# Visiting from WI



## berninga87 (Mar 19, 2016)

Hello all, my wife and I will be visiting Pensacola for our first time for a couple of nights next weekend(3/26-3/28). I fish 2 or 3 times per week here in WI, but I've never fished saltwater. I'd love to get a line in while we're visiting. 

I'm thinking of trying the Pensacola beach pier or the Navarre beach pier. I've read that a fishing license is not required with paid admission on these piers, although I may buy a license and try surf fishing anyway. 

I'll probably only get a few hours 1 or 2 days to fish. I really want to maximize my chances of catching something. If anyone has advice on what's biting or what to use for bait I would really appreciate anything you have to offer. I've done a lot of reading on the forum, but around here, the current conditions mean a lot when choosing bait, location, time, etc...so the closer next weekend gets, the more interested I am in what's working. 

I'm a courteous and respectful fisherman. I've been reading up on Florida fishing regulations so as not to cause any trouble. I really just want the thrill of landing some fish that I can't find at home. Also, if anyone needs a fishing buddy those days. I might be able to help out!

Thanks!
Adam


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## Timnavarre (Mar 1, 2016)

I fish Navarre pier and surf good fishing for black brum and sheep's head right now pm on those dates and y'all come out to Navarre pier we can do some fishing don't know everything but know enough lol


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## stc1993 (Nov 23, 2014)

Good luck fishing. You'll love the surf if you've never done it before it's my favorite type of fishing. The pompano are usually biting this time of year too.


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

berninga87 said:


> Hello all, my wife and I will be visiting Pensacola for our first time for a couple of nights next weekend(3/26-3/28). I fish 2 or 3 times per week here in WI, but I've never fished saltwater. I'd love to get a line in while we're visiting.
> 
> I'm thinking of trying the Pensacola beach pier or the Navarre beach pier. I've read that a fishing license is not required with paid admission on these piers, although I may buy a license and try surf fishing anyway.
> 
> ...


You should be here at the perfect time for the spring bull run at Bob Sykes. If you're interested in sight fishing for some 30 lb. class fish, get in contact with me, I'd be happy to get you on some fish man. 

608-558-9386. By the way, I'm from Wisconsin as well. Still live & fish there for four months of the year.


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## berninga87 (Mar 19, 2016)

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

Tim, what basic rod/reel/line setup would you recommend for Navarre? or is there decent gear available for rent? I plan on just buying jigs/bait/etc down there but if I need a special rod/reel I'd like to pick that up before we leave. I see a lot of guys use a long (10-14ft) heavy rod for surf fishing but does that carry over to pier fishing? I watched a youtube video of a guy using a 6'6" gander rod off the Pensacola pier and catching fish. I've got a similar setup I use here that I could spool up 20 or 25# braid on if I could get by with that. 

Thafish, kinda have the same questions for you. I've hauled in a handful of 20+lb fish here on 10 and 15# power pro but what kind of gear is required for a 30+lb bull(assuming bull red or black drum?). Rentals available? Would a stout catfish rod do the trick? Since I wont be there long I can't justify spending too much on new gear that I may not use often or ever at home.

Surf fishing is still on my list to try if I can. We'll be going to Apalachicola for a couple days after Pensacola so it may have to wait until we get there and visit St. George.

Would you guys recommend buying a fishing license or would I be OK without one at the locations you've mentioned? I've looked at the licenses online and I'm thinking I would just need the saltwater license for the fishing I'll be doing. Does that sound right?


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

berninga87 said:


> Thafish, kinda have the same questions for you. I've hauled in a handful of 20+lb fish here on 10 and 15# power pro but what kind of gear is required for a 30+lb bull(assuming bull red or black drum?). Rentals available? Would a stout catfish rod do the trick? Since I wont be there long I can't justify spending too much on new gear that I may not use often or ever at home.



A 7'-8' medium heavy/heavy rod w/ a fast tip paired with a 4kish sized spinning reel OR a 7'-8' medium heavy/heavy rod w/ a fast tip paired with a 300 sized low profile (Revo Toro NaCl/Lexa 300/Curado 300/etc.) or a round Abu/Calcutta/etc. will work just fine. 

30-50 lb. braid w/ an 8-10' 40 lb. fluorocarbon leader is the ideal line setup for out there. 

Anything that you feel comfortable throwing 1/2 oz. jigs, 1 oz. topwaters, & 1.5 oz. jigs with will do the job just fine. 

I use some of my bull redfish setups for jigging for large channel catfish up in Wisconsin during the summers, so you should be able to get some use out of them up there as well! 

To give you some perspective, the two bull redfish & that 40.5'' 31 lb. channel catfish in the pictures were both caught on the same rod setup (& even the same jig).


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## berninga87 (Mar 19, 2016)

nice fish man! Thanks for the tips. I think I'm heading up to Cabelas in Prairie this afternoon. I'll see what I can come up with. Haven't really done any big cat fishing here but thought about getting more serious about it this year. My bigger fish have been pike, musky, and the occasional monster carp.


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## Timnavarre (Mar 1, 2016)

i use 30 pp with 40 lbs floro leader for reds and a 5000 with a med-hvy 7 footer

if fishing for kings i like 8'' med or better get you some wire leaders about 2-3 foot for kings and whats called a bubble rig for spanish they have pre made ones at half hitch tackle they work good. they do have rentals at the pier for poles however i would if at all possable bring/ buy my own theres have some wair i like longer pole then 6'6 so if something takes me under the pier i can get the tip low enough that my line down get cut the times that you are come there will be quite a few people out fishing for cobia they are ass's not all but most.

if the bait is in then also bring your 6'6 pole for a sabikie rig 



NOte one the power pro do not get slick inless you are good at your knots it has a tendency to pull the knot


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## Timnavarre (Mar 1, 2016)

Also if fishing from shore get the license if just from pier don't worry about it


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

berninga87 said:


> nice fish man! Thanks for the tips. I think I'm heading up to Cabelas in Prairie this afternoon. I'll see what I can come up with. Haven't really done any big cat fishing here but thought about getting more serious about it this year. My bigger fish have been pike, musky, and the occasional monster carp.


I've been to that Cabela's a few times! If you wanna be budget-friendly, grab a Pflueger Trion 35 & pair it with a 7' 6" Cabela's Tourney Trail rod or something similar. 

By the way, where do you live in Wisconsin man?


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## Riverfan (Apr 5, 2015)

"I use some of my bull redfish setups for jigging for large channel catfish up in Wisconsin during the summers, so you should be able to get some use out of them up there as well! "
Dude that a huge channel, what did it weigh?


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

Riverfan said:


> Dude that a huge channel, what did it weigh?


30.5 pounds. Caught on a 3/8 oz. Golden Eye jighead paired w/ a Vortex Shad in the Purple Haze color. 

Here's a 20.5 lb. & a 21.5 lb. that I got on the fly back in June. Both on 7'' weighted jointed streamers that I tied.

All caught in the Yahara River in Madison, WI. Working rock piles in 4-6' of water as slow as I possibly could.


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## berninga87 (Mar 19, 2016)

Today I picked up a Pfleuger President 6940 and spooled with 200yds of 30lb yellow power pro. Went cheap on the rod, a Berkley big game. I'm not stuck on it yet, but I've read good reviews about them handling big fish, and I feel better putting money in the reel instead, we'll see. Think this should get me by?

Also, any recommendations on flouro brand? I use 6lb Seaguar in Canada for walleye and it serves me very well. Pike have a hard time cutting it as opposed to the cheap mono the other guys use. I was looking at the Seaguar flouro premier leader material. Thoughts?

Thafish, I'm about 10 minutes from Dubuque, IA in WI. Grew up here. I've been to Monroe plenty of times. A coworker of mine moved here from the Lake Geneva area. I hear lots of stories about fishing Delavan and Geneva


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## Riverfan (Apr 5, 2015)

ThaFish, trade you a smallmouth trip fro a cat trip!


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## berninga87 (Mar 19, 2016)

If any of you guys will be around this Sunday any time or Monday morning I will probably PM you when I know I can get out. I'll be picking up a 7 day saltwater license so I can try the piers and the surf. Looks like they're forecasting storms now but I hope that changes. I don't mind the rain...we're expecting a snowstorm here on Thursday. Will the rain and storms hurt the fishing or will I have to change my approach?


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## berninga87 (Mar 19, 2016)

On pensacola beach pier if anyone wants to stop by and give me some pointers! 

Sent from my LGUS991 using Tapatalk


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## MK6GTI (Mar 26, 2016)

I'm down here fishing now and im also from Wisconsin. Good luck!


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## Muygrande66 (Feb 29, 2016)

Man those are some ugly catfish. They look prehistoric


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## Muygrande66 (Feb 29, 2016)

berninga87 said:


> On pensacola beach pier if anyone wants to stop by and give me some pointers!
> 
> Sent from my LGUS991 using Tapatalk


You need to get to the pier at Ft Pickens with some live shrimp. Sheephead bite is goin off. The people there will show you how to catch em.


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## berninga87 (Mar 19, 2016)

We've already made it to Apalachicola now, but I appreciate the tips. I'm going to try st george island today. Going to find bait and hopefully get some tips for the island soon.

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