Inshore
Anglers aren’t filling up their coolers just yet, but there are a few sheepshead around to be caught. The time is about right to start looking for them on the south end of Pensacola Bay down around Pensacola Pass.
A few people have been finding a solid speckled trout bite, but just as many have had trouble tracking them down. At this point I would still be looking in the canals and bayous, but it won’t be long and they’ll be making their way to the flats.
Offshore
I’m sure it’s starting to sound redundant, but amberjack continue to be the best thing going for those headed offshore looking for bottom dwellers they can bring home for dinner. Live bait can make or break an amberjack trip, so don’t hesitate spending a fair amount of time tracking down bait.
If you’re going to be out in the Gulf fishing be sure to have some eels on board or a cobia jig tied on. It’s still a little early of course, but with this warm winter there is literally no telling when we see a few cobia start showing up.
Piers & Beaches
It doesn’t seem like as many pompano were caught this week as last, but it’s surely the best bet for land locked anglers. The bite should only improve as we move into March, you just want to find a good hole off the beach and fish with shrimp and sandfleas.
This is a great time of year to fish on the Pensacola Beach Gulf Fishing Pier or Navarre Beach Fishing Pier, but every day is different depending on the wind and weather conditions.
Freshwater
I haven’t heard any reports of big numbers of fish, but it sounds like a few bass and bream are being caught on the local rivers. We should see the bass fishing getting really good in rivers, lakes, and ponds starting within the next couple of weeks.