Shallow Water Expeditions - Night Fishing - Trout Fishing- Redfishing - Tarpon Fishing

Shallow Water Expeditions - Night Fishing - Trout Fishing- Redfishing - Tarpon Fishing - Fly Fishing

Charter Booking and Info Line
(850) 534.4349
Captain David Mangum
Cell (850) 496.0594
Shop (850) 534.4343 
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

Ken Hinett had one of those days where everything went his way. In 10-15 knot winds and overcast skies, Ken prevailed and scored on hisfirst ever Saltwater fly trip. Ken caught 2 good redfish, a 28 and a 30 incher. Both fish were shallow enough that Ken was casting at their backs, wish I had video of that. Cpt. David Mangum Vero Beach Snook fishing If you are interested in doing any snook fishing over the winter, Capt. Christian Yergen's has migrated back home to Vero Beach for the winter and has been boasting great reports, in spite of the recent fish kill. These pix are from a trip he made with Maverick Boat Company's Charlie Johnson. If you're going to be in the south FL area and are looking to setup a trip to sight fish for Snook, give us a call on the booking line for available dates. 
Epic Day Merry Christmas from all of us at SWE! Fishing continues to be strong through the Holidays. Capt. Jason Stacy and one of his best clients John Watts persevered after starting the day off with a make or break moment. John managed to receive some unexpected jewelry within the few minutes of fishing. John turned and said "We are not going home" as he looked over Jason's shoulder at tailing redfish. Capt. Stacy whipped out the first aid kit and a piece of 100lb. mono and John was back in business. The pair was able to complete what in John's words was an "Epic Day". Holiday Tails Thought I would try something different for this report and show some video that I shot yesterday. It was super foggy so the footage isn't great but I think you will get the point. Our tide levels for the next week and during the holidays are exceptional "tailing" tides. Scenes like this video will be a common site on our local flats. 
Captain David Mangum Louisiana/Florida While we have had our share of bad weather from frequent cold-fronts this season, the fishing between the nasty days has been typical of Louisiana Redfishing, "INCREDIBLE"
Our local fishing here on the Panhandle has been no exception either, our seasonal Fall low-tide days have produced some awesome tailing redfish action. Also, the Bull Redfish in the local passes has really kicked off, our Bayboat guides have been producing some "excessive" numbers of reds up to 35lbs in half day trips. Andy Parker and his dad show off a nice triple hook-up they had with Capt. Christian Well IDA was big news this week, Very rare to have a Tropical system in the month of Nov. The eye looks like it just made landfall near Mobile, not much more than some rain and wind here in Santa Rosa Beach, Although it did provide us with some great waves yesterday and today. Before the storm raised water levels, the fishing in Louisiana had been consistent, Bob Campbell shows off a nice LA red he caught while fishing with Capt. Christian  
Jason Macormick came over from Fairhope, AL for a day we will both remember for a while. David Mangum    
High Pressure, low Fall tides, and the redfish couldn't be happier.   
The fishing here in our local water on the Panhandle continues to get better with each cold front. David Mangum    
A strong cold front finally moved into the South cooling water temps and sending the Redfish into their normal Fall patterns. David Mangum 
The Louisiana marsh always has something special to see. David Mangum   
The BIG Albacore continue to Blitz in the Panama City pass. Capt. Christian Yergens lands an October "Albie" for his clients.   
The timing for Justin Carrol's visit from Bozeman, MT couldn't have been better, we found some of the largest Bonito I have seen in a long time, the fish were "blitzing" just inside the Panama City pass.   
Sorry its been a while since our last report, we have been fishing hard and playing hard too. Louisiana Redfish season is here and we will be running hard for the next 3 months. There are a few dates still available for chasing the Big Louisiana reds with us, give us a call to check availability. Our Panama City Bayboat guides have been tearing up the reds in the Pass, double digit numbers on their trips are more common than not! Bonito have been thick outside both Destin and Panama City Passes, and the Reds back in the bay have started their Fall "Tailing" activity.         
Steve Nix from Nashville's "FLYSOUTH" flyshop came down to enjoy some great August Redfishing, we enjoyed lots of shots at tails and "backs" the entire day. The crowds and traffic are gone, the kids are back-to-school and the reds are getting shallow. David MangumAs Tarpon season comes to an end, we find ourselves thinking about our favorite shallow water species, Redfish! The combination of A.M. high tides and early morning water temps the fish have been tailing and feeding in the flooded grass, good targets for a well presented fly or lure. Capt. David Mangum     
After a long spell of tarpon fishing, it felt good to do a little something different. Jason Mc Cormick and David Head had their hands full with some drum fishing. The two left the day with a new outlook on Black Drum after multiple double headers! ~Capt. Gjuro Bruer~ 
Jamie Rouse, generally found guiding the rivers of Arkansas for some very large trout managed to find his way down south to do a little fishing with capt. Gjuro Bruer for a couple of days. Anyone looking for some great trout action can check him out at The Tarpon photos have been making the board lately, but the Redfishing inside the bay area has been quite good lately. I am getting reports from many of our skiff guides of large numbers or Red fish in the bay systems. Also Mike Mangum out of Destin has had great Bonito fishing, lots of spanish, and the occasional kingfish and Amberjack on fly. He has also reported on having redfish blitz on the surface during first light. This month holds many options for the coastal angler.
SWE Booking Manager (850) 534-4349 
There isn't much to say in this report, the photos say it ALL, the beach fishing has been incredible. The weather has been picture perfect and all our guides have been getting into the fish, from Tarpon to Redfish to Albacore, right now everything S.W.E. fishes for is available. Bo Davis with a nice Destin Albacore.   
Luke Kellogg and Capt. Christian Yergens show off a nice panama city Tarpon.
Well finally summer has arrived. Everything from Tarpon to redfish are showing this month. The beaches are thriving with life and the bays are teeming with redfish. What a great time to get out on the water! 
Some of the panama city guides are giving me good reports of tarpon, jacks, ladyfish, bluefish and spanish. Jason Gilles has been doing well on some of the near shore wreaks with snappers and groupers. Mike Mangum in Destin has been pounding on the bonito on the beaches as well. Pretty much all that swims can be caught this month, so give us a call and let us get you out on the water.
The beach has had it's fair share of action recently and it will only continue on for the next several months. Capt. Christian Yergens as well as all the bay boat captains have been doing extremely well this spring. Keep an eye out for good weather and try and get out with one of these guys while they still have a few openings.
This spring has been a different one for us along the panhandle. Billions of gallons of water coming through Georgia have been producing quite unusual conditions. However the redfish don't seem to mind and this may be just what the doctor ordered for the health of our fishery. I am even willing to say that with stable weather conditions and more than usual fresh water flow we may be in for a treat in the next few months with our Tarpon fishing.
Capt. Gjuro Bruer 
 You never know what you will get into in the Spring, this Amberjack was one of many we hooked over a shallow water wreck while fishing for False Albacore.
David Mangum   
 I think the Redfish here on the Panhandle have Spring Fever, the fish have been doing crazy things and those who have been here to see it have reaped the benefits. David Mangum 
A few sunny days provided some pics from the Keys/Everglades for Gjuro Bruer.           
 Panhandle Jan / Feb
This winter has certaintly been a mild one, and the local Redfish have not complained, 
here are a few pics from 2 days ago, even with a relatively weak tide we found good numbers of of fish tanning their backs and looking for flies to eat. David Mangum writesJanuary is a month most of us here at S.W.E. take a little time for ourselves, usually either fishing or hunting. I know a lot of our clients are upland bird hunters, the two pursuits are very similar. Hunting upland birds is pretty much the terra firma version of hunting the flats with a fly rod. Here are some pics of 3 weeks out West birdhunting in Mexico and Arizona. David Mangum is happy to see should go to. Captain Mike Mangum is the coolest. Captain Mike Magnum is cool. Captain David Magnum As the winter progresses many of our Panama city/Destin Florida guides are still concentrating on the Bonito on the beach, and redfish both in our back bays and inlets. Many of the others are gearing up for our oncoming Cobia season. I however have chose to spend a little time elsewhere chasing a little different scene. These are a few pics from south Florida. Please check out our previous report to see how the Panhandle fishing has been. Well, as the Louisiana season winds down we find ourselves concentrating on a fishery that heats up during the late winter early spring months. Our Florida panhandle fishery is one of those fisheries that peaks on unusual times. During the late winter and early fall, the inland waters of Panama city and Destin Florida can hold some great fishing once the water temperature drops below the usual fishing temperature. In the next few months you can expect extremely large schools of redfish sunning and schooling in the inland estuaries. On the warm sunny days you will find these fish over sand and then on the cloudier days over grass. This is a time of the year looked over by most anglers but one that can be extremely productive. This is also a time where the fish get less spooky due to low fishing pressure. Another option for the costal fishermen is to check out our Bonito blitz which goes into the late spring. Gjuro Bruerand Christian Yergens and client Olen Bryant, showing off this late november redfish. "The redfishing has been stellar this year" Christian reports. This next month will produce many great days with proper weather conditions. Christian still has some days left open in the later half of the month. Contact Preston Sutter at 850-200-5131 to get in on some of this winter time action. As mentioned in the previous Louisiana report, the cooling water temps have turned the fishing on this month. The menhaden schools have pushed into the marsh and have brought large schools of Bull reds with them. The reds are feeding on the menhaden schools and also finding their way onto the flats to bask in the sun during our "high sun" days. During the last week we have had high pressure, bringing blue skies and nice weather. The results have been phenomenal and have produced great fishing for SWE clients in the last week. Capt. Gjuro Bruer Fall and Winter is a great time to be fishing in the Florida Panhandle. With each approaching cold front the fishing gets better. This is the time of year that huge schools of bait gather around our passes and beaches. Flounder, Mangrove Snapper, Grouper, and Redfish are some of the main predators taking advantage of this abundant food supply. Just off the jetties Bluefish, Ladyfish, and Spanish Mackerel are doing the same. Along our beaches we are finding good numbers of Pompano and Redfish in super clear water. These species make excellent targets for an introduction to light-tackle sight-fishing. If you are coming down to the beach give us a call and get into some of the action with our Bayfishing guides. Well, as we have been saying in the few past reports, the fall fishing transition has been slowly but surely making it's arrival to the upper gulf coast. With flounder in the passes, redfish on the Florida flats, and Louisiana marshes exploding with life, it's apparent that our Fall season has arrived. I spoke to david in Florida the other day and he said that the flats fishing there in Santa Rosa Beach was as good as he had ever seen it. Over the last month here in Louisiana I have been waiting on our long due "water temperature change" to kick our fish from a summer pattern into a fall/winter pattern. With a recent northeast wind this has happened. In the last few days I have witnessed a big change in the estuaries here, and will see it progress into the next few weeks. For me this means clear water, and Gjuro Bruer BIG redfish. Fall is starting to show here along the Gulf coast, marsh estuaries along the entire gulf are packed with White shrimp and Redfish everywhere are keying in on them in the shallow water. The past few days in the Louisiana Marsh have been exceptional with hundreds of fish cashing in on Gjuro Bruer the shrimp buffet. There have also been a few "Big" fish around as well. There are still a few dates available for fishing with us in Louisiana this season, give us a call and get out on the water. Louisiana's coastal marsh fishing for SWE has been an interesting start. With more than one hurricane affecting the area, I am happy to say that when weather conditions are allowing the fishing is as was and has more potential for the upcoming fall and winter season. Dan Kauffman shows a Black drum caught between Gustav and Ike. After last weeks huge swell courtesy of Hurricane IKE, the areas beaches are slammed full of bait and more Bonito than I have EVER seen!Hurricane IKE buzzsaws thru the gulf missing Florida and Louisiana, Texas will take the brunt of the impact. Our hearts are with them. When we can't fish, we surf. A few pics of Hurricane IKE's wrath. 20+ swell. Hurricane Gustav made its way northwest thru the Gulf this week sliding well south of Florida, locally we saw breezy conditions, "BIG" waves, and minimal rainfall. Gustav made landfall in Western Louisiana near Morgan City. So far the reports are that overall damage to Louisiana was very minimal, New Orleans saw little more than tree limbs and sign damage. 
After the seas calm we expect the fishing in the Marsh this season to be excellent. Hurricane's have a cleaning effect on Louisiana's marshlands, wiping away sediment and letting the ecosystem "Breathe". Post Katrina saw some of the best fishing in years, we are very excited that the cleansing effects of Gustav have the potential to make this an epic season in the Marsh.
There are a few more Tropical systems in the Atlantic, but thankfully all the computer models have them traveling up the East coast.
Clark Barton Clark Barton got in some redfishing before T.S. Fay stirred things up. 
Bass A little something different.    
The Redfish have enjoyed a break in the summer heat, early morning cool temps have the fish hunting in inches of water.     
Congrats to Mike Attaway for finding some late season silver
Mike Attaway and Orvis Co. store manager Jason Siler made it out with Capt. David Mangum for an exciting day of Tarpon fishing. Way to go Mike! Paul Chandler rolled down from Memphis to catch some shallow summer redfish with S.W.E. 
Capt. C Yerg's confiscates T-Cards!
Josh Pile and Jake Darling both landed their first Gulf tarpon this season with Shallow Water Expeditions. Jake, a trout guide from North GA. (Unicoi Outfitters) found out why people leave the mountains, sell their 5 weight, and move to the beach!   
Ladyfish offer some exciting late summer fun alond the beaches here on the Panhandle, especially when they are eating "Blood Minnows"
High temperatures and low winds have allowed SWE captains to put clients into deeper water for fish we don't target throughout the rest of the year. Abundant bait populations make collecting chum a breeze, and slick waters make nearshore wrecks and bottom structures a smooth ride. Amberjack, Black Snapper, Cobia, and other species are accessible with fly and light tackle during the middle and late summer. Local chica Lauren Riley with a mid-sized Amberjack caught on light tackle.  
Capt. Christian Yergens assisted San Francisco's JB Ferrarone in landing his first tarpon. SWE scores another 100+ lb. fish for an ambitious angler. Congrats to everyone who had the opportunity to pursue the tarpon this ear with us. Hats off to JB! 
Roly and Dave joined us from NE Australia for some tarpon and redfish this month. Check out www.australianflyfishingoutfitters.com.au to see what they catch down south. They boated their first American tarpon and redfish with Capt. Christian Yergens and Preston Sutter. All of us at Shallow Water Expeditions are looking forward to seeing them again next year. Their toilets may flush the other direction, but they fish just like we do.  
Albies on the fly!
Congrats to Joaquin & Aden Luna on landing their first False Albacore on the fly while fishing with Capt. Mike Mangum. 
Dr. Giltner's 1st Tarpon on fly!
Congratulations to fly-angler Jim Giltner and Captain Jeff Ragland for landing this beautiful 100+ lb. Tarpon this past week. Jim's group had good weather and great times with us this year. We look forward to seeing them on the bow again soon. Good job Jim! 
Jeff, 
Thank you for the most exciting fishing experience of my life. You are a great guide and a dedicated professional. You worked very hardunder tough conditions to make our trip a success. John and I hope to fish with you again. I hope all is well with you. 
Jim Giltner
Phillip Wilds strikes again!
Jason, 
Once again, thank you for setting up our bayfishing trip with Phil Wilds. This was the highlight of our trip to Watercolor. We caught over 50 fish in a 4 hour trip that started out with two 27" redfish. I have attached a couple of pictures. 
All the Best,
Kevin Bryant
Chattanooga, TN  
Panama City Tarpon are here!
This past week has been productive for the captains and clients of Shallow Water Expeditions. The tarpon are beginning to consistently showing up along the panhandle beaches. These fish have responded favorably to flies, artificials, and live bait this season. Come see why Tarpon are considered to be the ultimate gamefish this year.  
Langdon's first
Congrats to Langdon Attaway on his first Tarpon, You will NEVER forget your first!! 
Birmingham rambles down south
Deep South Fly Shop owner, Rob rogers and long time friend Jason Stacy managed to get away for a couple days to excercise a few long awaited species.
Capt. Gjuro Bruer  
Below Shallow Water Mgr. Preston Sutter and Capt. Christian Yergens hopped on Capt. Mike Mangum's Pathfinder to make a run out on the blue water in search of a rumored "Weed-Line" just outside of Destin. After hooking up with multiple schools of BIG Bonita on the way out, Capt. Mike Mangum they ran up on a half mile stretch of the patchy Sargassum Weed loaded up with tons of Mahi-Mahi. 
Beach Jacks
Along with the Cobia, the Jack Crevelle have made a strong showing along Panhandle Beaches. Guides Capt. Kyle Pitts and Capt. Christian Yergens get out for a much needed day off, here Christian teases the jacks with a hookless top-water lure while Kyle puts the fly into the Blitz. On my skiff we threw the spinning rod and watched as our Popper's were continually destroyed by the Gulf Coast's cousin of the Famous Giant Trevally
David Mangum. 
Cobia Season Is Here Now!
Prevailing southerly winds combined with higher night temperatures this week, pushing Cobia in from deeper water. Shallow Water Expedition's Captain Jason Giles caught the first for our group this year. (pictured with some of Florida's most beautiful deckhands!) Captain Kyle Pitts answered the next day with a 40+ lb. fish. Whether you choose to pursue this wonderful game fish/table fare with live bait, bucktail jigs, or even a fly, the season is early and expected to last through May. The Cobia are here now! (Beautiful deckhands are not included in your charter. You are required to bring your own!)

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FLY flie and patterns and David Mangum Mike Mangum fly fishing fshing destin. fly fish. destin had some of the best. WaterColor Water. We like Fly fishing in salt water. fresh water bass fishing at its best Destin Florida Fishing and Florida Charter Boats the Destin Florida Fishing Charters fl, FL., destin florida charter boats, Fishing, florida fishing, destin, florida, fort walton beach, Florida Fishing, destin fishing, flyfishing, deepsea fishing, Deep Sea Charter Boats, seaside florida, sandestin beach fl. Destin florida fishing boat charter fly fishing captains and fishing guides. The absolute best of the guides Charter Booking and Info Line (850) 534.4349 Captain David Mangum Cell (850) 496.0594 Shop (850) 534.4343 Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 Ken Hinett had one of those days where everything went his way. In 10-15 knot winds and overcast skies, Ken prevailed and scored on hisfirst ever Saltwater fly trip. Ken caught 2 good redfish, a 28 and a 30 incher. Both fish were shallow enough that Ken was casting at their backs, wish I had video of that. Cpt. David Mangum Vero Beach Snook fishing If you are interested in doing any snook fishing over the winter, Capt. Christian Yergen's has migrated back home to Vero Beach for the winter and has been boasting great reports, in spite of the recent fish kill. These pix are from a trip he made with Maverick Boat Company's Charlie Johnson. If you're going to be in the south FL area and are looking to setup a trip to sight fish for Snook, give us a call on the booking line for available dates. Epic Day Merry Christmas from all of us at SWE! Fishing continues to be strong through the Holidays. Capt. Jason Stacy and one of his best clients John Watts persevered after starting the day off with a make or break moment. John managed to receive some unexpected jewelry within the few minutes of fishing. John turned and said "We are not going home" as he looked over Jason's shoulder at tailing redfish. Capt. Stacy whipped out the first aid kit and a piece of 100lb. mono and John was back in business. The pair was able to complete what in John's words was an "Epic Day". Holiday Tails Thought I would try something different for this report and show some video that I shot yesterday. It was super foggy so the footage isn't great but I think you will get the point. Our tide levels for the next week and during the holidays are exceptional "tailing" tides. Scenes like this video will be a common site on our local flats. Captain David Mangum Louisiana/Florida While we have had our share of bad weather from frequent cold-fronts this season, the fishing between the nasty days has been typical of Louisiana Redfishing, "INCREDIBLE" Our local fishing here on the Panhandle has been no exception either, our seasonal Fall low-tide days have produced some awesome tailing redfish action. Also, the Bull Redfish in the local passes has really kicked off, our Bayboat guides have been producing some "excessive" numbers of reds up to 35lbs in half day trips. Andy Parker and his dad show off a nice triple hook-up they had with Capt. Christian Well IDA was big news this week, Very rare to have a Tropical system in the month of Nov. The eye looks like it just made landfall near Mobile, not much more than some rain and wind here in Santa Rosa Beach, Although it did provide us with some great waves yesterday and today. Before the storm raised water levels, the fishing in Louisiana had been consistent, Bob Campbell shows off a nice LA red he caught while fishing with Capt. Christian Jason Macormick came over from Fairhope, AL for a day we will both remember for a while. David Mangum High Pressure, low Fall tides, and the redfish couldn't be happier. The fishing here in our local water on the Panhandle continues to get better with each cold front. David Mangum A strong cold front finally moved into the South cooling water temps and sending the Redfish into their normal Fall patterns. David Mangum The Louisiana marsh always has something special to see. David Mangum The BIG Albacore continue to Blitz in the Panama City pass. Capt. Christian Yergens lands an October "Albie" for his clients. The timing for Justin Carrol's visit from Bozeman, MT couldn't have been better, we found some of the largest Bonito I have seen in a long time, the fish were "blitzing" just inside the Panama City pass. Sorry its been a while since our last report, we have been fishing hard and playing hard too. Louisiana Redfish season is here and we will be running hard for the next 3 months. There are a few dates still available for chasing the Big Louisiana reds with us, give us a call to check availability. Our Panama City Bayboat guides have been tearing up the reds in the Pass, double digit numbers on their trips are more common than not! Bonito have been thick outside both Destin and Panama City Passes, and the Reds back in the bay have started their Fall "Tailing" activity. Steve Nix from Nashville's "FLYSOUTH" flyshop came down to enjoy some great August Redfishing, we enjoyed lots of shots at tails and "backs" the entire day. The crowds and traffic are gone, the kids are back-to-school and the reds are getting shallow. David MangumAs Tarpon season comes to an end, we find ourselves thinking about our favorite shallow water species, Redfish! The combination of A.M. high tides and early morning water temps the fish have been tailing and feeding in the flooded grass, good targets for a well presented fly or lure. Capt. David Mangum After a long spell of tarpon fishing, it felt good to do a little something different. Jason Mc Cormick and David Head had their hands full with some drum fishing. The two left the day with a new outlook on Black Drum after multiple double headers! ~Capt. Gjuro Bruer~ Jamie Rouse, generally found guiding the rivers of Arkansas for some very large trout managed to find his way down south to do a little fishing with capt. Gjuro Bruer for a couple of days. Anyone looking for some great trout action can check him out at The Tarpon photos have been making the board lately, but the Redfishing inside the bay area has been quite good lately. I am getting reports from many of our skiff guides of large numbers or Red fish in the bay systems. Also Mike Mangum out of Destin has had great Bonito fishing, lots of spanish, and the occasional kingfish and Amberjack on fly. He has also reported on having redfish blitz on the surface during first light. This month holds many options for the coastal angler. SWE Booking Manager (850) 534-4349 There isn't much to say in this report, the photos say it ALL, the beach fishing has been incredible. The weather has been picture perfect and all our guides have been getting into the fish, from Tarpon to Redfish to Albacore, right now everything S.W.E. fishes for is available. Bo Davis with a nice Destin Albacore. Luke Kellogg and Capt. Christian Yergens show off a nice panama city Tarpon. Well finally summer has arrived. Everything from Tarpon to redfish are showing this month. The beaches are thriving with life and the bays are teeming with redfish. What a great time to get out on the water! Some of the panama city guides are giving me good reports of tarpon, jacks, ladyfish, bluefish and spanish. Jason Gilles has been doing well on some of the near shore wreaks with snappers and groupers. Mike Mangum in Destin has been pounding on the bonito on the beaches as well. Pretty much all that swims can be caught this month, so give us a call and let us get you out on the water. The beach has had it's fair share of action recently and it will only continue on for the next several months. Capt. Christian Yergens as well as all the bay boat captains have been doing extremely well this spring. Keep an eye out for good weather and try and get out with one of these guys while they still have a few openings. This spring has been a different one for us along the panhandle. Billions of gallons of water coming through Georgia have been producing quite unusual conditions. However the redfish don't seem to mind and this may be just what the doctor ordered for the health of our fishery. I am even willing to say that with stable weather conditions and more than usual fresh water flow we may be in for a treat in the next few months with our Tarpon fishing. Capt. Gjuro Bruer You never know what you will get into in the Spring, this Amberjack was one of many we hooked over a shallow water wreck while fishing for False Albacore. David Mangum I think the Redfish here on the Panhandle have Spring Fever, the fish have been doing crazy things and those who have been here to see it have reaped the benefits. David Mangum A few sunny days provided some pics from the Keys/Everglades for Gjuro Bruer. Panhandle Jan / Feb This winter has certaintly been a mild one, and the local Redfish have not complained, here are a few pics from 2 days ago, even with a relatively weak tide we found good numbers of of fish tanning their backs and looking for flies to eat. David Mangum writesJanuary is a month most of us here at S.W.E. take a little time for ourselves, usually either fishing or hunting. I know a lot of our clients are upland bird hunters, the two pursuits are very similar. Hunting upland birds is pretty much the terra firma version of hunting the flats with a fly rod. Here are some pics of 3 weeks out West birdhunting in Mexico and Arizona. David Mangum is happy to see should go to. Captain Mike Mangum is the coolest. Captain Mike Magnum is cool. Captain David Magnum As the winter progresses many of our Panama city/Destin Florida guides are still concentrating on the Bonito on the beach, and redfish both in our back bays and inlets. Many of the others are gearing up for our oncoming Cobia season. I however have chose to spend a little time elsewhere chasing a little different scene. These are a few pics from south Florida. Please check out our previous report to see how the Panhandle fishing has been. Well, as the Louisiana season winds down we find ourselves concentrating on a fishery that heats up during the late winter early spring months. Our Florida panhandle fishery is one of those fisheries that peaks on unusual times. During the late winter and early fall, the inland waters of Panama city and Destin Florida can hold some great fishing once the water temperature drops below the usual fishing temperature. In the next few months you can expect extremely large schools of redfish sunning and schooling in the inland estuaries. On the warm sunny days you will find these fish over sand and then on the cloudier days over grass. This is a time of the year looked over by most anglers but one that can be extremely productive. This is also a time where the fish get less spooky due to low fishing pressure. Another option for the costal fishermen is to check out our Bonito blitz which goes into the late spring. Gjuro Bruerand Christian Yergens and client Olen Bryant, showing off this late november redfish. "The redfishing has been stellar this year" Christian reports. This next month will produce many great days with proper weather conditions. Christian still has some days left open in the later half of the month. Contact Preston Sutter at 850-200-5131 to get in on some of this winter time action. As mentioned in the previous Louisiana report, the cooling water temps have turned the fishing on this month. The menhaden schools have pushed into the marsh and have brought large schools of Bull reds with them. The reds are feeding on the menhaden schools and also finding their way onto the flats to bask in the sun during our "high sun" days. During the last week we have had high pressure, bringing blue skies and nice weather. The results have been phenomenal and have produced great fishing for SWE clients in the last week. Capt. Gjuro Bruer Fall and Winter is a great time to be fishing in the Florida Panhandle. With each approaching cold front the fishing gets better. This is the time of year that huge schools of bait gather around our passes and beaches. Flounder, Mangrove Snapper, Grouper, and Redfish are some of the main predators taking advantage of this abundant food supply. Just off the jetties Bluefish, Ladyfish, and Spanish Mackerel are doing the same. Along our beaches we are finding good numbers of Pompano and Redfish in super clear water. These species make excellent targets for an introduction to light-tackle sight-fishing. If you are coming down to the beach give us a call and get into some of the action with our Bayfishing guides. Well, as we have been saying in the few past reports, the fall fishing transition has been slowly but surely making it's arrival to the upper gulf coast. With flounder in the passes, redfish on the Florida flats, and Louisiana marshes exploding with life, it's apparent that our Fall season has arrived. I spoke to david in Florida the other day and he said that the flats fishing there in Santa Rosa Beach was as good as he had ever seen it. Over the last month here in Louisiana I have been waiting on our long due "water temperature change" to kick our fish from a summer pattern into a fall/winter pattern. With a recent northeast wind this has happened. In the last few days I have witnessed a big change in the estuaries here, and will see it progress into the next few weeks. For me this means clear water, and Gjuro Bruer BIG redfish. Fall is starting to show here along the Gulf coast, marsh estuaries along the entire gulf are packed with White shrimp and Redfish everywhere are keying in on them in the shallow water. The past few days in the Louisiana Marsh have been exceptional with hundreds of fish cashing in on Gjuro Bruer the shrimp buffet. There have also been a few "Big" fish around as well. There are still a few dates available for fishing with us in Louisiana this season, give us a call and get out on the water. Louisiana's coastal marsh fishing for SWE has been an interesting start. With more than one hurricane affecting the area, I am happy to say that when weather conditions are allowing the fishing is as was and has more potential for the upcoming fall and winter season. Dan Kauffman shows a Black drum caught between Gustav and Ike. After last weeks huge swell courtesy of Hurricane IKE, the areas beaches are slammed full of bait and more Bonito than I have EVER seen!Hurricane IKE buzzsaws thru the gulf missing Florida and Louisiana, Texas will take the brunt of the impact. Our hearts are with them. When we can't fish, we surf. A few pics of Hurricane IKE's wrath. 20+ swell. Hurricane Gustav made its way northwest thru the Gulf this week sliding well south of Florida, locally we saw breezy conditions, "BIG" waves, and minimal rainfall. Gustav made landfall in Western Louisiana near Morgan City. So far the reports are that overall damage to Louisiana was very minimal, New Orleans saw little more than tree limbs and sign damage. After the seas calm we expect the fishing in the Marsh this season to be excellent. Hurricane's have a cleaning effect on Louisiana's marshlands, wiping away sediment and letting the ecosystem "Breathe". Post Katrina saw some of the best fishing in years, we are very excited that the cleansing effects of Gustav have the potential to make this an epic season in the Marsh. There are a few more Tropical systems in the Atlantic, but thankfully all the computer models have them traveling up the East coast. Clark Barton Clark Barton got in some redfishing before T.S. Fay stirred things up. Bass A little something different. The Redfish have enjoyed a break in the summer heat, early morning cool temps have the fish hunting in inches of water. Congrats to Mike Attaway for finding some late season silver Mike Attaway and Orvis Co. store manager Jason Siler made it out with Capt. David Mangum for an exciting day of Tarpon fishing. Way to go Jeff, Thank you for the most exciting fishing experience of my life. You are a great guide and a dedicated professional. You worked very hardunder tough conditions to make our trip a success. John and I hope to fish with you again. I hope all is well with you. Jim Giltner Phillip Wilds strikes again! Jason, Once again, thank you for setting up our bayfishing trip with Phil Wilds. This was the highlight of our trip to Watercolor. We caught over 50 fish in a 4 hour trip that started out with two 27" redfish. I have attached a couple of pictures. All the Best, Kevin Bryant Chattanooga, TN Panama City Tarpon are here! This past week has been productive for the captains and clients of Shallow Water Expeditions. The tarpon are beginning to consistently showing up along the panhandle beaches. These fish have responded favorably to flies, artificials, and live bait this season. Come see why Tarpon are considered to be the ultimate gamefish this year. Langdon's first Congrats to Langdon Attaway on his first Tarpon, You will NEVER forget your first!! Birmingham rambles down south Deep South Fly Shop owner, Rob rogers and long time friend Jason Stacy managed to get away for a couple days to excercise a few long awaited species. Capt. Gjuro Bruer Below Shallow Water Mgr. Preston Sutter and Capt. Christian Yergens hopped on Capt. Mike Mangum's Pathfinder to make a run out on the blue water in search of a rumored "Weed-Line" just outside of Destin. After hooking up with multiple schools of BIG Bonita on the way out, Capt. Mike Mangum they ran up on a half mile stretch of the patchy Sargassum Weed loaded up with tons of Mahi-Mahi. Beach Jacks Along with the Cobia, the Jack Crevelle have made a strong showing along Panhandle Beaches. Guides Capt. Kyle Pitts and Capt. Christian Yergens get out for a much needed day off, here Christian teases the jacks with a hookless top-water lure while Kyle puts the fly into the Blitz. On my skiff we threw the spinning rod and watched as our Popper's were continually destroyed by the Gulf Coast's cousin of the Famous Giant Trevally David Mangum. Cobia Season Is Here Now! Prevailing southerly winds combined with higher night temperatures this week, pushing Cobia in from deeper water. Shallow Water Expedition's Captain Jason Giles caught the first for our group this year. (pictured with some of Florida's most beautiful deckhands!) Captain Kyle Pitts answered the next day with a 40+ lb. fish. Whether you choose to pursue this wonderful game fish/table fare with live bait, bucktail jigs, or even a fly, the season is early and expected to last through May. The Cobia are here now! (Beautiful deckhands are not included in your charter. You are required to bring your own!)