# Local fishing club?



## twinsfan (Feb 18, 2011)

Hi everyone,

I moved down here this weekend from Norfolk and towed my 22' skiff with me. I'm posting to see if anyone would recommend a good fishing club or a group of anglers that meet up from time to time.

I know I can't ask "hey I'm new, tell me how and where to fish for anything that's biting please!" I'd rather go out and have some beers and meet some good people who would like to share some advice. 

The anglers clubs in Norfolk had some great guest speakers and put me on a ton of fish I wouldn't have caught otherwise. Something similar here would be awesome. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for the help.


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## RedLeg (Mar 15, 2014)

Welcome to the area and to the forum! You'll find a wealth of information on this site to help you hone in on all types of aquatic critters. If nobody is quick to let you know about local "clubs" I would head down to just about any local tackle shop in the area. My personal favorite is Outcast...good luck and welcome again.


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## Dive1 (May 16, 2015)

Outcast Tackle and Half Hitch Tackle in Navarre


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## twinsfan (Feb 18, 2011)

Sounds good. I'll head those ways to start. I appreciate the help. I hope there's some good stuff to fish for in the coming weeks because I'm off work until mid March!


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## etrade92 (Jul 30, 2015)

Welcome to the forum! I am not sure about local clubs, but I am also interested in that both for the fishing and the comradery. Where abouts are you located?


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## twinsfan (Feb 18, 2011)

I'm in the North Pensacola area.


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## Sunshine17 (Dec 11, 2009)

I go fishing a couple times a week and am always looking for people to go with me. shoot me a PM and we can get up and plan a fishing trip or something.


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## Emerald Ghost (Mar 11, 2008)

If you like Speckled Trout fishing, check them out.
There were between 25-30 that attended the last meeting, and the first tournament of the season is scheduled for tomorrow February 6th.

check them out at :
pensacolaspeckledtroutclub.com/


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

twinsfan said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I moved down here this weekend from Norfolk and towed my 22' skiff with me. I'm posting to see if anyone would recommend a good fishing club or a group of anglers that meet up from time to time.



Welcome to Paradise!!

First, you have joined the best "Fishing Club" that we have to offer here, PFF. IMHO.

Now about learning to fish this area, we have allot of diversity. The best way to learn is to hang out here, make some friends, and learn.

About your : "I'd rather go out and have some beers and meet some good people who would like to share some advice"

We have many events.

There is the Hot Spots Fishing Seminars at Flounders on the Beach once a month. Free Fish Fry, Free Give-aways, and lots of great "Target Fishing" seminars. First Monday of each month.

There are also Fishing Seminars that are similar in Niceville, and some are in Gulf Shores. I have not attended any of those yet.

Once spring time arrives, there is Free Oyster Wednesday, at Gilligan's Tiki Hut, on property at the Hampton Inn, Pensacola Beach. This is open to the public, however, PFF'ers get special pricing. Lots of story telling here, as it is an informal gathering of fishing folks.

There are many other events that occur as well. Watch the Forum Bash threads.


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## Dive1 (May 16, 2015)

Thanks Banana, I never knew those events existed. I look forward to making some of those.


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## Emerald Ghost (Mar 11, 2008)

Legendary Marine in Gulf Shores also has some excellent Seminars.

Shoot "Chris V" here on the PFF a PM, and he'll help you out.


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

Emerald Ghost said:


> Legendary Marine in Gulf Shores also has some excellent Seminars.
> 
> Shoot "Chris V" here on the PFF a PM, and he'll help you out.


Thanks Pat, could not remember the details about this one.


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## twinsfan (Feb 18, 2011)

Wow. This forum is great. Thanks a lot for the detailed posts. I'm definitely going to get involved in all of the above. I'm gonna put the boat in the water this Saturday and I'll be sure to write a report.

I'll see you guys at those meetings.

Thanks again.


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

twinsfan said:


> I'm gonna put the boat in the water this Saturday and I'll be sure to write a report.


FYI, sheep head are hanging at bridge pilings right now.
I mean right next to a concrete piling.
Sometimes I bring a floor scrapper and scrap the barnacles off the pilings which creates a natural chum for them.


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## twinsfan (Feb 18, 2011)

Thanks for the advice. I've got an ipilot with GPS lock that I used on the pilings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in VA. I'll take the forums suggestions and head to a tackle shop to see exactly what set up to use. Sounds like something to fish for tomorrow! Any other species hanging out in those same areas?


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

twinsfan said:


> Any other species hanging out in those same areas?


White trout 1 foot off the bottom.
Big Bull Red Fish.
They like to eat white trout.
So do I.

Know the limits.

Also look for birds circling and fish under them.


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## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

You really can just ask where and how to fish! I moved here with the Marine Corps and loved it, so I stayed. I didn't know buttholes from elbows about saltwater fishing. The guys on this forum taught me, literally, everything I know. I kayak fish now and am quite successful. My advice is, listen and do it EXACTLY how they say and stay out of the politics forum, it'll give you ulcers!!!


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## twinsfan (Feb 18, 2011)

Thanks for the advice. On past forums people would give you crap for asking how to fish. Doesn't really seem like the case here so long as u don't want to know exact spots or whatnot. Definitely gonna take the advice and hit some pilings tomorrow. I'll post a follow up.


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## newmanFL (Mar 29, 2015)

You'll find most people on the forum very helpful with lots of things like what baits to use, how they use them successfully , how the weather conditions affect the fish, plus many more things I have been learning a lot since I have been a member here.


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

Sent


twinsfan said:


> Thanks for the advice. On past forums people would give you crap for asking how to fish. Doesn't really seem like the case here so long as u don't want to know exact spots or whatnot. Definitely gonna take the advice and hit some pilings tomorrow. I'll post a follow up.


This called the "South"

There really is a difference.

Just do not ask me for my bay numbers.


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## twinsfan (Feb 18, 2011)

Update:
Went out today from 9am to 4pm. Fished the I-10 bridge pilings and the 3MB pilings. It was me and 3 others. We used 2 dropper rigs and 2 Carolina rigs with shrimp and fiddlers.

To end up we had a bunch of shorts. Small redfish and small sheepshead. Not sure if I was doing something wrong and missing the bigger ones but that's for another day. 

Bottom line, I fished open water in mid Feb which is a feat for a Minnesota native. Ran some gas through the boat after a few months sitting on the trailer and caught a few fish. Good day. 

Thanks to all for the advice!


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## keperry1182 (Oct 6, 2010)

sometimes you just get in a bunch of small ones. There's some king kong reds under 3mb. Catch one of the white trout or whiting and cut it in half for cut bait. It won't take long.


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

You do need to watch your bottom machine, and move often. Until you find them. If you have not gotten i bite in 5- 10 minutes, next spot. You can move to another piling, and fish ON!! All day.


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

twinsfan said:


> I fished open water in mid Feb which is a feat for a Minnesota native.



Hmmm, Closed Water? 

Is that water covered with ice, hence you call it closed waters?


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## twinsfan (Feb 18, 2011)

Thanks for the tip. 

I guess I've never really thought of the term for when it's not open. It's either iced over or its open. The worst part is the transition months when you can't safely ice fish it, but it's not open yet. Bottom line, I'm not going to be dealing with that stuff for the foreseeable future!


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## Flounderpounder (Oct 3, 2007)

You could also check out the Pensacola Recreational Fisherman's Association. They have a meet up every 2nd Tuesday.


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