Red snapper season has anglers fired up out of Pensacola, and the red snapper bite has not disappointed. The public reef zones, wrecks, and natural bottom in 80 to 150 feet are holding solid numbers of fish, with live bait and cut bait on the bottom producing quick limits on calm days. Vermilion snapper and a few scattered grouper are mixed into the bottom bite.
Nearshore, the king mackerel are working bait pods on the reefs and along the beaches, taking slow-trolled hardtails and ribbonfish. A few late-run cobia are still being spotted around the buoys and structure, and Spanish mackerel are blitzing along the beaches and around the passes through the day.
Inshore, redfish are working the grass flats, oyster bars, and the passes, while spotted seatrout are holding on the deeper grass with the better fish coming early. Flounder are around the passes and structure, and live bull minnows or bait worked slow along the bottom is the proven flounder approach.
The tripletail are showing around the buoys and crab-trap floats and are worth a cast when sighted. Mangrove snapper have stacked on the bridge and pier structure for the inshore crowd.
Plan offshore trips around the weather windows and get out early. The red snapper season is the obvious draw, but the inshore redfish and trout bite gives a solid backup when the Gulf gets sloppy in the afternoon.