The new Northwest Florida Fishing Report is live, and this week’s episode covers a little bit of everything anglers are thinking about right now across the Panhandle. Host Joe Baya checks in with Justin Reed for a surf update out of the Pensacola to Navarre stretch, talks with Jim Cox about the upcoming Wharf Boat and Yacht Show in Orange Beach, gets an inshore report from Capt. Blake Nelson of Last Cast Charters in Destin, and wraps with an offshore look from Capt. Tyler Massey of Hot Spots Charters in Pensacola. The big themes this week are transitional conditions, spotty but improving spring fishing, and a shared sense that things are close to breaking open as we move toward late March and April.
Conditions Recap
Conditions across Northwest Florida are still in that in-between phase that makes March both exciting and frustrating. Surf temperatures are flirting with the range needed for a real pompano push, but not holding there consistently enough to keep fish on the beach in big numbers. Justin Reed said the pre-full-moon window produced a few fish and even some limits for anglers in parts of Pensacola, but the bite faded after the moon, and he believes the fish may have pushed back off after spawning activity in the surf.
Inshore around Destin, Capt. Blake Nelson said trout and redfish are still the most dependable targets, with fish using grass flats, bayous, and freshwater-fed creeks based more on food availability than pure temperature. He expects the coming cold front to tighten fish up a bit rather than completely shut the bite down, which could actually make them easier to pattern.
Offshore, Capt. Tyler Massey said the weather has remained inconsistent enough to limit back-to-back offshore opportunities, but when boats can get out, there is still a solid meat-fish program built around vermilion snapper and newly reopened triggerfish. He also said the next month should bring more of the spring species into play, with Spanish mackerel improving first and king mackerel, cobia, and other pelagics following as the water stabilizes.
Surf Fishing Report: Pompano Are Close, But Not Here in Full Yet
Justin Reed said the surf bite from Pensacola to Navarre has given anglers just enough action to keep everyone fired up, but not enough consistency to call it a true run. Right before the last full moon, he and friends were putting together six-fish days, and he heard of a couple of limits caught in Pensacola. Since then, though, he said the bite has been a struggle, with redfish, whiting, and catfish making up most of the action.
His read is that this is still more of a false start than the real deal. Water temperatures are creeping upward, especially near the passes, but they still are not holding in the kind of range that usually sustains a strong pompano push. Both Reed and Baya pointed to the last few days of March into early April as the much more likely window for things to really bust loose.
When the run does get right, Reed said the key is covering different zones until you find where the fish are traveling. He likes to stagger baits from very close to the beach all the way out past the bar, then move rods quickly if there are no bites. Once he catches two fish in one zone, everything gets shifted into that same lane. He also said anglers should pay close attention to color when using rigs, because pompano can get strangely selective. A certain float color or presentation can outfish another setup sitting just a few feet away.
His bait preference is still hard to beat: live sand fleas. They are around, but not in easy-to-find colonies yet, so anglers can find them by working that first lip and dropoff if they are willing to put in the effort. Reed also mentioned that a variety of rigs can help dial in what fish want on a given day, including naked rigs, beaded rigs, and double-drop rigs with different color floats. He said pill floats remain a favorite, but he also had great success last year with Frisky Fins-style pear or teardrop floats, especially in purple and white.
For anglers wanting to shorten the learning curve, Reed said a guided trip can save a lot of trial and error, especially when it comes to understanding spacing, bait placement, and how quickly to move when the beach is not producing. You can learn more at Justin Reed Fishing.
The Wharf Boat and Yacht Show Returns March 20-22
This week’s episode also included a preview of the upcoming Wharf Boat and Yacht Show, with Jim Cox joining the show to talk through what makes this one of the Gulf Coast’s biggest spring boating events. The show runs March 20 through 22 at The Wharf in Orange Beach and will feature more than $100 million in boats and marine products, along with around 120 wet-slip boats and yachts in the water, roughly 700 center console and dual console boats on land, more than 120 exhibitors, live music, and food trucks.
Cox said the venue is a huge part of what makes the show special. The Wharf offers shopping, dining, family-friendly attractions, and a world-class marina all in one place, which gives buyers and casual visitors plenty to do beyond just walking displays. One of the major draws is the in-water portion of the show, where serious buyers can step aboard boats in a real marina setting and, in some cases, even move quickly toward a sea trial.
The show also remains one of the best chances of the year to compare brands side by side and potentially take advantage of real boat show incentives. Cox explained that dealers are competing head to head, manufacturers send reps to support those dealers, and those reps often have extra tools available such as extended warranties, financing help, motor incentives, or feature upgrades. For anyone shopping seriously, that combination can make show season a very worthwhile time to buy.
Show hours are Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is free, kids 12 and under get in free, and active and retired military enter free on Sunday. Tickets and full details are available at wharfboatshow.com.
Destin Inshore Report: Trout and Redfish Holding to Creeks, Bayous, and Flats
Capt. Blake Nelson said the inshore program around Destin has been built mostly around trout and redfish, and that has been enough to keep trips productive while everyone waits for more classic spring species to arrive in force. He said those fish have not necessarily left the flats during the colder months. Instead, they seem to shift toward areas where food remains active, especially around small creeks, larger creek drains, and bayous that offer a little more protection and often slightly warmer water.
Nelson’s explanation centered less on water temperature alone and more on forage. In winter, crabs, shrimp, and bait tend to thin out over large open flats, while creek mouths and protected pockets hold more life. That creates concentrated feeding zones. As soon as the grass starts showing life again and shrimp, pinfish, hermit crabs, and other forage return, those flats become much more attractive again.
Right now, he said anglers fishing around small feeder creeks are catching a lot of smaller trout and rat reds, while some of the better fish have been holding a bit farther away from those drains. On charters, a simple popping cork and live shrimp setup has been the most reliable option in these areas, especially with leaders in the 18- to 24-inch range to keep shrimp above the grass. Nelson said his Send It Popping Corks are designed with casting distance in mind, which helps keep bait farther from the boat while also suspending it cleanly over the grass.
For anglers throwing artificials, he said weedless paddle tails, weedless jerk shads, and recent topwater lures have all worked well around those shallow creek-fed flats. In the deeper bayous, where he has been catching quality keeper trout in roughly five to eight feet of water, he likes to scale down and fish a much more finesse-oriented presentation. That means fly-lined live shrimp, tail-hooked on a small light-wire hook, often with 12-pound leader and even lighter line when fish get finicky.
He said that setup can be one of the best ways to get bites when trout are pressured or moody because it lets the shrimp move naturally. For those deeper-bayou fish, the trick is learning the difference between the shrimp’s own movement and an actual bite. Once anglers get that down, it becomes a highly effective and very fun way to fish.
Nelson also noted that a short cold snap next week may actually help tighten fish into more concentrated zones rather than ruining the pattern entirely. Anglers who focus on flats near creek drains or slightly deeper bayou edges should still find trout and redfish in the mix. To book a trip or learn more, visit Last Cast Charters.
Pensacola Offshore Report: Vermilion Snapper and Triggerfish Are Carrying the Load
Capt. Tyler Massey said March offshore trips out of Pensacola are still very much about making the most of the opportunities weather allows. Because consistent windows have been hard to come by, the current focus is less about glamorous springtime pelagics and more about dependable meat fish that can fill the cooler on six-hour trips. Right now, that means vermilion snapper and triggerfish.
Massey said vermilion snapper are the main staple during the offseason because they are almost always open and usually willing to bite when anglers find a good school. Triggerfish reopened March 1, and although many of the fish on larger live-bottom spots are undersized, there are keeper fish mixed in if anglers are willing to fish smaller structure. He said that smaller pyramids, chicken coops, and less obvious reef pieces often hold fewer triggerfish overall, but the ones there tend to be larger.
On the electronics, he described bigger triggerfish as individual dot-like marks suspended higher in the water column, while vermilion snapper show up more as a dense cloud of fish hovering off the bottom. For vermilions, he prefers to get baits to the bottom first and then crank up into the school when possible. For triggers, anglers need to pay close attention on the drop because those fish often attack before the bait reaches the bottom.
In terms of tackle, Massey said having a range of lead sizes on hand matters more than many anglers think. For most nearshore and state-water style bottom fishing, he recommended carrying 6-, 8-, 12-, and 16-ounce bank sinkers and egg sinkers to stay prepared for changing wind and current. He said most recent trips have been manageable with six to eight ounces, but those heavier options are important insurance when conditions change.
He also spent time on the value of properly matched bottom-fishing tackle. For anglers rigging up for bigger snapper, grouper, amberjack, and similar fish, he likes reels in the class of a Shimano SpeedMaster 20 or 25 or even a classic Penn 6/0, paired with 80- to 100-pound braid and enough drag to pull fish hard away from the structure. The emphasis was not just on maximum drag numbers, but on setting things tight enough to actually use the tackle the way it was meant to be used when a big fish eats near the bottom.
Massey also said there are some mangrove snapper around on bigger wrecks and structure, with the better opportunity often in that roughly 65- to 90-foot range. A live shrimp on the bottom hook of a two-drop rig can be a smart adjustment if anglers want to pick at mangroves or lane snapper while targeting vermilions.
Spanish Showing, Bigger Spring Action Not Far Behind
While the offshore meat-fish bite is the most dependable play right now, Massey said some early spring species are already starting to show. There have been a few Spanish mackerel around the pass and harbor, though many are still on the small side. He said the bigger Spanish usually start showing up in better numbers around April, and that is when the bite becomes a lot more fun for charters and recreational anglers alike.
When targeting them, Massey said small offerings have been best. He mentioned pompano jigs, little trout jigs, tiny soft plastics, and especially the small Marker 54 shrimp under a popping cork as productive presentations once the fish settle in. If they are clipping anglers off and the bite is good, he likes to add a short bite section of heavier leader rather than going straight to a lot of hardware.
He also noted that the next month should bring more realistic chances at king mackerel, cobia, and even the occasional wahoo hanging around with the right bait and conditions. For anglers wanting to stay ready, he said it is worth keeping a flat line out anytime there is activity and fresh bait available. As water temperatures stabilize, the whole offshore picture should open up quickly.
To book a trip or follow along with what is happening out of Pensacola, visit Pensacola Fishing Charters.
Northwest Florida Fishing Report Forecast
This week’s report had a familiar message that applies across surf, inshore, and offshore fishing in Northwest Florida right now: the area is close. Surf anglers are seeing enough pompano activity to know the run is coming, inshore captains are catching trout and redfish with improving spring conditions, and offshore crews are piecing together good fish boxes while waiting on the next wave of seasonal species.
If the late-month warm-up holds and the next cold front does not linger too long, the final stretch of March into early April looks like the period when several of these patterns could shift from spotty to genuinely strong. For now, the anglers who stay flexible, pay attention to conditions, and fish the transition instead of fighting it are the ones most likely to stay on fish.
