You’re Wearing Your Kill Switch Wrong, and It Could Cost You Your Life
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
Release Date: 02/12/2026
No Outriggers, No Problem: Slow Trolling Wahoo For Any Boat
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya is joined by co-host Butch Thierry for a special offshore episode focused on wahoo fishing with Chris Vecsey of . The episode breaks down why wahoo are such an exciting Gulf target, how they can be caught closer to shore than many anglers realize, and why smaller-boat anglers can successfully target them with the right conditions, structure, spread, and gear. Chris explains that one of the biggest misconceptions about wahoo fishing is that anglers have to high-speed troll to catch them. While that works, he prefers a more...
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Boat Electronics, Creek Trout, Bay Redfish, Offshore Grouper, and the Destin Boat Show
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya covers a wide-ranging spring pattern with changing weather, flexible fishing options, and a look at how modern boat electronics can help anglers stay more efficient on the water. This episode features Capt. Justin Leake with , Capt. Harris Scruggs with , Capt. Evan Wheeler with , and Jim Cox with the . The big theme this week is that spring fishing across Northwest Florida is opening up in a lot of different ways, but success still comes down to adjusting to wind, conditions, and where the fish want to be. Joe starts with Capt....
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Migrating Pompano, Trophy Trout, and Early Spanish Mackerel
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya covers a productive spring transition despite rough offshore weather, with pompano showing up in the surf, big trout feeding in the bay, and Spanish mackerel providing a solid option closer to shore. This episode features Blake Hunter with and Capt. Blake Nelson of . The big theme this week is that spring fishing is taking shape across Northwest Florida, but anglers still need to stay flexible and fish around changing conditions. Joe starts in the surf with Blake Hunter of Reel30A, who says the pompano migration is underway and...
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Spring Pompano Run, Trophy Trout, and Early Spanish Mackerel
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya covers a strong early spring shift with the surf bite turning on, big trout showing up in Pensacola-area backwaters, and offshore anglers working around windy weather. This episode features Justin Reed on a full-blown pompano run from Pensacola to Navarre, Brandon Barton on topwater trout in transition areas, and Capt. Tyler Massey of Hot Spots Charters on Spanish mackerel and early scamp season opportunities. The big theme this week is that spring patterns are taking shape across the region, but success still depends on...
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Bigger Triggerfish, Early Pompano, and Spring Trout on the Emerald Coast
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya covers a spring transition with updates from offshore, the surf, and Pensacola inshore waters. This episode features Capt. Harris Scruggs on Panama City triggerfish, grouper, vermilion snapper, and early Spanish mackerel, Blake Hunter on scattered pompano, bull reds, and black drum in the surf, and Brandon Barton on clear-water trout and redfish tactics. The big theme this week is that spring is close, but anglers still need to adjust to changing conditions. Joe starts offshore with . Harris says short bottom trips are producing...
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Destin Wahoo Fishing, Swordfish Moon Phases and Pensacola Trout Patterns
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya tracks a late March transition with a strong offshore update out of Destin and an inshore speckled trout report from the Pensacola area. This episode features Capt. Adam Peoples of One Shot Charters on wahoo, swordfish, and open-water tuna action, plus Capt. Evan Wheeler of Tall Pines Tight Lines on pre-spawn trout behavior during a stretch of changing weather. The big theme this week is that spring opportunities are building, but anglers still need to adjust to shifting conditions and stay flexible day to day. Joe starts...
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Pompano Update, Destin Trout and Redfish, Pensacola Offshore Bite, and Wharf Boat Show 2026
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
for a surf report focused on pompano. Justin says there were a few better days leading up to the full moon, but the bite has been inconsistent since, with redfish, whiting, and catfish filling in while anglers wait for the real run to kick off. He explains why late March into early April still looks like the better window and shares how he staggers baits across the beach to find where fish are traveling. Next, Joe checks in with Jim Cox for a preview of , set for March 20 through 22 at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Jim breaks down what makes the show special, from in-water boats and yachts to...
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How to Fish the Transition—Trout Cadence Changes, Triggerfish Drops, and Pompano Holes
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya tees up an early spring transition with three quick-hit conversations—plus a reminder on the in Panama City Beach (March 6–8 at Aaron Bessant Park by Pier Park) for anyone ready to stop guessing and start stepping on boats. Joe starts inshore with in the Pensacola area to break down “messy middle” fishing: persistent negative tides, low water, and fronts that don’t always reset fish into a clean winter pattern. Evan explains what to hunt for on tough days (birds, bait, and depth changes near warming water), why...
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Hilton’s “Eyes in the Sky” Wahoo Breaks and Pensacola Kayak Topwater Bite
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya leans on two timely conversations to make sense of a windy, weather-scrambled week: offshore wahoo intel from and a Pensacola-area inshore kayak pattern that’s producing reds and trout during warm windows. Joe starts with Butch Thierry and Tom Hilton to talk “good wahoo water” for boats running out of Pensacola, Destin, and Panama City. Tom explains dialing in a wahoo temp range in the upper 60s into the 70s to make clean edges pop, then stacking the odds with water color, current, structure, and bait. They key in on...
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Winter Grind to Spring Prep: Surf Gear, Boat Show Season, and Bay Trout
Northwest Florida Fishing Report
In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya delivers a winter “real report” across the Panhandle with three key conversations: surf fishing, boat-show season, and a tough-but-producible inshore bay bite. On the surf side, Joe talks with Justin Reed of about February slowdowns and how to prep for spring—favorite rod lengths (9–10’ vs 12’), why he likes 5000-size reels for torque, and must-have surf tackle like Sputnik sinkers, pompano rigs, and sand fleas. They also preview boat season with Jim Cox in an rundown, covering what to expect at the show, why seeing...
info_outlineIn this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya and co-host Butch Thierry step away from the usual bite breakdown to deliver a wintertime episode that can save lives on the water. They focus on boating safety, complacency, and the small gear decisions that matter most when something goes wrong fast.
On the safety side, they sit down with Capt. Larry Higgins, owner of KWiggler Lures, who shares a firsthand account of a low-light boating collision in a bayou that ended with him ejected from the boat and suffering multiple hip fractures. Larry explains how quickly the situation developed, why being close to the bank in shallow water likely kept the outcome from being far worse, and how an Apple Watch became a critical communication tool when phones were lost in the chaos.
They also dig into the biggest takeaway from the incident: you can be wearing a kill switch and still be wearing it wrong. Larry breaks down how his bungee-style lanyard looped around his wrist nearly failed to pull free, the importance of attaching the lanyard to a reliable point that will not rip out, and why testing your kill switch should be part of your routine. The episode closes with practical winter safety priorities—wearing a PFD you will actually keep on, keeping signaling gear accessible, and building habits that reduce risk no matter what other boaters do.
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