Northwest Florida Fishing Report

In this week's Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya covers a rainy summer pattern from Pensacola to Destin, with dirty water, tarpon, sargassum, offshore kayak action, pressured snapper, sharks, and night fishing all affecting the bite. This episode features Brandon Barton with Emerald Waters Kayak Charters, Tom Hilton with Hilton's Realtime Navigator, and Captain Adam Schroeder with Ignite The Bite Charters. Brandon Barton starts in Pensacola, where tarpon are showing up along the beach as they migrate west. He breaks down how he targets them from the kayak by slow trolling live bait, watching for rolling fish, staying around the second sandbar and color-change zone, and keeping a second live bait ready to pitch. Brandon also covers the kayak bite for kings, snapper, bonito, Spanish mackerel, mahi, and amberjack, plus strong inshore and night fishing for trout, redfish, and bull reds around dock lights, bridges, and bait schools. Tom Hilton joins the show to explain how heavy sargassum is shaping offshore fishing across the Gulf. He talks through how Hilton's Real Time Navigator helps anglers find grass lines, fishable water, current edges, sea temperature breaks, bait, and structure. Tom also explains why sargassum can be both a problem and an opportunity, creating nursery habitat and feeding zones while making trolling difficult when it gets too thick. Captain Adam Schroeder closes with a Destin nearshore report for Ignite The Bite Charters. Adam has been finding a better bite east of Destin on natural bottom, with red snapper, red grouper, mangrove snapper, lane snapper, scamp, and triggerfish in the mix. He explains how dead bait, squid, live threadfins, pinfish, chum, light fluorocarbon, clean knots, and spot-lock trolling motors can help fire up pressured fish. Adam also notes that sharks and dolphins have made some public reef areas tougher, making natural bottom a better option when conditions allow. Sponsors: Pike Consulting EMS Endeck PVC Decking Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Admiral Shellfish Sea Tow Coastal Connection EXP Realty - Abaco Orange Beach SlipSki Solutions Black Buffalo Hilton's Realtime Navigator Deep South Cranes Pure Flats - Slick Lures

In this week's Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya takes a different approach with a compilation-style episode built from recent reports across the Emerald Coast. With weather making fresh reports tougher to gather, Joe revisits timely conversations covering the onshore, inshore, and offshore bite from Pensacola to Panama City. The episode covers summer pompano, bull reds in the surf, June grass, sargassum, stained bay water, trout and redfish tactics, topwater and wake bait fishing, early red snapper season strategy, snapper pressure concerns, scamp and mangrove snapper options, a 790-pound bluefin tuna, mahi around grass, swordfish action, and offshore grass problems. This episode features Justin Reed with Justin Reed Fishing, Blake Hunter with Reel 30A, Capt. Evan Wheeler with Pensacola Fishing Charters, Brandon Barton with Emerald Waters Kayak Charters, Capt. Harris Scruggs with Triple B Charters, Capt. Adam Peeples with One Shot Charters, and Capt. Tyler Massey with Hot Spots Charters. Justin Reed and Blake Hunter break down the Northwest Florida surf report, where pompano are still being caught even as June grass, sargassum, rain, and shifting winds make beach fishing more challenging. Justin explains why anglers need to stay mobile, how north winds can help push grass off the beach, and why clean-water pockets may be the difference between catching fish and fighting grass all day. Blake adds a 30A perspective, explaining how dune lake outflows, stained water, sargassum, and an unusual early-summer pattern have affected the pompano bite. He also discusses why summertime pompano often feed better leading up to the full moon, why sand fleas remain important, and how Fishbites can still produce when anglers find clean, fishable water. Capt. Evan Wheeler and Brandon Barton cover the inshore bite, where heavy rain and dirty "root beer" water have made trout and redfish fishing more condition-dependent. Evan explains how rough, stained water and a lack of obvious signs of life force anglers to go back to the basics, including reading birds, bait, wading birds, pelicans, terns, and current lines. He breaks down how different bird behavior can point to pogies, glass minnows, smaller fry, or redfish feeding opportunities, and why lure size and presentation should change based on the bait being targeted. Evan also talks about prospecting with baits like a MirrOlure 17MR and Slick Junior when the visual cues are missing. Brandon Barton adds a kayak fishing perspective from the Pensacola area, where open grass flats, potholes, points, and structure are producing trout and redfish, with topwaters and wake baits both playing a role depending on wind, cloud cover, fish activity, and how committed the strikes are. Capt. Harris Scruggs gives the offshore bottom fishing report, with red snapper season shaping much of the conversation. Harris explains how he approaches the early part of snapper season by fishing known public wrecks before pressure builds, using more traditional tackle early and scaling down later as the fish become more pressured. He also gives a blunt assessment of the long red snapper season, explaining why he believes the amount of pressure could be hard on the fishery. Harris encourages anglers to think beyond simply catching a limit of red snapper, and Joe ties that into a broader discussion about targeting other species such as scamp, red grouper, and mangrove snapper while still expecting to encounter red snapper along the way. Capt. Adam Peeples and Tyler Massey close out the offshore and bluewater side of the report. Adam shares the story of a 113-inch, 790-pound bluefin tuna caught while live-baiting with a blackfin tuna, including the heavy tackle setup, the long fight, the fish dying in 2,200 feet of water, and the hard work required to retrieve it from the bottom. He also explains why crews need to be prepared with block and tackle, a real fish bag or blanket, and plenty of ice if they may encounter a fish of that size. Adam also reports good swordfish action, quality dolphin, blue water, current, and bait, while warning that scattered offshore grass has made trolling difficult. Tyler Massey adds practical mahi advice for fishing larger grass patches, explaining how to pitch baits around the edges, keep multiple rods going, and hold fish around the boat with enough bait in the water. Sponsors: Pike Consulting EMS Endeck PVC Decking Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Admiral Shellfish Sea Tow Coastal Connection EXP Realty - Abaco Orange Beach AFTCO SlipSki Solutions Black Buffalo Hilton's Realtime Navigator Deep South Cranes Pure Flats - Slick Lures

In this week's Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya covers a challenging early-summer pattern shaped by heavy rain, dirty "root beer" water, wind, changing bait behavior, inshore trout and redfish tactics, red snapper season, offshore dolphin and shark pressure, mahi around scattered grass, and wahoo opportunities. This episode features Capt. Evan Wheeler with Tall Pines Tight Lines in the Pensacola area and Capt. Tyler Massey with Hot Spots Charters. Capt. Evan Wheeler breaks down the Pensacola inshore report, where recent rain, dirty water, wind, and a lack of visual life have made trout and redfish fishing highly variable. He explains how he reads birds, bait, tides, solunar periods, current, water clarity, boat traffic, and "trout sky" conditions when obvious signs are missing. Evan also talks about prospecting with lures like the MirrOlure 17MR and Slick Junior, adjusting depth as water temperatures climb, and why he prefers releasing speckled trout over 20 inches to protect breeder fish. Capt. Tyler Massey gives the Pensacola offshore report, where red snapper season is off to a solid start when weather allows boats to get out. He explains how sharks and dolphins are affecting state-water and federal-water snapper spots, why anglers may need to make longer moves between areas, and how live bait like cigar minnows and LYs can help produce steady keeper fish. Tyler also discusses targeting larger snapper with big dead baits like Boston mackerel and butterflied white snapper, plus mahi fishing around larger grass patches, scattered grass challenges, and recent wahoo bites around the offshore FADs. Sponsors: EMS Endeck PVC Decking Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Admiral Shellfish Coastal Connection EXP Realty - Abaco Orange Beach AFTCO SlipSki Solutions Black Buffalo Hilton's Realtime Navigator Deep South Cranes Pure Flats - Slick Lures

In this week's Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya is joined by Butch Thierry and Angelo DePaola for a wide-ranging Gulf Coast report covering a massive 790-pound bluefin tuna, improving swordfish and dolphin action offshore, heavy sargassum in the blue water, kayak-accessible inshore trout and redfish patterns, nearshore reef opportunities, and the kickoff of Gulf billfish tournament season. This episode features Capt. Adam Peeples with One Shot Charters, Brandon Barton with Emerald Waters Kayak Charters, and Jim Cox with the Orange Beach Billfish Classic. Capt. Adam Peeples gives the offshore report after landing a 113-inch, 790-pound bluefin tuna while live baiting with blackfin tuna on Penn 70s, 150-pound hollow core braid, 130-pound mono, 200-pound fluorocarbon leader, and a 12/0 Mustad Perfect Circle hook. He also reports strong dolphin action, an improving swordfish bite, 78-degree blue water, and scattered sargassum that is making trolling difficult. Adam explains how anglers can adjust by avoiding grass-catching plugs and divers, using single-hook rigs, fishing live baits differently, and staying disciplined about keeping lines clean. Brandon Barton gives the kayak fishing report from the Pensacola area, where trout and redfish are active on open grass flats, sand potholes, and shallow-to-mid-depth areas in the sound. He breaks down topwater, wake bait, jerk bait, weedless shrimp, and paddle tail tactics for trout and redfish, along with how he uses kayak mobility and electric propulsion to reach less-pressured water. Brandon also talks nearshore reefs, where amberjack, snapper, grouper, king mackerel, and even mahi are becoming realistic kayak targets as summer patterns build. Jim Cox recaps the Orange Beach Billfish Classic, the first leg of the Gulf Coast Triple Crown, with a record 62 boats and a $1.6 million tournament purse. He covers the long runs teams made in search of current, the strong blue marlin catch-and-release results, giant tuna weighed during the event, and how Gulf Coast tournament fishing continues to become more technical with sonar fishing, live baiting, fuel range, and advanced boat technology shaping the modern game. Sponsors: EMS Endeck PVC Decking Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Admiral Shellfish Coastal Connection EXP Realty - Abaco Orange Beach AFTCO SlipSki Solutions Black Buffalo Hilton's Realtime Navigator Deep South Cranes Pure Flats - Slick Lures

In this week's Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya is joined by co-host Angelo DePaola for a wide-open May fishing report that covers surf fishing, offshore tuna and bottom fishing, Gulf Coast real estate for anglers, and inshore big trout tactics. This episode features Justin Reed with Justin Reed Fishing, Capt. Tyler Massey with Hot Spots Charters, Angelo DePaola with Coastal Connection EXP Realty, and Capt. Evan Wheeler with Tall Pines Tight Lines. The big theme this week is that Northwest Florida anglers have a lot of good options right now, from pompano in the surf to giant bluefin tuna offshore and trophy trout inshore, but success depends on reading conditions, finding clean water, and matching the right tactics to the moment. Justin Reed breaks down the Pensacola surf fishing report, where pompano are still biting well despite June grass becoming a major factor. He explains that the recent north wind helped push the grass offshore, but returning south winds could bring it right back to the beach. Justin says the key is not necessarily finding the perfect pompano structure right now, but finding clean, fishable water. He also covers how often to check baits when grass is present, why pompano should remain available through May, how to deal with ladyfish and blue runners, and why olive-sized sand fleas are ideal when pompano are running on the smaller side. He also talks through his surf rig setup, including 20-pound mono pompano rigs, 20-pound braid main line, a 20- to 30-pound mono top shot, pyramid weights inside the bar, and why a clean braid-to-mono connection matters for repeated long casts. Capt. Tyler Massey with Hot Spots Charters gives the offshore report from Pensacola, led by the story of a 777-pound bluefin tuna caught near the FADs. Tyler explains how the crew was intentionally watching for bluefin, how they caught the fish on a live blackfin tuna, and why targeting fish that size requires serious tackle, heavy drag, strong rod holders, backing plates, and a plan for getting the fish into the boat. He also talks about seeing another bluefin during the fight, the importance of live bait around the FADs, and why these fish have become a realistic but still rare Gulf opportunity. Beyond the bluefin story, Tyler reports excellent vermilion snapper fishing, strong mangrove snapper action, and good opportunities for scamp and red grouper depending on depth, bottom type, and presentation. Angelo DePaola with Coastal Connection EXP Realty gives a Gulf Coast real estate update focused on how uncertainty, interest rates, inventory, and buyer confidence are shaping the market. He explains that the market is moving in pulses, with slower stretches followed by bursts of activity when buyers feel more comfortable. Angelo also talks about why sellers are often holding firm when properties are priced correctly, how current conditions feel more like a normal market than the unusually fast pace of recent years, and why waterfront and boating-focused properties along the Gulf Coast continue to hold long-term value. He also highlights Abaco in Orange Beach as a unique option for anglers and boaters who want a new waterfront development with boat slips, resort-style amenities, marina access, and a strong location near both inshore and offshore fishing. Capt. Evan Wheeler gives the inshore report from the Pensacola area, where the expected full moon big trout bite did not play out exactly as anticipated due to odd spring timing, a late cold front, and shifting conditions. Evan explains that big trout and redfish are still being caught, but the bite has been more about specific locations, historical knowledge, bait presentation, and precision than obvious surface activity. He breaks down how to target larger trout on purpose, including how to choose soft plastics, slick-style baits, jerk shads, topwaters, and suspending twitch baits based on depth, grass, current, water clarity, and fish behavior. Evan also gives Angelo a Chandeleur Islands tackle breakdown, recommending topwaters, mirror lures, slick-style plastics, weedless presentations, natural colors in clear water, darker or more opaque colors in dirty water, and a simple approach to covering the top, middle, and lower parts of the water column. Sponsors: EMS Endeck PVC Decking Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Admiral Shellfish Coastal Connection EXP Realty - Abaco Orange Beach AFTCO SlipSki Solutions Black Buffalo Hilton's Realtime Navigator Deep South Cranes Pure Flats - Slick Lures

In this week's Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya and co-host Butch Thierry step away from the usual bite breakdown to deliver a wintertime episode that can save lives on the water. They focus on boating safety, complacency, and the small gear decisions that matter most when something goes wrong fast. On the safety side, they sit down with Capt. Larry Higgins, owner of KWiggler Lures, who shares a firsthand account of a low-light boating collision in a bayou that ended with him ejected from the boat and suffering multiple hip fractures. Larry explains how quickly the situation developed, why being close to the bank in shallow water likely kept the outcome from being far worse, and how an Apple Watch became a critical communication tool when phones were lost in the chaos. They also dig into the biggest takeaway from the incident: you can be wearing a kill switch and still be wearing it wrong. Larry breaks down how his bungee-style lanyard looped around his wrist nearly failed to pull free, the importance of attaching the lanyard to a reliable point that will not rip out, and why testing your kill switch should be part of your routine. The episode closes with practical winter safety priorities—wearing a PFD you will actually keep on, keeping signaling gear accessible, and building habits that reduce risk no matter what other boaters do. Sponsors: Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Killerdock Coastal Connection EXP Realty AFTCO SlipSki Solutions Black Buffalo Stayput Anchor Hilton's Realtime Navigator

In this week's Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya and co-host Butch Thierry sit down with Capt. Kendall Annan of Gulf Rebel Charters to talk artificial reefs, including how projects with Reefmaker can build private structure that improves the fishery and your bottom fishing long term. Kendall shares what he's learned from both the wheelhouse and scuba diving his reefs, including what designs hold fish best, how fish often stage off the structure, and how long it takes a new reef to start producing. They also cover how to manage pressure so a hot spot stays hot, plus how to get started legally and how Reefmaker can handle permitting and deployment. Sponsors: Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Killerdock Coastal Connection EXP Realty AFTCO SlipSki Solutions Black Buffalo Saltwater Marketing Stayput Anchor Hilton's Realtime Navigator

In this week's episode of the Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya is joined by top local captains and guides: Captain Tyler Massey of Hot Spots Charters, Captain Evan Wheeler of Tall Pines Tight Lines, and surf fishing expert Blake Hunter from Reel 30A. The crew breaks down the best winter fishing tactics for inshore, offshore, and beach anglers from Pensacola to Panama City. Learn where and how to catch high-demand species like pompano, redfish, black drum, sheepshead, speckled trout, and scamp grouper this season, plus get pro tips on the best rigs, baits (live and artificial), and interpreting tides and weather—essential insights for targeting big winter fish. The show also discusses latest fishery updates, conservation-minded practices, and captain-recommended gear. Whether you're planning a fishing trip or want to stay up to date on the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast scene, this episode offers actionable advice for success. Sponsors: Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Killerdock Coastal Connection EXP Realty AFTCO SlipSki Solutions Black Buffalo Saltwater Marketing Stayput Anchor Hilton's Realtime Navigator