Bluewater Outriggers Fishing Report 7-24-2026
Well, my friends, here we are on the eve of yet another MBARA Kingfish tournament. There's an excitement in the air at Bluewater Outriggers as folks from all over come in, adorned in their tournament T-shirts from past eras, eagerly awaiting for us to re-spool their reels with lighter line and point them in the direction of duster rigs, stinger hooks and perhaps a box of cigar minnows. The employees behind the counter put on their best face as each customer inevitably spills their guts on how they plan to get an edge in this year's tournament. Let me tell you, it's a little-known secret that fishermen cannot keep secrets. It's just something in our DNA that makes us bare all because for some reason, we want you to know that we know what we're doing. Let's face it; I bet some of the best numbers in your chart plotter come from someone that couldn't keep their mouth shut! Just yesterday, I listened to Captain Jake's "secret" tournament plans until my eyes glazed over. I know step by step where he'll be, what time he'll be there, the bait he's using, the rod and reel he's using, his braid size, what knot he tied, which fluoro he's using and on and on. I'm not above it all either. Just the other day as I was leaving work, I stopped to grab some of my favorite soft-plastics and jig heads and to my dismay, the pegs were empty! My favorite go-to bait was all sold out because I, like every other fisherman out there, can't keep my mouth shut.
It would seem that the redfish have had trouble keeping their mouth shut this last week as well. I lost a monster fishing the marina wall last evening but there were plenty of others with better luck than I. Michael Smith (above left) picked up a nice slot in the Mexico Beach area fishing in the surf. Captain Chris Lantz of Gettin' Reel Sportfishing put a happy young client (above center) on a very nice red fishing in the bay. Speaking with yet another captain at the boat launch, I'm optimistic for the bay's recovery. It was reported to me that they were catching numerous red fish as well as some keeper flounder. The water in the bay is really warm, but it is loaded with bait. The good fish are there; you just need to be persistent. Fish light, fish smart, and you can make it happen!
The tropical storm we had in the Gulf last week put a tight limit on accessible offshore days. In light of the upcoming tournament, most anglers that I talked to did some scouting for Kings when they were able to head offshore. The good news is that the Kings were there and not too far out. Some of the images from angler's fish finders showed me that just like the bay, the bait fish were plentiful, and the Kings were in the mix feeding on them. The aforementioned Captain Jake Harpe found some good ones that can be seen (above right). At first, he tried to be vague about where he caught them, but with just a bit of prodding the ol' boy gave a full confession because he just couldn't help himself.
On behalf of Bluewater Outriggers, I'd like to wish everyone a successful and safe tournament this year. I look forward to bringing you the results in next week's fishing report. Good luck to all you anglers, and tight lines!
-Jeremiah Beasley