Home Forums Fishing Saltwater Advice wanted for trip to Pensacola

We will be taking our two youngest kids to Pensacola in May for their high-school graduation trip. A family that we are close friends with are also coming along with their twins of the same age as our kids.
My wife just informed me that she has been planning a salt-water fishing trip for us while there but of course she doesn't know how to arrange things. It has been 30 years since the only time when--as a kid--I have ever been on such a fishing trip, but it was out of New Orleans. I was invited by friends who of course did all the planning themselves and we spent the day catching red snapper, bluefish, and a few other miscellaneous species.
While I know these charters are never cheap, we don't have a bottomless budget and I would like some advice as to what would be the best opportunity to pursue. The best bang for the buck. The best choices for some consistent action rather than likely only catching 1 or 2 fish per person. What species should we consider? What reputable charters? Half-day or full-day? What am I NOT thinking of?
Thank you very much in advance.

That time of year I’d be thinking more inshore than offshore. Snapper season opens later as I recall.

Some excellent trout and redfish in the inshore areas. We spent several years in gulf breeze for spring break (April). Offshore was a long boat ride, and not real productive. We switched to inshore and had much more fun and productive fishing time.

Trailered my boat down after the first year and had a blast in subsequent years.

Thank you for your advice, OldRook. Do you have advice as to how to select a charter service?

I’m interested in this too. What size boat would you consider safe for inshore fishing? I know weather plays a huge part. I have a 20’ aluminum bay boat (basically a bass boat style with a CC). It has a 115 on it. I would hate to trailer down there if that isn’t adequate for the water.

Google Capt Wes Rozier - he's an affordable guide who will put you on some fish.

You can fish Pensacola Bay, Escambia Bay, the Sound and the rivers with a 20ft boat. I do it with a 16 foot redfisher...you just have to pick your days. The USS Mass is just out the pass a ways if you want to fish a close reef.

I've never been, so with that being said...

We are going to Ft Walton Beach area the end of March. Local friends said fishing off the pier there got them a lot of fish. Rent a pole and buy a $3 bucket of bait on the pier and go drop it down to the bottom.

Also read some forums of guys surf fishing and doing well.

Guide services look like $200/hour for the boat is pretty standard pricing across the board, some a little higher.

Wife's friend recommended this guy out of Destin after using him a couple times in the past. But that looks like a 60 mile drive from Pensacola. https://alwaystightfishingcharters.com/

Pcola used to have have good inshore and offshore fishing. I caught a lot of fish off the Navarre pier and the Pcola pier. Spring was tops for cobia. Piers could get crowded.

Haven't been in years though.

Have you checked out: https://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/ I look at it on occasion. Usually some good info. Might find a local to fish with or good area to focus on.



If you really want to target and catch fish, and its in the budget, a guide is obviously a great way to go. If its not, or you're content just fishing and don't really care what/if you catch, I'd just post up at the beach or the pier.

No, I've not seen that forum but thank you for the heads-up.
This will be a special trip so I really don't want to take our kids and their friends fishing on a pier and hope that somehow we get lucky with a couple of fish. An inshore trip sounds exactly what we're looking for and that's what I'm checking into. I know it'll be several hundred bucks, but it's their senior trip after all.

Soaking bait is boring..use a gotcha, doa or rattle trap on the flats...I live in Pensacola...talk to Wes.

Full Net Charters is a good option

I dont know when yall are going to come down but I would not even think about Memorial day. That is gay week at the beach and I aint talking happy. They about take over the beach and most any where that is good to eat,and they trash the beach to the tune of tons of stuff left on the beach. A week before or a week after and yall will be good,if the bridge is open by then. I would look at charters out of Orange beach or Gulf Shores. If ya need anything while yall are here or want more info PM me and ill send ya my Px #. Tommy

Thankfully we'll be there earlier than that, the week of the 16th. The challenge now is that there will be one more person going, making it 7 total, and most (affordable) private charters take a maximum of 6. I can't say that the idea of a larger boat with 20-30 people mass-fishing is appealing at all, either.
I appreciate your offer to help!