# Pensacola Bay Specks & Red Fishing help needed



## fish2day (Apr 9, 2011)

I'm new to the forum and looking forward to meeting local fishing buddies. I have found this forum to be very informative and helpful. I'm willing to share what info I might have with anyone to make our trips more successful.
I have always fished from the bridges and piers but recently purchased a boat. I was wondering if anyone could give me some possible locations in Pensacola Bay that I might catch some specks and reds?? I have a 18ft Starcraft Flats boat with a 55 Suzuki outboard.


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## user10309 (Sep 28, 2009)

Hello & welcome to the form,,start out fishing the flats in depths from 6 - 2 ft, I have found that the 4 ft range usually holds some good specks,, the flats are on both sides of the ICW as far as the eyes can see to the East, look for grassy and sandy areas mixed together, this will hold both trout and even redfish. Here are a couple of basic lures that should help you put some fish on the other end of the line and help you have a more productive day,, Bass Assassin Blurp Jerk Shad electric chicken or Golden Bream, also try their new Die Dapper baits, they make many different colors, pick a couple that you like and see, how they,work for you,,,There are a few different ways to rig these soft plastics,, Here are a couple of different ways to rig them,,, a,plain or colored (red or white) 1/8 - 1/4 oz jig head or a 4/0 -6/0 wide gap Gamakatsu worm hook weighted or,with out a weight on the hook and use a bullet weight
Also dont forget to try top-water plugs, only thing with,top-water pluges they work better early in the morning, but can be worked all day if you like, when you get the bite wait 1 to 2 seconds before you set the hook, the biggest problem anglers have with top-water plugs is they set the hook to early, just remember when using top-water plugs wait a couple of seconds or wait till you feel the wait of the fish on the line,,,,check out MirrOlures website they make a nice selection of top-water plugs,
A must have in,the tackle box is some suspending twitch baits,, like MirrOlure's suspending catch 2000, chartreuse or black & red with a silver belly. Lastly is live bait, a small finger mullet or 2" pinfish under a popping cork is great for hooking fish that wont eat a artifical, use 15 lb floracarbon leader about 18" and use a #2 or 1/0 to 2/0 Gamakatsu Kale under a good popping,cork, I really like trout fishing and it can be hard some days, to find good spots you'll have to search around the flats, once you find a good area holding fish work it all around them come back the next time your out if the fish are there, you just might have youself a new trout spot,, 
Hope this helps out a bit, good luck this season, 
Capt. John


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## flukedaddy (Apr 11, 2009)

i would say keep it simple and stick to fishing around docs around the sound put in at shoreline park, fish the docs to the right with DOA shrimp clear with chartruese tail works good for me, also a gulp new penny for the fish feeding deeper, also the early morning is awesome for the topwater bits with twitch or walk the dog baits just remember with the braids not to react to quickly or you will definitly have short strikes but the bite will fall off after mornin, back in the afternoon, hit the structure in between, I have always done well behind Levins house the one with the livewell on the dock :no: has good depth and will have fish all year long, another words these docks are our best friends fish them and find the ones that produce, I like the dock owners that turn the light off when you pull up to fish it :cursing: thanks. Good luck


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