BlueWater Outriggers Fishing Report 3-21-2026
Boy oh boy, business is booming at the Bluewater Outriggers! Families are showing up in droves as spring break is still in full swing for many areas. We’ve got rods flying off the shelf and live shrimp flying out of the tanks as beach-bound breakers try their luck at getting fresh seafood direct from the source. I gotta say folks, I love my job here at Bluewater Outriggers. Sure, there’s the normal feelings of repetitiveness, inner office politics, and co-worker drama you have to deal with, but that comes with any job. What makes working here so great is having the opportunity to meet the fine folks that come in to do business with us. I spent Wednesday fishing with my friend Travis, from Georgia; I met him while working at Bluewater. Just last night, my friend Gary from Arkansas invited my boy Rory and me to fish with him and his wife. They even threw in a golf cart ride that made my four-year-old grin ear to ear. I met them working here as well and now consider them my friends. It’s such an honor to work at a place where you can meet so many wonderful people that share your same passions.
Speaking of wonderful people, let me tell you about David Pfeifer. By chance, I had the privilege of meeting this gentleman when he came in to buy some live shrimp. He wanted my thoughts on where he should go to catch fish with his family. As an English Literature major, I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but I swear you’ve never met a nicer, family-oriented guy in your life. After some back and forth discussing wind and water conditions, David decided to run up the intracoastal waterway almost to the split. He reported back to me that using live shrimp he and his family caught a mess of catfish, speckled trout and 5 redfish. One of the kiddos can be seen with his catch (above left). Following his lead, my buddy Travis and I fished the intracoastal around the split and around Overstreet. We had a mixed bag as well, landing black drum, red fish, a largemouth bass and a big gar.
The weather finally cooperated enough to let anglers head offshore last week. Many were successful at bagging nice black snapper and slab sheepshead from the nearshore reefs. One customer had a wahoo defeat him and steal a high dollar trolling lure. Our own, Captain Jake Harpe, was the victor when a big wahoo took a swing at him and he landed the fish! After trolling most of the day, he still had time to do a quick drop to the bottom and land a massive 31” red grouper! Both fish can be seen (above center).
Beachgoers fishing in the surf have continued to bring in red fish as well as a few pompano. I was pleased to see a few schools of minnows as I walked the beach with my boy the other night. I tossed a fresh shrimp out in hopes of a red, but a two-foot shark found the bait and sliced through my 12lb leader after a short fight. Speaking of sharks, Mr. Alex Gamarra came into the store and had me twist him up a shark rig. He set a line way out after dark and managed to pull in a nice six-footer off Mexico Beach (seen above right).
Things really seem to be going on all around us. If you wade out in the water, you’ll notice things are still a bit chilly with a current temperature of 64 degrees. As the weather heats up, fishing is only going to get better. So, get out there and make it happen my friends; and please stop in to see me at Bluewater Outriggers because you’re the reason I love what I do.
-Jeremiah Beasley