# Santa Rosa Sound in Navarre



## testoner

I figured I would publish a report on the fishing in Navarre in Santa Rosa Sound. I live about a mile west of the Navarre bridge on the north side of the sound. I had about an hour of free time Monday afternoon about 3PM and decided to hit the water and wade fish for a little bit to see what was up. The bottom line, I didn't catch anything. However, things are starting to pickup.

The water is warm at least up to 3' (about my waist). The key is that I saw bait fish breaking the surface for the first time. That was the first for the year at least for me. I saw some glass minnows but wasn't able to tell what the majority of the stuff was that was out there. Trout were jumping and it was close enough to the fish breaking the surface to know they were feeding. I do know that they weren't interested in what I was throwing. 

Of note, the grass is growing in the shallower portions of the water near our dock. The stuff that is growing is growing fast. The patch right off of my dock is about 2-3" long after about a week. However, I haven't seen a lot of widespread growth yet in the deeper portions.

For those looking for mullet, they were around our dock in large numbers. The crabs are active and the rays are back in large numbers (both stingrays and cow faced rays).

All in all, life is coming back to the Sound. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

I'll throw up a post first chance I get for night fishing once the tides and my schedule match up.


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## 69Viking

Good report, thanks! Yeah I've been testing the waters around our community dock and have noticed about the same as you. I live about 6 miles East of the Navarre bridge before you get to Hurlburt. I'll probably give it another try tomorrow afternoon and report back what I see.


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## LIM-IT-OUT

Happy to hear that. Thanks for the report


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## NoleAnimal

We've still got to get up and do some fishing together. I got a new boat, so it's quite an upgrade in fishing accomodations! Once things start picking up in the Sound some, I'll try to do a better job of coordinating with you and we'll see if we can't make it work.


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## duckhunter38135

Viking,

I live on Hurlburt, we need to fish together sometime.

PM me your number.


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## NLytle

I have personally never seen a Trout jump! Am I insane?

I also caught fish in the Navarre Sound throughout this entire winter.


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## testoner

Nlytme said:


> I have personally never seen a Trout jump! Am I insane?
> 
> I also caught fish in the Navarre Sound throughout this entire winter.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Trout jump when chasing bait and when spawning. 

The report was mainly for the flats/shallows. With respect to catching all winter, were you wading or on a kayak/boat fishing deeper holes? We've (my neighbors and I) caught fish out there as well in the deeper water, but not on the flats/shallows since December.


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## NLytle

I was in my kayak and caught mostly Redfish in four feet of water or less. The reports are listed in the kayak section. 

I did catch a few specks around channels. None of them were deeper then six feet though. 


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## NLytle

I did just read that trout have been known to jump during spawning. 

This is new to me. Very interesting. 


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## tailfisher1979

They jump whenever I Bill Dance them on the hookset.


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## barefoot

Yep, I've seen the trout jump also.
Thanks for the update.


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## NLytle

I guess I'm just a rookie. 


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## TexasFishin

Good to know that I will be visiting at a good time. I am coming down from Fort Hood, TX to my grandmothers condo on the ocean side. 

I always try to wade fish the flats in Navarre when I am down there but I have never had much luck. This time I plan to spend a good amount of time fishing the sound and the surf and I have a little inflatable kayak I am bringing as well. 

Anyone mind shooting me a PM with some tips for catching fish (trout, reds, sheep...whatever!) in the Navarre area of the sound? Thanks! Ill have my dad and little brother with me and hoping to put them on some fish.


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## testoner

I'll say that I've seen trout jump almost every day I've been on the water with few exceptions. It is pretty consistent unless the water is rough. Sometimes, I think they do it because they can and I can't figure the rhyme or reason to if often times. I've watched a single fish do three jumps in a row. Again, I wade fish the flats so I end up in the same areas for hours. I have noticed, the more they jump the less they tend to feed.

TaxasFishin, PM headed your way!


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## tailfisher1979

testoner said:


> I'll say that I've seen trout jump almost every day I've been on the water with few exceptions. It is pretty consistent unless the water is rough. Sometimes, I think they do it because they can and I can't figure the rhyme or reason to if often times. I've watched a single fish do three jumps in a row. Again, I wade fish the flats so I end up in the same areas for hours. I have noticed, the more they jump the less they tend to feed.
> 
> TaxasFishin, PM headed your way!


That would be a mullet. Trout definitely don't jump three times in a row.


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## testoner

tailfisher1979 said:


> That would be a mullet. Trout definitely don't jump three times in a row.


If it wouldn't have jumped five feet in front of me, I'd probably agree with you. However, it was a trout, not a mullet. The third jump was right in front of my buddy who also identified it as a trout.


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## The_hub

Awesome report. I wade fished oriole beach last Thursday and forgot to report since I left early Friday for mosquito lagoon. But there was a ton of action on the water. There was some grass where I was but not a ton. I caught several dink trout on mirrolure paddletails.


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## NLytle

I'm going to be on the look out!


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