# Are the "bulls" running yet?



## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

I saw the article in the PNJ yesterday about the bull redfish run in the fall. I have a Mississippi that wants to come down and give it a try. I'd hate for him to come down if the run hasn't begun yet. Can anyone tell me if they have begun catching the bulls yet?


Thanks.


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## FisherRed (Jun 20, 2018)

when does the report come out in the pnj? ive bought it on thurs&friday and havent seen it


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## cody&ryand (Oct 3, 2007)

Bull reds are caught year round here but I would not say the "run" has started yet but it is coming on us


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

I have not seen it really fire up yet, but my knowledge is limited. I did see an unusually large wad of boats anchored or spot-locked in the Bay just off Pickens beach area on Sunday; saw one person catch a large red. Typically when there is an armada of boats gathered in one place in the bay it's because a school of bulls was sighted, so I'm guessing Cody&Ryan is right ... it shouldn't be long. 

The 'run' can be fickle, I wouldn't plan a trip around that - just shoot for nice weather, the reds are around, just a matter of fishing for them.


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

FisherRed, the article came out in Tuesday's PNJ. 



I sent a link to my MS friend and he said he wants to come down. As I said, I want to be reasonably assured that the bulls are schooling before he makes the trek down here.


Thanks for the update, guys. For now I'll tell him to hold off coming down. If anyone hears of schooling activity I would appreciate an update.


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## gulfbreezefishingcharters (Oct 26, 2019)

They are out there. My client caught two nice ones on Thursday in the pass. Both revived and released, of course.


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

Did you get the reds chasing birds, trolling or bait fishing?

Thanks.


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## gulfbreezefishingcharters (Oct 26, 2019)

*Reds*

Cut menhaden on the bottom with large spinning tackle. I have not seen them school on top yet, but I have seen them schooling in shallow water. Just not up top quite yet. Any day now.


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## gulfbreezefishingcharters (Oct 26, 2019)

Found them today on the top. Fly fishing!


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

My goodness. On a fly rod? I can't imagine or that has got to be one kind of fly rod I've never seen!


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## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

They were around Garcon Point yesterday too!


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

Were they on the surface by Garcon PT? Under birds?


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## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

Bay Ranger said:


> Were they on the surface by Garcon PT? Under birds?


Yes.


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

Great. Thanks for the post.


I may need to give it a try over there before giving my friend the OK to come down. Garcon area is close for me.


May take a few days before I can get over there. After the rain we will likely have some "heavy" winds. With the big temp drop it usually means strong winds outta the north.


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## JasonL (May 17, 2011)

There are small schools popping up here and there, but the run hasn’t started yet. Two Sundays back there was a good size school off the Gulf Breeze point. Caught two of them before the school took off and left while reeling in the second.


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

Looks like a couple of "happy campers" there!


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## JasonL (May 17, 2011)

I went out again yesterday and looked around Pensacola Bay and Pass for a while and never found them. I ended up running into a good mess of Spanish instead.


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

Thanks, Jason.


My friend is itchen to come down. I shure wish they show up in numbers. 



Next week doesn't look good for getting out and looking for them. With the cold fronts moving in we are going to have a heap of wind!


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

The fish don't wait for the cold fronts. Don't wait too long. :whistling:


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

Hmmmmmm, do I detect a hint there?


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## FshrmnMtthw (Jan 7, 2019)

*FshrmnMtthw*

I understand there was a decent swarm of 'em swimming near the Pensacola Beach Pier that was captured on video and posted to Facebook. I believe the Facebook group that it was posted to is called "Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier."

Video was posted to FB yesterday morning (11/9/19) around 8am. I found the link:

https://www.facebook.com/gulfpier/


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

Bay Ranger said:


> Hmmmmmm, do I detect a hint there?


Sorta yeah, sorta no; at the time I posted that, my neighbor had just come in from fishing all day and was talking about how they had gotten into a couple schools while outside Pensacola Pass. But then again, he went the next day and caught butkus. I don't think it's on fire yet, but it's like fishing always is... just a matter of being at the right place at the right time. I personally have come to suspect that fish are driven as much by length of the day as they are water temps, so I just wouldn't wait too long. I mean it'll be Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks.


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

Thanks, Sam.


May-be I should have him come down later in the week. Heard today that on Wed we will be having winds gusting to 30 outta the north. Not very conducive to running around in the bay looking! What's the worse that can happen if he comes down? We sit around and visit and drink beer. How bad can that be?


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

Bay Ranger said:


> Thanks, Sam.
> 
> 
> May-be I should have him come down later in the week. Heard today that on Wed we will be having winds gusting to 30 outta the north. Not very conducive to running around in the bay looking! What's the worse that can happen if he comes down? We sit around and visit and drink beer. How bad can that be?


Good point. I think mid week will be pretty snotty but maybe late-week or early next it could be decent. Wife and I went out today to see if we could find a good bite and I have to admit it was disappointing. East/SE wind in our bays kinda sucks, it was choppy and the fish didn't seem to be too active from what we could see. I'll be curious to see what happens next weekend. 

I hope your friend has a good time regardless... always hard to know what the fish will do!


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

Had a look at Escambia Bay about 9:30 this am. Wow! I don't think I've seen that many white caps ever where I live. With that long fetch from up in Pace to the north shore of Santa Rosa the waves are really up. I have a weather station at my house and I recorded a gust of 31. After the wind lays down the water is going to be pretty dirty for some time.


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## ST1300rider (Apr 27, 2017)

I went and looked at the bay too with binoculars and the waves were huge (10'+?) looking south from Sanders Beach. 

I wonder where the 3 boats off the empty trailers at Navy Point ramp could have gone today??


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## cody&ryand (Oct 3, 2007)

ST1300rider said:


> I went and looked at the bay too with binoculars and the waves were huge (10'+?) looking south from Sanders Beach.
> 
> I wonder where the 3 boats off the empty trailers at Navy Point ramp could have gone today??


10+ft in the bay huh?


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## ST1300rider (Apr 27, 2017)

cody&ryand said:


> 10+ft in the bay huh?


Probably a bit high, maybe only 9'..or 5'..


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## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

The last couple years I’ve had a terrible time finding the bulls on top. I went this past Sunday and didn’t see any or many boats on looking. Maybe my timing stinks. Idk


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

chaps said:


> The last couple years I’ve had a terrible time finding the bulls on top. I went this past Sunday and didn’t see any or many boats on looking. Maybe my timing stinks. Idk


Yours and mine both. Year before last we saw a couple schools one day by accident, but we weren't on the water looking that regularly, either. Last year I had my eyes out each time on the water, never really saw anything consistent but I can only go when I can go, and it's not nearly as often as I'd like due to work and family stuff.

I have seen a couple schools this year but they have been sporadic, and the last one that came up was immediately ruined by 3 boats converging on the diving birds and running all up into the school in their haste to get on it; then when they didn't get any hookups, and the fish almost immediately sounded, two of them gunned the throttle and waked the other boats in their haste to leave. Don't know why people are so dense sometimes.


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## Bay Ranger (Aug 25, 2008)

A number of years ago I took my brother-in-law. He wound up catching 2 bulls that day. It was fishing on the week-end and it was crazy. Boats all over the place. Running full speed to get to the birds and then folks running into the school and making them sound. Then, cruising around trying to find the birds again. Personally, that's not for me. My friend does want to try it so I'll wind up taking him when he comes down.


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