Pensacola Bay Bull Reds

There are many times where I wished I could pick just one hobby and stick with it! Not saying there is anything wrong with that, but seriously...what fun would that be? I'm wired to be in-sync with all of the seasons; I fish all year round, hunt turkeys in spring, bowhunt whitetails throughout fall, and whack some waterfowl throughout fall and winter.

With the duck decoys stacked in the back of the shed and the deer hunting gear organized and tucked away until next fall, it was finally time again to dust off the lonely fishing rods and give them the well deserved  "bend" that they have been waiting for.

A last minute decision to head out to the infamous Pensacola Bay bull red stomping grounds got me all sorts of excited. I quickly finished my plate at the dinner table like a good boy should, and then bolted out the door. In no time, I was bouncing from light to light, looking for a hungry bull. It didn't take long...

It was a race against the clock. A major wind shift from the north was due to hit the area in any time, packing sustained winds over 25mph with gusts well over 30mph. Stiff winds and relentless salty spray coming off my bow made it tough to sight fish. The fish were not abundant like I was hoping for, but the ones that I found were hungry! 

In less than 2 hours of fishing, I hooked 6 fish between 35" and 39 1/4". I got off the water just in the nick of time. The wind quickly shifted to the north and started throwing white capped waves all over the rocky shore. I was a wet and a little chilled, but still smiling from the recent adventure.

It was a great start to 2017! Cheers to a fun yet safe fishing season, or should I say "seasons".

Until next time...stay fishy my friends.

See ya on the water!