Winter 25-26 fishing report

Behind on posting but we have been doing lots fishing the last few months. Inshore to offshore the action has been hot. I took a private position running a 2025 Viking 64c last fall and have been focused balancing this new opportunity while continuing to run charters.

Running the Viking has ignited new passion, dredge fishing for Billfish. It’s hard to think of a more fun way to troll after seeing that first Sail tailing the dredge and then smacking the teaser. Our first trip we went 3/5 on Sailfish and stacked up some tuna. Live baiting wahoo from a sporty has been a bit of a learning curve but the view from up top is pretty amazing as the fish come in the spread.

Fishing the Jupiter for the Don Combs we had a great start to Wahoo tournament season finishing 2nd place overall in big fish and aggregate. The first day of the tournament we got the bite I’ve dreamed about for years and put a 110# wahoo on the board. We thought we had the win but Capt. Manny on the Flying Button had a 120# eat the same morning and hit the scales just before us. Incredible seeing two fish of that class caught on the same day.

The offshore bottom fishing is always fun in the fall through the early winter but with Wahoo, Tunas, and Sails around we usually prefer the troll. For bottom fish shallow water Grouper are all closed until May 1st but if you want to get on the books now is the time to do so, we likely will only see a 6 week gag season again this year but there is hope for an extended red snapper season if NOAA decided to issue the expanded South Atlantic EFP that Florida has requested. I am closely following this and will begin taking bookings for those Red Snapper trips as soon as it’s official. For now the Vermilion, Mutton, AJs, and Triggerfish are all chewing out past 120ft and the Seabass bite has been good closer with some Cobia mixed in.

Inshore the Redfishing has been really good this year with lots of sight fishing opportunities on fly and artificial. On the rocks and docks the Sheepshead have chewed pretty consistently this season so far with no shortage of action. For table fare it’s hard to beat the Sheepshead inshore and they put up a great fight. There is a bit of a learning curve hooking these fish as the bite is subtle and can be hard to feel with the motion of the boat in the inlet.

Jaguars pro bowler Ross Masticik and his brother sightfished these beautiful reds crawling along the bank at low tide.

Jaye Andone with a big beautiful healthy Redfish she sight casted in the floods.