Summer Update.
July was a good month of charter fishing in Pensacola. Once the weather finally started cooperating with us, we were able to get some trips in as we wrapped up Red Snapper season!
The King Mackerel finally started showing up in pretty good numbers as well. Overall I would estimate we kept around 600-700 Red Snapper during our short season and caught numerous sharks and other bycatch!
It is a fantastic feeling showing families and groups of friends what the Gulf Coast has to offer as well as putting some food on their plate!
August.
As we roll out of Snapper season into the hot month of August, we will primarily be targeting Vermillion Snapper, Triggerfish, King Mackerel, and of course, sharks.
While Vermillion Snapper (a.k.a. mingos or B-liners) and Triggerfish are a little smaller than Red Snapper, they still put up quite a fight on light tackle, and they taste just as good; some would argue that they’re even better!
When fishing for Mingos and Triggerfish, we typically use spinning tackle with 15-25 lb braid and a 20 lb double-hook leader.
That’s right; you get to use two hooks at a time for these bad boys!
The typical bait we use for these fish is cut squid, Bonita, or mackerel. We are allowed to keep 10 mingos per person with a minimum size of 10″.
We are allowed to keep one Triggerfish per person with a minimum length of 15″ at the fork of the tail.
Hopefully, the FWC will soon ease their regulations to allow us to keep more Triggerfish!
Toothy Critter Update.
As far as toothy critters like Sharks and King Mackerel, they have been biting well. King Mackerel migrate and follow the schools of bait wherever they go, so some days are better than others, but they are a blast to catch when they are around.
I get many shark fishing charter requests here in Pensacola, and let me tell you; this has been a fantastic year for catching them.
The sharks have been plentiful this year, better than I remember them being for several years now. Our shark catches offshore have mostly been comprised of many Bull Sharks, and it seems the shark fishing will continue to be great here, at least for the next few months!
If you are headed to the Emerald Coast and staying in Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, Navarre, or Perdido Key give me a ring at (850) 516-0071 or visit my contact page to fill out a form.
Hope to see yall soon, Capt. Austin
