Gulf Breeze Guide Service photo gallery

Spring 2008 produced red hot fishing both inshore and nearshore. Sheepshead, redfish of all sizes, and pompano provided the early action. The jack crevalle arrived mid-April followed by Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish. We caught the first false albacore on May 29, and the king mackerel started biting in June. Early morning trout fishing was very good at times, and we were successful finding red snappers and grouper in Pensacola Bay. On June 16 we landed the first tarpon of the year. Here are some photos from the 2008 spring season. For photos from previous seasons, check out these additional galleries: Winter 2008, Fall 2007, Summer 2007, Spring 2007, Winter 2007, Fall 2006, Summer 2006, Spring 2006, Winter 2006, Spring 2005, Summer 2005, Fall 2005. Click on any of the small images below to see the full size photos. Use the back button on your browser to return to this page.

	Scott Gross of Mt. Houb, WI, landed the all time boat record five pound plus pompano on March 23. We released this magnificent fish unharmed.
	Here's a happy Gary Stephens, Knoxville, TN, on March 25 with the 2008 boat record 7 3/4 pound sheepshead.
	The Fisher family came all the way from Boise for some fun in the sun on March 26. Debra scored big with the all time boat record redfish. Click on this thumbnail to check out the girth of this rare spot-less redfish.
	Jana Fisher also enjoyed landing the biggest fish of her life on March 26.
	Greg Fisher was content catching numerous sheepshead and letting the ladies do the heavy lifting.
	This is Beth Rice, Lexington, KY, after winning a hard-fought battle on April 1.
	Mike Rice and daughter Tresslyn got into the hot redfish action on April 1.
	Margaret Holmes and Mike Poole, Hattiesburg, MS, landed this trophy redfish April 7 in Pensacola Bay.
	Jason Cornell, USMC, taking a break from training at NAS to go fishing with his family from Chicago. Jason's holding a 7 3/4 pound sheepshead which ties the 2008 boat record.
	Here's Jason's wife Dayna with a fine catch on April 12.
	Pensacola's Billy Kroll with the first bad-to-the-bone jack crevalle of 2008 landed on April 15. Way to go, Billy!
	Larry Bryant of Gulf Breeze Electric Company added this 8 pound snapper to his and Billy's cooler on April 15 along with ten pompano, an 8 pound grouper, and three additional red snappers. It was quite an inshore haul on opening day of snapper season.
	This is a super shot of Larry Green of Kansas City, MO and the first jack crevalle on fly of 2008. This fish exploded on a big popper, and Larry had his hands full for about twenty minutes. He landed this fish on a Sage XiII 12 wt and Tibor Gulfstream. You'll also find this photo on the Tibor Reel website.
	Rod Bouchard from Isle of Palms, SC, hooked this fish on a pink jig while pompano fishing on a choppy April 18.
	David Ermer from Peachtree City, GA, and one of many big Spanish mackeral caught and released on April 18.
	Here's Richie Mahoney with the first fish ever caught in his whole life. We're talking about a watershed event here. Congratulations, Richie!
	Everybody's smiling about Richie's first catch, especially Mr. Sheepshead who learned he was being released.
	Aaron Banther, USN, landed his first jack crevalle on April 19 with moral support from long time friends Antoine Miller and Terrance Gogins.
	The man hiding behind that pompano is Greg Catalano from Acton, MA. This is the first pompano landed on fly of 2008.
	Greg added this nice fly-caught bluefish to the day's tally. The water was Bahamas clear on April 22, and the sight-fishing was outstanding.
	The following day was a family day for the Catalanos, and here's Jenna Catalano with a sheepshead on steroids. We released this fish to fight another day.
	The catch of the day on April 23 belonged to Hannah Moffie of Boston, MA, with sister Carly (seated) and cousins Jenna and Sarah Kate Catalano.
	Here's an exceptional shot taken April 29 of Mike Huber from Portland, OR, with a soon to be released jack crevalle. This photograph showcases the incredibly white sandy beaches and turquoise water of our Emerald Coast.
	Tom Zavoral, a displaced Montana fly fisherman, was initiated into the salt on April 30. Tom began the day catching and releasing Spanish mackerel like this one.
	A little later Tom landed his first pompano. This fish ate a tan/white Clouser minnow on 40 pound fluorocarbon tippet. So much for pompano being leader shy .....
	The fish of the day on April 30 was this fine jack crevalle. We were sight-fishing for redfish when a small school of jacks appeared on the bar heading for us. Tom laid out the perfect cast, the jack ate the fly, and we got the picture to prove it. This is the first jack caught on a yellow pompano rocket.
	Kim Dilworth from Charlotte, NC, caught and released this beautiful 24 inch speckled trout on May 1. The female trout was full of roe. Congratulations to Kim for releasing it unharmed.
	The Easterling family from Pontotoc, MS, came to town May 9 for some family fishing. Caleb Easterling landed and released one of the finest speckled trout of the year.
	Kim Easterling on May 9 with a perfect slot redfish that ended up in the cooler.
	It took two to tango with this monster redfish. Actually Richard Tatum did the heavy lifting by landing the fish on 14# braid, and Captain Baz managed to sneak into the picture.
	Lieutenant Colonel Richard White, US Army, took a day off from college recruiting to go fishing with Richard Tatum on May 10.
	Daniel Boyett of Huntsville, AL, found the best redfish flats fishing of the year on May 13. He landed this 29 inch, 10 pound fish in two feet of water. Not bad for your first day of saltwater fly fishing.
	It was like steelhead fishing for Roy Cooley of Marcy, NY, on an overcast and breezy May 18. A thousand casts and two redfish as Roy hit every sand spot along a two mile section of beach.
	The next day was much nicer, and we were able to get into the Gulf. Here's Roy with his first pompano which he picked off as it cruised within range of the boat.
	We had already stowed the rods and were pulling the anchor when the school of jack crevalle appeared 75 yards from the boat and closing fast. Roy Cooley miraculously grabbed the big rod, stripped out enough line and dropped the fly right in front of the school. This jack exploded on the popper, and Jan Cooley fought the fish for twenty minutes. Sometime during the fight the rod blew up, adding to the excitement.
	Bob Oaks was visiting from eastern Tennessee May 29 the day the false albacore arrived. Here's Bob with the first "little tuna" of the season.
	Bob's fishing buddy Curtis Armstrong has his hands (and an 8 wt) full as a false albacore heads for Mexico.
	When the false albacore bite slowed we moved close to the beach to sight fish for pompano. Of course we always have the big fly rod ready for jack crevalle. This sixteen pounder met its match with Bob Oaks.
	Bill Armstrong of Elizabethton, TN, got into some serious albie action on May 31.
	Bob Oaks finished out his two day trip by catching this fine speckled trout on his last cast May 31. The fish measured 23 inches and weighed 4 pounds.
	Tom Zavoral's Winston Boron IIX 8 wt was the perfect match for the albies on June 2. This beautiful fish ate a gummy minnow and gave Tom a great fight before being released unharmed.
	Nick O'Kelly and son Jack did some father-son bonding on a spectacular June 3. Here's Nick with his first false alacore on fly.
	Jack O'Kelly took a break from the fly rod and landed this "bad little dude" on light spinning tackle.
	There aren't many times a 15 year old catches the first tarpon of the year, but that's what happened June 16 when Phillip Aiken landed this beauty. The juvenile tarpon weighed about twenty pounds and ate a topwater "chug bug." We were very careful to get the fish back in the water quickly.