Night Tarpon, Summer Pompano, Inshore Trout, Mahi, And Swordfish

In this week's Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya covers a mixed early-summer pattern from Pensacola to Panama City, with heavy rain, stained bay water, sargassum, June grass, strong surf shark action, a rare nighttime tarpon catch, steady summer pompano, stained-water trout tactics, offshore mahi around grass, swordfish timing, and boat-running issues caused by floating grass. This episode features Blake Hunter with Reel 30A, Brandon Barton with Emerald Waters Kayak Charters, and Capt. Adam Peeples with One Shot Charters. Blake Hunter breaks down the 30A surf report, where nighttime fishing has produced strong shark action and a standout tarpon catch from the beach after dark. He explains how blacktips, sandbar sharks, bull sharks, and bigger fish are feeding around the evening-to-night transition, why stingray has been a top shark bait, and how heavier tackle, shock leaders, and second-sandbar setups come into play. Blake also covers the current surf conditions, including dune lake outflows, sargassum, June grass, and a surprisingly good summer pompano bite, with sand fleas and Fishbites both producing fish when anglers can find clean, fishable water. Brandon Barton gives the Pensacola inshore kayak report, where heavy rain has left the bays dirty and stained, making trout and redfish fishing more condition-dependent. He explains why anglers should switch from natural presentations to louder, higher-contrast lures in stained water, including topwaters, wake baits, brighter soft plastics, and possibly popping corks. Brandon also talks about finding trout around mullet schools near docks, why a white bone Southern Salt Apex topwater matched the bait well, and how he rigs for long casts with 20-pound braid, 20-pound fluorocarbon leader, and longer leaders tied with an FG knot. Capt. Adam Peeples gives the Destin offshore report, where fishing has been productive when boats can work around rough weather and heavy sargassum. He explains how scattered grass has made trolling difficult, but mahi can still be caught by finding larger patches, birds, or floating structure and using cut bait, squid, Ballyhoo, live bait, or even small jigs to draw fish to the boat. Adam also covers the current swordfish pattern, with fish keying heavily on major feeding periods, especially around the full and new moon, and warns boaters to watch for grass clogging motors, raw-water intakes, strainers, and debris hidden inside the floating sargassum. Sponsors: Pike Consulting EMS Endeck PVC Decking Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Admiral Shellfish Sea Tow Coastal Connection EXP Realty - Abaco Orange Beach AFTCO SlipSki Solutions Black Buffalo Hilton's Realtime Navigator Deep South Cranes Pure Flats - Slick Lures