Gulf Breeze Guide Service photo gallery

Winter 2010 was the coldest in twenty years, but it was the above-normal rain and wind that made things interesting. All that did not bother the fish; however, as you can see from the following photos. The redfish sight-fishing was outstanding as usual, there were a few terrific days of false albacore fishing, and our clients had a ball bottom-fishing for red snappers and grouper. Here are photos from the 2010 winter season. For photos from previous seasons, check out these additional galleries: Fall 2009,Summer 2009, Spring 2009, Winter 2009, Fall 2008, Summer 2008, Spring 2008, 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.

	Jay Pippen and Dennis Farkas open up the winter gallery with photos from a December 29 trip. This false albacore gave Jay a run for his money on light spinning tackle.
	Even though the bay water was trashed from unseasonable amounts of rain the fish were still hungry. Jay Pippen with a perfect slot redfish.
	The season's closed, but winter red snappers are still a lot fun to catch and release. Dennis Farkas with a beauty caught in Pensacola Bay.
	Rocky Tasse, Ft Walton Beach, and Ray Moore, Savannah, GA, started off a spectacular January 3 with a slot-redfish "double". These fish were released to the cooler....and later to the grill.
	Rocky Tasse with an outstanding Pensacola Bay grouper. You've just got to love the winter grouper fishing in the bay!
	The Walters clan from Johnson City, TN, once again hit perfect weather on Jan 4. Ben Walters with the first false albacore on fly of the winter season. Check out that calm water...
	Ben Walters scored again with this bull redfish. The fish ate a white/chartreuse "Go-meaux" bunny strip.
	The whole enchalada.... Ben releasing his fish unharmed.
	Daniel Walters followed suit with this bad-to-the-bone false albacore caught on light spinning tackle.
	Daniel Walters and another fine redfish.
	Dave Walters wasn't going to let the "boys" have all the fun. The FA took a new fly...the "magic bus". This was a day of shallow-water albie fishing at its finest. Nice work, Dave!
	Dave Walters coaxed this redfish into eating a go-meaux imitation.
	It's always all about the photos, and this shot sums up the day. Dave , Ben, and Daniel Walters with a rare "triple", and two of the redfish were landed on fly. Imagine the scene (a "CF" in military terms) when all three of these fish came to the boat at the same time! All fish were released unharmed.
	Capt Baz took a day off on January 6 to fish from the Walters' boat. How about this for a black drum!
	This Pensacola Bay grouper was the fish of the day for Dave Walters on January 7.
	Geoff Brodersen, Pensacola, and his dad Mark, Jacksonville, FL, fished on one of the coldest days of the winter season, but there were still a few hungry redfish around. Here's Geoff with the first fish of the day on January 10.
	We found schools of slot-redfish close to shore, but they were so spooky Mark and Geoff had to get in after them. Here's Geoff Broderson trying to get a fish on the reel in gin-clear water.
	Geoff's catch. It was like wading for bonefish in the Bahamas...only 40 degrees colder!
	Mark Brodersen with his best fish of the day on January 10.
	This shot of Mark Brodersen hooked up shows just how beautiful the water was that day. Click on the photo for a larger image, and a trained eye will see the school of redfish swimming with Mark's hooked fish. Gulf of Mexico water generally looks like this in January and February when rainfall amounts are normal.
	Greg Speer, Ft Collins, CO, came to town for one day on January 18, and since the Gulf was blown out we tried some of our favorite inside flats. To our surprise the redfish were there in large numbers, and we had one of our all-time best days of sight-fishing. Here's the Rocketman with the first fish of the day taken on a tan/white clouser.
	Another "Rocket" redfish taken on a Travis Akins' green weenie.
	Rocket releasing his first slot-sized fish.
	A few days later on January 22 the redfish were still there for Keith Sparks, Bardstown, KY. That's a lot of redfish on an 8wt...
	Fellow guide Brad Paulson from the Pacific Northwest with a gorgeous Pensacola Bay red snapper on January 25. Brad specializes in salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon on the rivers close to Portland, OR. Check him out at www.sidewaysfishing.com.
	After two weeks of wind and rain the Gulf finally calmed down on January 31. We ran east from Pensacola Pass and to our delight found clean water loaded with ravenous false albacore a mile down the beach. It was a bona fide melee, and Jon Benstead, Tuscaloosa, AL, and Kevin Barnes (Barney), Athens, GA, were happy to be right in the middle of it fly rods in hand. This is Jon with the first fish of the day.
	Kevin Barnes with another FA caught and released. Fly-fishing for false albacore in shallow water is an amazing experience; you've got to see it to believe it.
	The next day the albies disappeared, so we came back inside and Jon Benstead saved the day by landing this redfish at the very end of the trip...a home run with two out in the ninth inning. Thank you, Jon!
	Conditions were perfect on February 14 for some offshore catch-and-release red snapper fishing, and Alex and Bill Wason, Johnson City, TN, took full advantage of the situation. Alex Wason with a fine specimen released unharmed.
	Alex's dad Bill Wason with another beautiful red snapper.
	How's this for a Pensacola Bay winter grouper! Andy Boos with the fish of the day on February 15.
	Or was THIS the fish of the day?? Andy Boos again with a serious redfish on February 15.
	Josh Kankovsky, Omaha, Nebraska, and a monster red snapper caught in Pensacola Bay on a sunny February 16.
	Perfect redfish on fly for Bill Wason on an excellent February 17 for sight-fishing along the edge of the Gulf of Mexico.
	Alex Wason landed this redfish Feb 17 in Pensacola Bay.
	Team Saltwaterflies.com came to town for a few days of fishing fun the first week of May. We were poling the inner bar on March 6 when Chris Windram spotted this redfish holding in about four feet of water and dropped the fly right on target. www.saltwaterflies.com is an excellent source for flies and tying materials. Chris tied professionally before opening the business 15 yrs ago and even hand picks your bucktails for you. Check 'em out...
	A little later Scott Patterson, Martha's Vineyard, MA, picked this redfish out of a school of about a hundred. The Lee Wulff triangle taper sinking line put the fly in the exact right place...
	Chris Windram and Capt Baz on March 7 with a huge redfish taken this time on light spinning tackle...St Croix Avid Series rod (AS70MF), Shimano 2500 Stradic FI, and 15# PowerPro.
	On March 8 conditions allowed us to run 14 miles out to a favorite bottom spot for some very hot red snapper and grouper action. The blue water made a nice background for this red snapper.
	Custom rod designer Jeff Coen with a hard-fighting red snapper on March 7.
	Scott Patterson added this gag grouper to the fishing rodeo tally on March 7.
	Jeff Nall, Nixa, MO, and a healthy redfish on March 8.
	Brandon Pope who is in flight school at NAS Pensacola landed this redfish at the Ft McRee jetty just before sunset on March 13.
	Two days later Scott Koy landed this brightly colored fish in the same spot at about the same time. Cool spots on this redfish...
	We waited for a front to pass on March 17 before venturing out in the Gulf to look for pompano. The bull redfish was a nice surprise for Dennis Farkas.
	But it was Joe Palacios, Ellettsville, IN, who boated the first pompano of the year... one of four landed on March 17. The Aegean Breeze restaurant in Gulf Breeze prepared a grilled pompano feast for the group that night.
	Father-son team of Steve and Corson Wallace, Jackson, MS, and the redfish of the day on March 18.
	Jenifer Cotaya, Dallas, TX, with husband Steve landed this giant red snapper on March 19. The "fighting belts" are a must (not a fashion statement) with these big fish...
	We finish off the winter gallery with the all time boat record red snapper caught and released by Steve Cotaya on March 19. This fish weighed about twenty pounds and inhaled a 12 inch white trout.