Bluewater Outriggers Fishing Report 11-07-2026
Well, things are slowing down in our little town of Port St. Joe. Much like the maddening crowds, the high temperatures are packing their bags and leaving as well. In about a week's time, you had better have those sweatshirts and light jackets ready as our low temperatures will dip down in the 40's. Here at Bluewater Outriggers, things are not slowing down at all. In fact, employees Bruce and Shaydon are scrambling to put up all the new Daiwa gear that Jake and I purchased for the store. Their haste is not because of some deep-rooted work ethic that's been engrained in them, but rather, to avoid reproach from old man Daniel. Daniel Coleman's been working at Bluewater almost longer than anybody. You show him a picture of your best trout, and he'll show you ten pictures of bigger ones that'll show you just where you stand in the scheme of things. He's a no-nonsense, tell it like it is, if you cross him, you better pack a lunch type of guy. If he catches you slacking on the job, he'll tilt that head down, glare at you over his black horn-rimmed glasses and deal the dreaded blow saying, "Boy, you ain't worth a darn." Except, he doesn't say, "darn." A man like Daniel goes full tilt with the four-letter word that starts with "d" and ends in "mn!" And if you're the unfortunate receiver of this infamous catchphrase, trust me; you know exactly where you stand in the whole scheme of things.
Speaking of, "ain't worth a darn," St. Joseph Bay is showing an increase in red tide numbers this week. If tranquility is your thing, you should head out to the bay; I promise you'll be the only one out there. If catching fish is your thing, you'll need to go elsewhere.
Local guides are taking their clients towards Indian Pass and Apalachicola to chase trout and redfish. Others, like Cole Burkhalter and his daughters are fishing the Gulf side of Cape San Blas where the red tide seems to have subsided. Cole and his family are from Headland, Alabama. I've seen them several times in the store and they are nice as can be. They've been having a great time surf fishing off the cape and catching a variety of fish including whiting, black drum, and sharks. Their photos can be seen above left and right.
Taking center photo this week, is a shark caught by one of Bluewater's own, Brandy Winship. Her husband Scott can be seen straddling the massive shark as he was given the task of releasing it unharmed. Although he is the only one seen in the photo, Brandy made it abundantly clear that she was the one that caught this monster fish. Congratulations to both of you; what a wonderful catch!
Though our bay has taken quite a hit with this red tide, the trout won't be elusive forever. With the approach of colder weather, anglers will be able to track them down in the canal, rivers, and creeks. That time is coming. In the meantime, make sure you're prepared for wintertime trout fishing. Stop in and see us at Bluewater Outriggers. Our warm clothes are all out on display and ready for purchase. It was touch and go for a while, but Shaydon and Bruce avoided a tongue lashing from Daniel, and they have all our new Daiwa rods and reels out on the sales floor and ready to be put to good use. Good luck out there; we look forward to seeing you soon!
-Jeremiah Beasley