BlueWater Outriggers Fishing Report 10-9-2025
Well folks it’s been a relatively quiet week here in Port St. Joe; there seems to be no news, good or bad, in our little town and that’s just the way we like it. I was able to catch up on some yardwork I put off for a good fishing day last week and even took the boy in for his four-year-old immunizations. It’s funny how a preschooler always wants more of just about everything; more candy, more French fries, more time before bed. This is not the case, however, when it comes to getting shots at the doctor’s office. After they hit him with the first one, he acted as if he’d just been drawn and quartered. Then I got to tell him, “There’s more!” You can imagine how that went. But we’re all good now, “This too, shall pass,” as my dad always seemed to say. Speaking of quiet, things are starting to calm down a bit at the Bluewater Outriggers as well. Other than what I like to refer to as, “The Spooling Station Incident,” there hasn’t been too much going on. Chris Bell, the manager, has been having us pull a bunch of gear from the shelves to put into our big hunting and camping sale coming up. With more time on our hands, don’t be surprised if you walk in and see a few of us employees holding a broom or a dust mop. You won’t ever see Jake holding any of those things, but you may see me holding one. I don’t mind the down time though; it gives me a chance to really give some one-on-one time with the customers that come in looking for advice on tackle, rigging or cast net throwing techniques. Most all of us at Bluewater Outriggers are more than happy to help with any of these inquiries, so please don’t hesitate to ask.
I don’t have any news when it comes to offshore fishing this last week. It was too rough for most to get out there. According to NOAA, the weather is going to have everyone pinned up at least until Monday. Jake is fuming about this because it means he won’t be able to get out there and try for any Wahoo this weekend (not that he’d catch any if he could). Like my dad used to say, Jake, “this too shall pass.”
While things have been rough offshore, the bay has remained very fishable and productive. Captain Chris Lantz (above left) has been putting his clients (above right) on some nice slot Reds to fill the box with. If you ever want to have a banner day, you should look him up. His company is called Gettin’ Reel Sportfishing.
I fished the intracoastal on Tuesday evening and everything was set for me to have a ball. Right out of the gate, using an artificial, I got a flounder, followed by a redfish, then a bluefish all within five minutes. My boy, however, was not having it because the water was too deep for him to come out. His whining quickly turned to angry hollering when I gave him the ol' "just one more cast" routine. He was disturbing the peace of others, so I had to leave, but not before I got the satisfaction of having another fisherman ask me what I was using (Don’t you just love that?). On Wednesday I stepped out of the “norm” and drove to the first public access site on Mexico Beach. The water was beautiful, and I just waded around waist deep throwing a 1/4oz paddle tail. I hung one flounder after another, but all were about a 1⁄2" shy of being keepers. Flounder season will close October 16, so you need to get out there and see if you can find a big one.
I, as well as everyone else at Bluewater Outriggers, wish you a safe and quiet week. You’ve got 7 days left to find that big doormat; I hope to see you out there!
-Jeremiah Beasley