  This type of fishing is not for the faint of heart, you’ll see this once the first angler gets tight on one of these big reef fish.  Heavy tackle and a firm grip are needed for this special type of fight.

With the new month of June finally here, so is everyone’s favorite red snapper season! The 2024 red snapper season runs June 1 – August 28.  The American red snapper is easily considered to be one of the best eating and fighting fish in the Gulf Of Mexico. These are one of the many fish that draw people from all around the world to come to the gulf coast and join the charter boat fleet that we love so much.  If you’ve never experienced the fight of a big red snapper then you are truly missing out!  Red snapper will continue to be a steady bite as things continue to heat up.  There’s no better way to get a cooler full of snapper species than coming out for a 6 or 8 hour fishing trip with us.  See for yourself why the Entertainer is known as the best fishing charter boat in the Pensacola and Perdido Key, FL area.  You can book any time online via our website or by calling our booking office and speaking with Tina directly at (850) 934-1613.

Speaking of memories, let’s talk about Memorial Day weekend.  While this is a day of remembering our troops who gave the ultimate sacrifice, it is still a time to gather with friends and family to have some fun in the sun.  Most people think of grilling burgers, hotdogs, ribs, and chicken at these types of events, but let’s change that this year!  We still have until the end of the month for triggerfish and amberjack.  We will be running both 6 hour and 8 hour walk on trips during Memorial Day weekend to fit your schedule best.  6 hour trips are our most common for those who want to enjoy deep sea fishing at its finest, and come home with a great dinner.  Now if you’re a little more serious of a fisherman and want to get the most bang for your buck, the 8 hour trip is a great option to allow you much more fishing time to find your next trophy!  6 hour trips will run Thursday the 23rd, Saturday the 25th, and Monday the 27th.  Our 8 hour trips will be Sunday the 26th, and Friday the 31st.  All trips leave the dock at 7am sharp, please arrive 30 minutes ahead of departure to allow time to check in and and get everything on board in a timely manner.  Also remember our deckhands work for tips only. If they helped to make your day as fun as can be, please tip them for their hard work.

As we move more into the summer conditions, the weather will continue to warm up but should stabilize with much less wind compared to the spring months allowing more and more fishing opportunities.  Like mentioned, we have amberjack and triggerfish still in season until the end of May, so get your trip booked before they’re on the throwback list. After they close, we step into everyone’s favorite American Red Snapper the beginning of June.  Dates are booking up quickly so don’t wait too long to get your trip booked.  There are many options when it comes to Pensacola fishing charter boats, let us show you why the Entertainer stands out from the rest!  You can book any time online via our website or by calling our booking office and speaking with Tina directly at (850) 934-1613.