Red Snapper / Offshore Guide — Pensacola Beach, FL

Pensacola sits at the western edge of Florida's Panhandle, and the offshore fishery south of the island runs as well as anywhere on the Gulf Coast. A full day out of Pensacola Beach in July puts you on red snapper, mangrove snapper, triple tail, mahi, cobia, and whatever else happens to be running between the reefs. The variety is part of the draw.

The trip starts behind Peg Leg Pete's on Pensacola Beach. Leave just after sunrise. The run to the productive water takes time and you want daylight once you get there. Head south roughly 40 miles or more to the artificial concrete reefs and ship reefs sitting in 100 to 150 feet of water. These are the structures that hold the most fish.

Red snapper are the primary target at depth. The technique is simple but it matters. Drop your bait to the bottom, crank up five turns, and let it sit. If nothing happens, work your way up: seven cranks, ten, fifteen. The fish will tell you where they are holding in the water column. When one hits, you will know. Red snapper fight hard on the way up and they do not give much ground. Use cut bonito as bait. It is oily, holds up well on the hook, and both snapper and mangrove snapper key in on it. Bonito are commonly caught offshore near Pensacola and make excellent bait once you have a few on ice.

Early in the morning at the deeper spots, dolphins can interrupt the bite. They learn quickly where the boats are working and will follow a hooked fish up. Not much you can do about it. Move baits and give it time before they drift off.

On the run back in, stop at the shallower structures sitting in 40 to 60 feet. Mangrove snapper, sometimes called mingos, hold tight to the bottom structure here. The same cut bonito works. The mangroves are smaller than the red snapper but they fight well for their size and fill a cooler fast. Keep working the structures on the way in and you can put together a significant second haul before you ever reach the pass.

Between spots in open water, watch the surface. Triple tail cruise near the surface and will sometimes follow a boat. When you spot them, stop and cast in their direction. They are not common but they are unmistakable and worth targeting if the opportunity presents itself. Mahi work the same water on occasion and will take a bait near the surface without much effort. Cobia, known locally as lemon fish, patrol the same offshore corridor. They are strong fish that run hard and test your tackle. On a rare day you may even pull up a strawberry grouper from the deeper structure. I have one on the wall and the pictures to prove it.

Red snapper season in federal waters off Pensacola is subject to annual date and bag limit changes set by NOAA. Check the current regulations at fisheries.noaa.gov before you book the trip. Verify mangrove snapper limits with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at myfwc.com.

When you come back in, Peg Leg Pete's is right there at the dock. Try the Shipwreck while you unload the boat. They keep fresh oysters and Gulf seafood on the menu, worth sitting down for while the fish get cleaned. A trip that starts at sunrise and ends with oysters on the deck at Peg Leg Pete's is hard to beat.