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Message
Fishing in Pensacola / Advice
Posted on 7/21/26 at 12:45 pm
Posted on 7/21/26 at 12:45 pm
Have my 2 boys ages 9/7 in Pensacola for the week visiting some family.
Looking for advice on where to take them to catch anything, don’t care what it is. Growing up I remember using a sabiki rig on the pier pulling up a line of hard tails. Useless yet awesome memories made with my old man.
Any advice on where to take them and what to use? Also… any tips on surf fishing at night? They would get a kick out of that. What should we use for bait?
Thanks fellas.
Looking for advice on where to take them to catch anything, don’t care what it is. Growing up I remember using a sabiki rig on the pier pulling up a line of hard tails. Useless yet awesome memories made with my old man.
Any advice on where to take them and what to use? Also… any tips on surf fishing at night? They would get a kick out of that. What should we use for bait?
Thanks fellas.
This post was edited on 7/21/26 at 12:46 pm
5
Posted on 7/21/26 at 12:51 pm to Hoclate
quote:
any tips on surf fishing
It would probably be better at night or low light (morning/evening) but I've caught them in the middle of the day.
Catch sand fleas on the beach and put them on a Carolina Rig, cast in the surf and catch pompano.
They eat pretty good
Posted on 7/21/26 at 12:54 pm to Hoclate
You should look at taking them out on the old bridge that runs along Hwy 98. There is a great instagram account called ColorEarthPro and he sends his camera down to the bottom every week or so and I'm blown away by how much is down there. Reds, Specks, triggers, etc.
I'd say cut mullet or shrimp should give you some action, but check out that account if you can.
I'd say cut mullet or shrimp should give you some action, but check out that account if you can.
Posted on 7/21/26 at 1:17 pm to Hoclate
There's a few good pieces of advice here. I'd like to add that I've always had fun throwing a spoon in the surf in the early morning.
The pier is pretty good sometimes as they will help you with what you need to be doing as well as will rent you all of the equipment you need. Last time I was there, it was pretty packed where I wanted to be so I didn't stay long.
I wanted to try some of the public places elsewhere but never made it over there. The 13 year old lost interest after not catching anything after 10 minutes.
The pier is pretty good sometimes as they will help you with what you need to be doing as well as will rent you all of the equipment you need. Last time I was there, it was pretty packed where I wanted to be so I didn't stay long.
I wanted to try some of the public places elsewhere but never made it over there. The 13 year old lost interest after not catching anything after 10 minutes.
Posted on 7/21/26 at 1:22 pm to Hoclate
Take them to Fort Pickens near the pass. Bay side of gulf side, either way you'll catch probably catch something. Surf fishing the gulf has been pretty tough this summer, but apparently big schools of "blood minnow" are about to start running up and down the shores, and they'll have jack crevalle, redfish, sharks, spanish mack, and even tarpon chasing them. Live pinfish, croaker, cut bait, live or dead shrimp on a carolina or drop rig. Fort Pickens is just a really cool spot in general.
Not sure where you are staying, but there is a pier and a big sea wall downtown at the end of Palafox, as well as by the baseball stadium that can produce results.
Also, they recently finished revamping Wayside park at the Gulf Breeze end of the 3 miles bridge. There is a pier there, but you can also fish along the rocks under and around the bridge. Plenty of fish around there.
The sound side of Naval Oaks nature preserve on the north side of 98 in Gulf Breeze has some good beach to fish at. A lot of nice grass flats right there.
If you are feeling adventurous you can hike to Big Sabine and sight, surf, and wade fish the grass flats over there. That is one of my favorite spots.
One more spot I'll mention is the graffiti bridge. There is a gazebo over there that I hit the other day, and I caught 6 different species. Pinfish, whiting, pigfish, sand perch, croaker, and white trout. Nothing crazy, but it was still fun catching a variety of fish. I caught 3 white trout, and they were the biggest I have caught around here. All on just fish bites. You can also cast from atop the bridge, and walk across the bridge to other side and walk along the shore over there, or set up on the shore. I've caught some nice specks there in the past, as well as a massive bull red.
Not sure where you are staying, but there is a pier and a big sea wall downtown at the end of Palafox, as well as by the baseball stadium that can produce results.
Also, they recently finished revamping Wayside park at the Gulf Breeze end of the 3 miles bridge. There is a pier there, but you can also fish along the rocks under and around the bridge. Plenty of fish around there.
The sound side of Naval Oaks nature preserve on the north side of 98 in Gulf Breeze has some good beach to fish at. A lot of nice grass flats right there.
If you are feeling adventurous you can hike to Big Sabine and sight, surf, and wade fish the grass flats over there. That is one of my favorite spots.
One more spot I'll mention is the graffiti bridge. There is a gazebo over there that I hit the other day, and I caught 6 different species. Pinfish, whiting, pigfish, sand perch, croaker, and white trout. Nothing crazy, but it was still fun catching a variety of fish. I caught 3 white trout, and they were the biggest I have caught around here. All on just fish bites. You can also cast from atop the bridge, and walk across the bridge to other side and walk along the shore over there, or set up on the shore. I've caught some nice specks there in the past, as well as a massive bull red.
This post was edited on 7/21/26 at 1:37 pm
Posted on 7/21/26 at 1:28 pm to Hoclate
The beach would be a better peaceful experience. I used to fish the navarre and okaloosa island pier every year i would go and it was not a fun experience for the most part. If the local pier rat kids saw a tarpon or cobia anywhere near the pier they would get up in your personal space and cast to it without any shame or care in the world.
That said, i did go as a kid and had a blast catching unlimited hard tails and pinfish on a drop shot rig with dead squid pieces.
That said, i did go as a kid and had a blast catching unlimited hard tails and pinfish on a drop shot rig with dead squid pieces.
This post was edited on 7/21/26 at 1:29 pm
Posted on 7/21/26 at 1:28 pm to Monday
quote:I have had some fun with one of those tiny Kastmasters with the yellow hair on the treble hook.
I'd like to add that I've always had fun throwing a spoon in the surf in the early morning.
Like these;
Posted on 7/21/26 at 1:31 pm to freshtigerbait
quote:
The beach would be a better peaceful experience.
Agreed. We fished the pier a couple of weekends ago, and it was fine, but I like a more peaceful setting, and I don't like having to reel a fish 26 feet up to land it.
quote:
local pier rat kids
the worst
Posted on 7/21/26 at 1:32 pm to Funky Tide 8
NLBN with their van staal
Insufferable
Insufferable
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