# Just got here, need some help



## Aspro23 (Feb 19, 2013)

Gentlemen,

Just got stationed down here on NAS Pensacola and live up in Pace. I have gone out probably 9-10 times over the past 2-3 weeks and have been getting my tail handed to me. Jim's Fish camp and the Swamp house launches are 2 mins from my house, but haven't had much luck in northern escambia/up in the fingers. Originally I am from NJ so I grew up large mouth, fluke, and striper fishing (gotten a couple but nothing to write home about), but would like to get on some Redfish. I have tried to mix up the times I have gone out, and have been using drop and double rigs with 1-3 oz on 2-4 hooks and have been mxing it up between live shrimp, killies and gulp. I have also been trying the popping cork with a 1/4 jighead technique I read about on here. The only red I got was a 12' little guy on a senko with a worm under the 90 bridge...

I made the run out from Sherman Cove to Bob Sykes last week but only for an hour or so and didn't get anything. I have been taking other Marines out with me who had never been fishing to try and get them out, so I have been getting them set up as much as actually fishing myself. I tried picking some brain at Outcast in P-cola when I went to get my liscense, but the guy behing the counter couldn't be more disinterested. 

Am I just being too impatient (which is possible coming here from Quantico VA) or am I just hitting the wrong places? Does anyone have a recommendation for guides that will come out on my boat? Not sure if that is common here or not? I'm open to any and all pointers for us new guys to the area and will keep gathering info from this sight. Thanks guys!

Unrelated- saw a Dolphin just south of the swamphouse launch in the channel, was pretty suprised he was that far in. Common?

R/S,
Aspro


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## rufus1138 (Oct 29, 2012)

common enough really, ive seen plenty up there this winter, otters too, on the fishing i would encourage natural baits like shrimp and squid on a carolina rig with a number 6 hook and a 12 lb flourocarbon leader to get some bait fish and then its a game of chance on what you put down, whole live whole dead, bloodied, cut, the options are endless but use the smallest hook u can for the bait you have and use a carolina rig with a 3ft ish leader and a worm weight above the swivel on the mainline and adjust the weight to achieve different levels of depth when retrieving, im converting to mainly artificials but thats cuz im fishing from a yak and natural bait is much more of a hassle there than in a powered boat with a deck.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

The big reds are in the pass and the main bay right now. If you want to consistently get on the bigger reds right now you will have to go farther South from where you are fishing, IMO. Up there by Jims and that area should be getting very good in a couple weeks or so.


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## submariner (Oct 2, 2007)

not that I do much fishing in the river but I thinks reds and flounder have slowed down there. Stripers from what I hear should be active now. go by the powerhouse early morning and late evening, As spring approaches, bass, flounder and specks should heat up in the river. Right now sheepshead are in the pass area You just missed most of the red runs in the pass. 

don't forget freshwater bass Hurricane Lake is good in the spring


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## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

Too muddy up here right now. Fishing has been extremely slow and the fish are really hard to read.

Head to the sound.

Looks like the rain isn't going die off anytime soon. Supposed to start raining on Friday and rain is in the 10 day forecast for every day after that.

Head to the sound. This area won't be very fishable for a long time.


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## BlackJeep (Jun 13, 2010)

I'd say try 3 mile bridge. It's old faithful for bull reds. Just rig a carolina rig with a 5/0 circle hook and live (or dead) baitfish 4-10 inches long. Croakers, pinfish, pigfish, white trout, mullet will all do fine.

Rufus, I noticed your aversion to using periods. Here are some you can use...........


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## DAWGONIT (Jan 16, 2009)

Oorah.
Welcome aboard.
Lots of great info & camaraderie on here.
catch 'em up.


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## bakbone (Dec 18, 2012)

Keep doing what your doing FISHING! Whole menhaden! Learn your area.


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## missplaced_idahoan (Feb 2, 2013)

i feel your pain. when i got stationed here in july i didnt catch squat for about two months because i was learning how to fish the area. fortunatly for you itll only get better as summer rolls around. +1 on catching live bait, croaker and finger mullet are my personal favorites but just about anything will work. and the sea wall behind the portside e-club on base will be awesome fishing in about a month. sounds like you live too far to go home for lunch anyway


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## Robin (Mar 22, 2011)

All good advice,Jersey here also.Flemington...........................


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## Aspro23 (Feb 19, 2013)

Thanks for all of the input. It is great to have a resource like this. I may try out 3 mile this evening.

I grew up in Millstone but lived in Asbury Park when I got out on my own, lived there until last Spring


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## Shea81486 (Feb 20, 2013)

You should try to actually fish more then a hour..


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## rufus1138 (Oct 29, 2012)

BlackJeep said:


> I'd say try 3 mile bridge. It's old faithful for bull reds. Just rig a carolina rig with a 5/0 circle hook and live (or dead) baitfish 4-10 inches long. Croakers, pinfish, pigfish, white trout, mullet will all do fine.
> 
> Rufus, I noticed your aversion to using periods. Here are some you can use...........


sorry guys. im at work. in a hurry usually. not always time. to think about. punctuation. and grammar. hard to avoid. not talking. like capitan kirk.:shifty:


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## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

Just be patient man, the REAL fishin is just around the corner. The bait will start arriving in a few weeks and hoards of hungry fish won't be far behind.


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

Yakavelli said:


> Just be patient man, the REAL fishin is just around the corner. The bait will start arriving in a few weeks and hoards of hungry fish won't be far behind.


 Like he said, be patient. I have always said that February is the worse month of the year to fish around here. However; all months can be good if you know where to go.


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## Aspro23 (Feb 19, 2013)

Gonna go out of Sherman Cove and fish the pass tomorrow, Any Tips?


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## Shea81486 (Feb 20, 2013)

Don't tangle your line!


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## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

Aspro23 said:


> Gonna go out of Sherman Cove and fish the pass tomorrow, Any Tips?


Buy some live shrimp or fiddler crabs (both) and fish close to the rocks. I haven't fished the pass lately, but there should be some sheepshead out there. Reds too.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

Bouncing a bucktail on the bottom works well also.


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## Aspro23 (Feb 19, 2013)

Thanks, hopefully we can get something picture worthy


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## Aspro23 (Feb 19, 2013)

So we have been down here for about 7 months now, still not having much luck or consistency. I have been steadily been able to get on the water about 3 times a week (which will be getting cut down while I am trying to master the mighty T6 up @ Whiting) and have tried to get out to as many of the spots around here as I can. This is where I have been fishing: in the pass, Upper Escambia, the grassy areas on the east of Escambia, Devils Pt, Garcon Pt/ Bridge, Trout Pt ,the flats on the N end of Gulf Breeze, all over in Blackwater and have become pretty frustrated that I haven't gotten a bead on any of it yet. Due to my schedule I have only been able to get out late afternoons/early evenings, and some early mornings on weekends. 

We have been using live shrimp, I bought and learned how to throw a cast nest and have been fairly successful in getting live bait, tried out several different mirrodines and some topwater stuff all with little to no success. By that I mean ONE redfish since I got here, and most trips consist of feeding shrimp to some small catfish with the occasional undersized spec. Again i grew up mostly bass fishing and doing a lot of fluking and Striper fishing back home, so I am pretty new to this type of fishing but I had hoped to be doing significantly better than this by now. This site has been a great resource so far, and with my fishing time being drastically reduced for the rest of the summer and entirety of the fall, I figured I would reach out to you guys again. One thing I am thinking is that in my quest to figure out how to fish the flats/ grass I have been spending too much time in skinny water. IDK. We are definitely putting the time and effort in, and I see the reports on here all the time, and just dont want to miss out while we are fortunate enough to be stationed here. Thanks again for the input.


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

I wish i had some helpful info for you but my saltwater fishing has become dock lights only and throwing lures. occasionally i hit three mile with gulp or cut bait. I work at whiting at south field so if you want to try out some dock lights some weekend drop me a line.


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## nojerseydevil (Jan 23, 2009)

ASPRO23, 

I hit Escambia last Saturday and today. Saturday I caught 8 bass (4 keepers) and three Red Fish (all keepers). I was Bass fishing and ran into the Reds. It was really tough though. Today I caught one Red and one Bass--both keepers. Again, it was tough. IMO, the grass is too thick to in the creeks and bayous to really catch the Bass consistently. It may work for the Reds, but again, the grass is too thick to run my normal baits to get em. Out there today the grass had broken from the roots and now floating in the water everywhere--making topwater or treble hook baits impossible to run. I usually run a bunch a cranks and topwater plugs. Today it was flooded out there pretty bad, and the water was 83 degrees. I'm trying to get out there again this weekend to get me some Reds--doc says I need to eat more fish...

While stationed in New Jersey, the Bass were very predictable, here you have to work a bit harder to get consistent sizes and limits.

What kinda of rig are you running? 

NJD


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## Amarillo Palmira (Jan 2, 2010)

The key is methodical and slow and when I say slow, I mean slooooooow. These tidal river bass are much more spooky and finicky than northern bass. So, like AUGUY said in his Yellow River post, get a pack of black trick worms, some 3/16 oz weights and 12 lb. test. Cast those worms to the bank and let them soak. I mean soak, for at least 30 seconds. Then, twitch it, and see what happens. Work it out a little bit and see if you get bit. Patience is the key. Once you get three fish, you have a pattern. I used to fish a lot with a local guy and he would stubbornly stay on the Trick Worm until he got bit, using just a simple Texas rig. Once he got onto them, then there was no stopping him. He would beat me almost everytime we went out, with just the trick worm. The same technique works on all the rivers around here. If its too weedy, then find somewhere where the weeds are less. Mix it up with 4-6 foot running crankbaits, and chartreuse spinnerbaits, just remember that the worm is the king here. The Redfish will come with the bass. Just fish for bass and you will catch reds and the occasional flounder and trout. Keep one jerkbait or topwater rigged for when you see fish busting on bait. Throw it in the chaos and be ready for action. That is really all there is to it. Generally, the fish are on, or close to the bank. Don't think too hard about this. Patience patience patience, and when you get three, you can start unloading on them.


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## neckmoe (Apr 7, 2009)

bakbone said:


> Keep doing what your doing FISHING! Whole menhaden! Learn your area.


Preach it Brotha!!!! Nothing beats time on the water. As my Pop used to say, know how to catch more fish???? Fish more often.


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

Don't forget early mornings (EARLY mornings) on shallows and grass flats with Super Spooks and Chugin' Spooks on top water for Reds!


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## Aspro23 (Feb 19, 2013)

Thanks for all the input, it is great having this site as a resource. It was a great trip back to NJ and we crushed the fluke! I have been out twice since ( once to fish once to recon further up river) but obviously conditions have been less than ideal. 

I have fished just about every inch of escambia bay except for the fingers north of Jims fish camp.Am I missing out?


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## Jamfhes (Jul 20, 2013)

You just missed most of the red runs in the pass.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

*Reds?
*


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