This week on the Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya covers a fun winter spread from the beach to blue water with Justin Reed (Justin Reed Surf Fishing Charters), Capt. Blake Nelson (Last Cast Charters), and Capt. Adam Peeples (One Shot Charters). The surf bite is all about big black drum in the trough, the inshore scene includes a tough-conditions redfish tournament win powered by “bass-style” tactics, and offshore options still exist when you can time the weather and find warmer water.
Conditions Recap
Winter is keeping anglers selective on boat days, but the beach has offered a solid alternative—especially during flat stretches with clean, clear water. Midday sunshine has mattered (warming both anglers and the shallows), while morning/evening windows have been more hit-or-miss depending on temperature and comfort. Inshore tournament conditions were classic “grind it out” weather—overcast, rainy, and windy—making sight fishing difficult and putting a premium on covering water efficiently. Offshore, Capt. Adam reports surprisingly “spring-like” weather windows mixed with typical winter volatility; the key is flexibility and prioritizing warmer water and temperature breaks when deciding where to spend fuel.
Onshore Report With Justin Reed (Pensacola to Navarre Surf)
Justin says the beach has been “on fire” for black drum, especially west toward Pensacola. The main pattern is simple: find the trough between the first and second sandbars, then hunt the deeper pockets—look for that darker blue water inside the trough and prioritize “the deeper, the better.”
Rig & tackle adjustments for big drum: Justin prefers single-drop rigs for two reasons: more casting distance and fewer double hookups when drum roll through in schools. He’ll bump leader strength and hook gauge to handle 15–20 lb fish being pulled a long way up the beach. Hook-wise, he mentioned moving from lighter options to beefier Owner Hybrid hooks this time of year.
Baits that can catch both drum and a bonus pompano: Instead of oversized “stink baits,” Justin has been catching plenty of big drum on smaller offerings like crab knuckles, fresh dead shrimp, and especially ghost shrimp. Pompano are still possible in small “drive-by” groups, particularly right at sunset, so those smaller baits keep you in the game for both species.
Keeping ghost shrimp on the hook: For long casts into the trough, Justin recommends Magic Thread (bait elastic) to wrap and secure soft ghost shrimp. Without it, he says you’re simply not going to keep ghost shrimp intact on a long cast.
How he sources and preps ghost shrimp: He prefers collecting them in the sound using a ghost shrimp pump (look for small mounds/holes). For storage, he described a concentrated saltwater brine method: boil seawater, add plain salt until it won’t dissolve anymore, then freeze it—because it’s so salty, the liquid won’t fully freeze. Dropping ghost shrimp in this icy brine flash-preserves them for multiple trips.
Timing & staying patient: Justin’s best bite has been midday once the sun is up and warming the water. He hasn’t seen a strong tide requirement for drum—if a school is there, they’ll bite even in a flatter surf. If you’re new to winter surf fishing, his reminder was important: skunk days happen to everyone this time of year, so don’t let a slow session convince you it “doesn’t work.”
Landing, handling, and keeping fish: For the big drum, he likes wearing waders mainly for landing/releasing and ensuring a strong swim-off. For the table, he draws the line at 20 inches and under, releasing larger fish.
Other surf opportunities: Justin has seen big numbers of bonita cruising close to the beach, along with reports of bluefish in the mix. His take: to catch bonita consistently, you may need to commit to walking the beach with a lure rod (instead of only making a few casts between drum checks). For both bonita and bluefish, he’s been throwing casting spoons and other shiny metal baits.
Inshore Report With Capt. Blake Nelson (Last Cast Charters)
Capt. Blake fished a Pensacola-area event in the Pensacola Redfish Tournament Series and came away with a win alongside his son, despite tough conditions that made sight fishing impractical. The plan shifted to “power fishing” fundamentals: get shallow, stay focused, and blind-cast anything that looked right.
Where they found fish: Rather than grass flats, they worked extremely shallow backwater areas—creeks, coves, ponds, and river stretches—often less than a foot deep. They focused on places that still held water and keyed on simple signs like mullet activity.
Tournament-winning tactic: Without his usual topwater box in the bag, Blake pivoted to a “bass-style” approach—running a Texas-rigged creature bait with a bullet weight (he mentioned 5/16 oz) to gain distance on spooky fish. The bite turned on when his son worked the rig faster and more aggressively (rod tip down, quick pops), which led Blake to match the cadence and produce.
Gear notes from this segment:
- Texas rig (bullet weight + EWG/offset hook) for long casts and shallow-water coverage
- Pro-Cure shrimp scent was tested early, but they ultimately ditched it once faster retrieves proved key
- Having multiple “confidence setups” is valuable, but lure choice should still match the area (open sand/potholes vs. thick grass vs. floating grass)
Boat setup for skinny water: Blake has been running a shallow-water rig—a 18’ Shallow Sport with shallow-water-friendly features like Power-Poles, a trolling motor, lithium batteries, and a tunnel-hull setup with a cavitation plate designed to help the prop “find water” when running extremely shallow.
Preseason maintenance reminders: With spring crowds coming, Blake’s advice is to service early and avoid first-trip surprises. His winter checklist included charging batteries regularly, spraying metal/hinges and exposed hardware with WD-40, protecting electrical connections with CorrosionX, and keeping trailer tires off soft ground to reduce dry rot. He also shared a real-world trailer lesson: make sure lug nuts are oriented correctly (tapered side seated properly), since incorrect seating can cause wheel wobble and premature hub/bearing failures.
Offshore Report With Capt. Adam Peeples (One Shot Charters)
Capt. Adam reports a run of unusually pleasant weather windows for winter, allowing both nearshore bottom fishing and offshore pelagic trips when timing and flexibility line up.
Nearshore: The red grouper bite has been strong on nearshore structure, and Adam noted that red grouper will readily eat dead bait—often preferring it over overly “frisky” live baits since they tend to stay tight to the bottom. When it comes to store-bought frozen bait, the main thing he buys is squid.
Finding bait in winter: Adam suggested setting a pinfish trap in deeper bay pockets/around structure, and using sabiki rigs on nearshore structure (roughly 60–80 feet) where cigar minnows and similar baits can still stack. He likes waiting until later in the morning once the sun is up for better bait-catching efficiency.
Offshore targets & mindset: Winter can produce surprises—Adam has seen big dolphin, wahoos, and even blue marlin show up, with a strong swordfish bite when the weather allows. His biggest theme is having “outs”: bring the gear to pivot (troll, live-bait, chunk, pitch swim baits, and swordfish) so you’re not stuck watching fish feed while you’re under-gunned for the moment.
Where to look offshore: Adam prioritizes sea surface temperature and structure. If he can find a meaningful temperature break—cool to warmer water—then pair it with structure like a rig, FAD, ledge, or similar, confidence goes up immediately. If warm water isn’t present, he’s more likely to pivot to another plan (including swordfishing) instead of forcing a troll.
