nathar

I recently bought my first power boat: a 17' Four Winns Ski and Fish.



I want to take the family out for some fishing in the Bay or Pensacola Pass, but haven't a clue on where to fish, bait to use, etc. I'm a cricket-and-Zebco bream fisherman type.



I was thinking about something near the fishing bridge. Saw Gary Finch Outdoors this morning talking about Triple Tail. That sounded fun.



Any help is appreciated.



Thanks

angus_cow_doctor

I won't lie to you, all the saltwater fishing is pretty technical.

If you want to easily catch some fish right now, go get some live shrimp at Gulf Breeze Bait and Tackle, then put in at shoreline at night and ease along the docks heading west (towards the end of the peninsula).

Rig the live shrimp on a cork just like bream fishing (3-4 foot of line beneath the cork) and drop it beneath the dock lights.

White trout, specks, and reds will bite for you. Unfortunately, so will pinfish but you can weed your way through them.

choppedliver

If you go near the bridge in the daytime ( only time ive been ) just about anywhere towards the middle will catch you a mess of white trout just on dead shrimp a hook and a sinker. Even on cheap walmart double drop rigs ( two hooks with a weight at the bottom )

choppedliver

And if you catch a pinfish, they make great bait

Pinksnappertrapper

This is a very bad idea...

HE SAID HE JUST BOUGHT THE BOAT AND NEW TO SALTWATER FISHING. Which means probally new to the intercostal and bays. He needs to venture out during the daytime to see what everything looks like and stuff like that.

I would go to Hotsposts in gulfbreeze and talk to Chris or Matt. They will hook you up with everything you will need to catch fish and will tell you where to go to catch them.

angus_cow_doctor

I was thinking about successfully catching fish. Notice that nowhere in there did I tell him to get out there and gun it to the end of the peninsula. If he does, he will discover both the old dock pilings left over from hurricaine Ivan and the sand bars that extend from the corners of the peninsula.

My suggestion includes easing along slowly, at night, to fish the docks. Under no circumstances would I suggest someone get out there and ride around without being familiar with the area. SPEED KILLS.

He could do what I suggested with a trolling motor, no sweat.

Pinksnappertrapper

Fo sho. I just think it would be alittle bit safer for him to get out during the daytime "hence the new boat thing" and ease around a little and get used to the area before he goes out at night. I wont be out at night so it dont really bother me either way, but i see people all the time and think to myself, DAMN they will sell a boat to anyone. Kinda scares me a little bit. They really need to make a law that you have to have a drivers license to operate a boat.

angus_cow_doctor

They do have a license endorsement in alabama. It is required, unless you are grandfathered in. It is amazing to me that florida, with all the laws we have to deal with, actually has LESS law on boat operation.

nathar

Don't worry about the night fishing thing. I have a pretty level head, plus I got a lot of boat handling training at "The Boat School" (U.S. Naval Academy) both day and night, although it was 23 years ago. I would have done some daytime reconnoitering anyway. I promise to go really slowly at night.



I appreciate the pointers guys.