In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya works around a tough weather week by revisiting timely reports from the past few weeks that still apply across the Emerald Coast. The episode covers surf fishing from Pensacola and Navarre to 30A, dirty inshore water around Pensacola, redfish and trout tactics in the sound, the opening stretch of red snapper season out of Panama City, and a major offshore report that includes mahi, swordfish, scattered grass, and a 790-pound bluefin tuna. This episode features Justin Reed with Justin Reed Fishing, Evan Wheeler with Tall Pines Tight Lines, Brandon Barton with Emerald Waters Kayak Charters, Capt. Harris Scruggs with Triple B Fishing Charters, and Capt. Adam Peeples with One Shot Charters.
The big theme this week is adapting to difficult conditions instead of waiting on perfect ones. Surf anglers are dealing with June grass, sargassum, changing winds, scattered clean-water windows, and a surprisingly steady summer pompano bite. Inshore anglers are adjusting to stained “root beer” water and relying more on birds, bait, points, grass flats, potholes, and sound-producing lures. Offshore anglers are finding fish, but widespread grass is making trolling and boat handling a grind.
Conditions Recap
Northwest Florida has been dealing with a mixed early-summer pattern shaped by heavy rain, southerly flow, stained water, June grass, and sargassum. The rain has pushed tannic water into bays, bayous, and river-influenced areas, creating the kind of dirty water that can make it harder for inshore anglers to rely on sight cues. In the surf, anglers from Pensacola and Navarre to 30A are seeing fishable windows, but those windows may only be short stretches of clean water between moving patches of grass.
In the surf, north winds are helpful right now because they can push June grass off the beach and create cleaner conditions for pompano fishing. South winds can still be productive, but when the wind has an east or west component and current starts dragging grass along the beach, anglers may need to move often. Justin Reed described days where a productive trip required shifting several times just to stay ahead of the grass.
Along 30A, dune lake outflows recently dirtied some stretches of beach, but southeast wind helped some areas clean up faster than expected. June grass has eased in some spots, but sargassum is still a problem. The best surf plan is to scout, stay mobile, and fish the cleanest stretch available instead of forcing a dirty or grassy area.
Inshore around Pensacola, the rain has made the water dirty and the bite more variable. Evan Wheeler says anglers need to go back to basic fish-finding cues, especially active birds, bait behavior, current edges, wading birds, points, and areas where fish can still feed effectively in stained water. Brandon Barton is still catching trout and redfish on the flats, especially around grass, sand potholes, points, creek mouths, rock, and other structure.
Offshore, the weather has offered some fishable days, but floating grass is the major obstacle. Capt. Adam Peeples says the grass situation has made trolling difficult, even though blue water, bait, current, mahi, swordfish, and big tuna opportunities are all present when crews can work around it.
Surf Fishing Report – Justin Reed Fishing
Justin Reed with Justin Reed Fishing reports that the Pensacola and Navarre surf bite has remained productive despite grass and changing weather. Pompano are still being caught on guided trips, with some trips slower than others but most producing fish. He has also had a consistent bull redfish bite from the beach, including fish in the 35-inch-plus range and one 40-inch redfish caught by a client.
Justin says cloud cover can help the surf bite because lower visibility makes the line less obvious and the fish less cautious. Under normal conditions, he likes south winds, but right now north winds are welcome because they help clean up June grass and make the beach more fishable. On days with strong current, grass can make a good-looking hole or rip unfishable, so mobility is a major part of the plan.
The biggest tactical point from Justin is not to lock yourself into one beach access, rip, or hole when the grass is moving. If clean water is only available in 50-yard stretches, fish that window until the grass catches up, then move again. That is where a good cart, clean rigging, and easy-to-move sand spikes become more than convenience items; they directly affect how many fish you are able to stay in front of.
For surf gear, Justin likes a basic Fish-N-Mate Senior cart upgraded with Wheeleez beach tires. He says the balloon tires make it much easier to stay mobile, especially when grass forces multiple moves during a trip. For rod holders, he prefers open-face aluminum sand spikes such as Deerfield Fabrication and Welding open-face spikes because the rod only has to lift a few inches before coming free. PVC sand spikes will work on a budget, but the open-face aluminum style is easier to use when a big fish hits and much easier to manage when moving down the beach.
Sand fleas remain the most important pompano bait when anglers can find them. Justin says pompano are holding where they should be, behind the bar, and the right fleas are getting bites. Fishbites are also producing, especially when paired with natural bait or used to keep scent in the water. Ladyfish are thick in the surf as well, and while they may not be a prized table fish, they are excellent for keeping kids and newer anglers engaged because they hit hard, jump, pull, and keep rods bending.
30A Surf Report – Pompano, Sargassum, And Summer Fish
The 30A surf report continues to show a strange but promising summer pattern. After a strong spring pompano run, there are still enough fish around for anglers to grind out catches in June. Dune lake openings dirtied some areas briefly, but the water has cleaned up enough in places for anglers to keep catching fish.
Sargassum is the biggest issue along the beach. Some stretches have grass on the bottom, some have grass washed onto the beach, and some have enough moving grass to make fishing difficult. The best approach is to check beach conditions before going, move if the grass becomes too much, and look for fishable lanes where baits can soak without instantly fouling.
The pompano bite appears to be better than the last couple of lean summer years. One possible reason is that the spring run was strong and the early June grass may have kept some casual beach anglers from catching as many fish, leaving more fish available into summer. Whatever the reason, anglers who can find clean water and good bait still have a real chance to catch pompano from the sand.
Sand fleas are still the top bait, though they have not been as easy to find as usual. Anglers should also keep Fishbites ready, especially when natural bait is limited. Ladyfish, blue runners, hardtails, bluefish, redfish, and sharks are also part of the summer surf mix, making this a good time to bring kids or newer anglers who simply want action.
Pensacola Inshore Report – Evan Wheeler With Tall Pines Tight Lines
Evan Wheeler with Tall Pines Tight Lines says the recent rain has made Pensacola inshore fishing more complicated. The dirty water showed up after several days of storms, and wind has made it harder to find clean edges, visible bait, and the kind of surface signs that normally help anglers make quick decisions.
For anglers new to fishing the Emerald Coast, Evan says birds can help, but they need to be read correctly. Loafing birds are not always enough because gulls, pelicans, or other birds may simply be resting in an area between feeding periods. Active birds are more useful. Pelicans diving from high above usually point toward larger bait such as menhaden, while pelicans making short hops and dropping back into the water often indicate smaller bait such as glass minnows or silversides.
Those bird cues should influence lure selection. Around larger bait, Evan thinks about bigger baitfish profiles such as a MirrOlure 37MR-style bait or a larger suspending twitchbait profile. Around smaller bait, he downsizes to smaller soft plastics, a MirrOlure 19MR, or other small minnow-style presentations. He also points out that when small bait is present, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and ladyfish may be around, so anglers should be careful about throwing expensive hard baits into cut-off-prone fish.
Evan also pays close attention to wading birds such as herons and egrets. When those birds are actively working shallow, he tends to think more about redfish than trout. Redfish are more likely to be feeding around shrimp, crabs, small baitfish, and shallow shoreline activity, while the larger trout he is often targeting may be positioned on the edges instead of directly in that skinny-water commotion.
The trout and redfish bite has been highly variable. Evan has had good days, tough days, and plenty of mediocre days where he had to cover more water than planned. When the obvious signs are missing, he has been going back to search baits like the MirrOlure 17MR and the Slick Lures Slick Junior to cover water, get a clue from the first bite, and then adjust based on where and when that fish ate.
Kayak And Flats Report – Brandon Barton With Emerald Waters Kayak Charters
Brandon Barton with Emerald Waters Kayak Charters has been staying inshore around the Pensacola area because the weather has not given him many good offshore windows. The flats in the sound are still producing trout and redfish, and the overall mix of fish is getting more active as summer builds.
Brandon is focusing on open grass flats with sand potholes, especially areas where trout can slide shallow early and late, then push deeper into potholes as the sun gets higher. Redfish are mixed in with the trout on those flats, but if he wants to specifically target reds, he shifts more attention toward points, bank structure, creek mouths, spillway mouths, rocks, and areas with more current or structure.
Topwater is still a major part of Brandon’s approach, especially at first light, last light, on cloudy days, or when wind and stormy conditions make fish more willing to look up. On bright, sunny days, he may shift to jerkbaits or swimbaits, but he will keep throwing topwater or a wake bait when conditions give him enough confidence.
Wake baits are especially useful when the fish are missing a traditional topwater or when rough conditions make it hard to work a walk-the-dog plug correctly. Brandon says a wake bait can be ripped back faster, dive just enough to help fish commit, and still fish properly in rougher water. It is also a strong search bait when anglers are trying to locate fish across a flat.
Gear and lures in this section include topwater plugs, wake baits, jerkbaits, swimbaits, scent-heavy redfish presentations, and search baits for covering grass flats and sand potholes.
Panama City Red Snapper Report – Capt. Harris Scruggs With Triple B Fishing Charters
Capt. Harris Scruggs with Triple B Fishing Charters says the early part of red snapper season is the time to take advantage of less-pressured fish. In the opening weeks, anglers can often use traditional bottom fishing setups on public wrecks and still have a good chance at catching snapper before fishing pressure makes them more selective.
As the season goes on, Capt. Harris expects anglers to scale down tackle, especially closer to shore or on more pressured spots. Later in the year, lighter leaders, live baits, and more careful presentations become more important. Early in the season, however, the fish have not been leaned on as hard, so anglers do not always need to fish like it is late July or August.
Capt. Harris also shared a strong opinion on the length of the 2026 red snapper season. He believes the season is too long and could be hard on the fishery if harvest pressure is too heavy. His message for anglers is to take the opportunity seriously and avoid treating a long season as a reason to overdo it. With more days available, there is less urgency to hammer snapper every trip.
For anglers who want to broaden their offshore plan, Capt. Harris recommends focusing on other high-quality species while still expecting to catch some red snapper along the way. Scamp grouper are one of his favorite fish to target, and mangrove snapper are another strong option. On many pieces of live bottom, anglers targeting scamp or red grouper will still catch smaller keeper-sized red snapper as part of the mix.
The takeaway is to use the long season wisely. Instead of making every trip only about red snapper, anglers can target scamp, mangroves, red grouper, and other bottom fish, then keep snapper when the right fish show up.
Offshore Report – Capt. Adam Peeples With One Shot Charters
Capt. Adam Peeples with One Shot Charters had one of the standout offshore stories of the season with a 790-pound bluefin tuna. The fish measured 113 inches and ate a live blackfin tuna while the crew was live baiting and primarily targeting blue marlin. Because the quota was open and the crew was prepared to harvest the fish, they were able to bring it back, but Adam emphasized that anglers need to think through every step before targeting or potentially encountering a fish of that size.
The tackle setup for the bluefin included a Penn 70, 150-pound hollow-core braid backing, a few hundred yards of 130-pound mono topshot, a 200-pound fluorocarbon leader, and a 12/0 Mustad Perfect Circle 4X hook. The fish fought for about an hour and a half before dying and sinking to the bottom in roughly 2,200 feet of water. After that, the crew spent another couple of hours working the fish back up from the bottom.
Adam says a block and tackle would have made landing the fish much easier, and he recommends having one aboard when fishing in situations where a giant tuna, billfish, or other massive pelagic is possible. He also stressed the importance of having a proper fish bag or blanket and plenty of ice. His crew had a large reliable blanket and about 500 pounds of ice, which helped preserve the fish properly once it was finally in the boat.
Beyond the bluefin, Adam’s offshore report included big mahi, swordfish, and a good-looking Gulf pattern when the grass allows boats to fish. On one trip, the crew caught a 38-pound bull dolphin and briefly held a tournament lead before a larger fish was posted. On another trip, they caught another large dolphin, went four for five on swordfish, and had the swordfish bite finally start acting like it should for this time of year.
The biggest offshore problem is sargassum. Adam says grass is scattered and widespread, making trolling very difficult. When anglers can find larger patches, current, bait, and fishable edges, mahi are there. His approach around grass patches is to fish the open sides and corners, pitch live baits, and be ready for the school to show itself once one fish eats. If mahi are holding on a defined patch, log, pallet, or other structure, he does not think it is always necessary to leave one hooked in the water because the fish are likely to stay with the structure. Around open-water schools, keeping fish and baits in the water can matter more.
Gear and tactics from this section include live blackfin tuna, Penn 70 reels, 150-pound hollow-core braid, 130-pound mono, 200-pound fluorocarbon leader, 12/0 Mustad Perfect Circle 4X hooks, block and tackle preparation, large fish bags or fish blankets, heavy ice, bucktail jigs, live baits around grass, and using current plus bait as the deciding factor when choosing where to fish.
