Looking for something to do in Pensacola with the family while on spring break? Fishing is the answer! Each year thousands travel to the beautiful beaches here for Spring Break. The spring weather in Pensacola is my personal favorite; those annoying cold temperature days are gone, but it doesn’t get too hot either. It is perfect!

The warmer spring temperatures bring some excellent fishing. I will be catching a wide variety of species this Spring, including Sharks, Spanish Mackerel, Sheepshead, Triggerfish, Vermillion Snapper, and more.

Sheepshead (a.k.a poor man’s lobster) is a very delicious fish. Sheepshead spend most of their time in bayous and brackish water until around mid-March – April when something remarkable happens.

These fish migrate from their usual homes to the Pensacola pass to spawn. Why don’t they just spawn where they are instead of making the big move? Sheepshead don’t have enough muscles in their diaphragms to squeeze out their eggs before shifting into the deepest part of the bay (known as the pass).

The depths of the water cause enough pressure to help them squeeze the eggs out! Remarkable how far instincts can take you. The sharks also move into the pass this time of the year. We catch more 100+ pound sharks in the pass this time of the year than any other time.

I believe the sharks are aware of the sheepshead phenomenon.

Another great thing that March brings us is Triggerfish season. Triggerfish season opens March 1, we can keep 1 per person, and they have to be 15″ at the fork of the tail to keep. (Though I hope they change that soon).

Triggerfish are also a delicious fish. Not something you would guess by looking at them!

Triggerfish have a face only a mother could love, sharp buck teeth, and dull gray skin that’s tough as leather.

They are called triggerfish for a pretty cool reason. They extend a thick, sharp dorsal fin for protection when they feel in danger. No matter how hard you push on it, it won’t lay down; however, there is a second small dorsal fin, and when pushed down, it folds both dorsal fins down, just like a “trigger”!

Pretty cool! Huh? Well, I can’t let you in on all of the secrets, but if you book a trip with me, we can go fishing, and I can show you all about what the Gulf of Mexico has to offer!

I am looking forward to taking you and your family on your next vacation!

Tight Lines,
Captain Austin