Epic Pensacola pier report Sept 28,2012

Courtesy 'terpdoc' on the pensacola fishing forum

"This will be a long one folks. The setting is Pensacola pier".

"Here I am again guys, writing as I exit the wonderful paradise that is the panhandle- back to med school again. This is a true story about the 28th of September 2012, Tuesday. Hell, perhaps I am a little tardy- from the scuttlebutt I have heard from around town, the word has gotten out about what has been happening in Pensacola pier. Here is a time-lapse view of what happened, and I assure you it is accurate as I was there all day:

Got there at daybreak- clear waters. Just the day prior, (Sep 27th Monday), my new friend D had landed some monster flounder and slot reds that were stocked up from the festival... I couldn't help but think I should have been fishing down here the whole time instead of at the end but I actually got a sailfish to smell a live LY so I was fixated on staying down there. I could've sworn that bait was in it's mouth but it did not take.
I drop down to some suspicious masses on the bottom and bam instant flounder. But all the flounder I pulled up were small. I found a little redfish school and I caught another undersized fish 17." Some locals smelled it and they dropped pomp jigs down and they got a 21" red- dang. Good for them. While all this was going on, I managed to sneak a peak on the surfer side of the pier and I saw two chicken dolphin schooling. I threw everything at the damn things and they did not eat.

At about 0800 I made my way down to the end to try for some kings. The wind was better that day and it smelled like king-thirty for sure. At about 0900 and a few dozen blind futile casting efforts I finally saw a king-like shadow. I was on the left corner and slung a frozen cig right in front of that thing and it ate. Wham! Free spool-bap zzzzzzzzz I saw it eat I knew it was at least about 18lbs and I was definitely excited. I saw the fish and it had a friend. I didn't pipe him up too much but I told whoever was out there "I got him, just throw to his friend on the right hand side." They did, instant double king action. Unfortunate for me I had a 14 year old kid who had no idea what he was doing gaff my fish. I kept asking him and his dad and they kept saying they knew what was up. He thought he gaffed the fish and brought it up half way when I saw the fish was not stuck but just cradled on their big gaff. I flip my bail open predicting a lost fish and you all know how this story ended, bye bye nice king. I hated that kid for about 30 mins. The most annoying thing is when you have people who volunteer to gaff but they do not know what the hell they are doing. The other king hit the deck easily with Mr. I's son gaffing it. Crap so much for karma.

As the day went on, we saw about 3 different barracuda (one about 40 lbs), and sailfish probably 4 different ones just teasing us all day. Several baits served up to either and they would not eat.

D saw what he called blackfin tuna about 300 yards out. I was a skeptic, until 4 blackfin came in, B throws at it, hooks up, J slings his LY and hooks up. The other two were ghost. Epic tuna battle I tell you. There was a shark B lining for those tuna as well. There were drags locking up on zeebaas reels and talk of splicing, wow, what an action packed day. At one point the shark jumps up and full barrel rolls into the water as if to say I am here you bastards. The VS reel B had did not lock up once- just saying, ahem ahem . Two tunas on deck that day boys and girls, and at this point I must say this had to be the most tremendous display of pier fishing and pier fish species I had ever seen- seriously.

Action died down for a bit, but I just went ahead and snagged me some black snapper. There have been some good size ones in there, 50% keeper 50% throw backs. Keepers running dead on 10"-12." They were hitting live and dead skrumps.

Later in the afternoon, J, who caught the tuna with B earlier, gets a nice 15 lbs king. I pee my pants and try again. Maybe of all my bad luck today I still have a chance at getting a damn king. An hour later I throw in front of one, and zing, vapors of water baby. A little king blasts me. Guess what? I get D to gaff for me, thank God, but he was foul hooked. There must have been just a 0.5cm of king flesh holding him sideways when the gaff tried 3x, the 3rd kicks off the fish and bye bye 10 lbs king. 2nd king lost to the gaff. I went to go cry in the corner.

30 mins later Mr. H says king me, and kinged he was with an 11 pounder. Holy shitake, the guy gave it to me. "Take this home to your father, you deserve it," he said. Dang, what a nice gesture. He told me that "I don't let anything bother me anymore, because the only thing that hurts is yourself."

And there it is folks, 8 species of fish that people actually want to catch: blackfin, mahi, reds, flounder, kings, black snapper, sailfish, barracuda (not to mention baits). Epic tuna battles. A lesson from a new friend Mr. H who so kindly donated a king for me to take home to my dad in Maryland. I will say that as good as it sounds to not let anything bother you, when you fly down to get on some kings for just a few days and lose the only two you have- perhaps "shit happens" is most appropriate. Until next time then- it was great fishing with you all."