Bluewater Outriggers Fishing Report 8-28-2026
The true fishermen that read this article would know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that we're less than a week away from the Big Day! For those of you that follow this segment entirely for entertainment purposes or a good laugh from one of my daily anecdotes, let me explain.
Offshore anglers are often bound by strict rules and regulations that they must know and abide by. If you break the rules, the consequences can be quite severe and cost you a lot of money or even revocation of your fishing privileges. There's no doubt you've seen an array of many different fish species throughout these articles, but on any given day, you may or may not be allowed to keep these fish. Sometimes it's legal to keep snapper, but not grouper. Sometimes you can keep grouper, but not a snapper. In some instances, you can keep a certain species of snapper, but only if it measures a certain length. In other instances, you can keep a fish if it measures between two different lengths. On some fish, your measurement must be taken from its mouth to the tip of their tail. On other fish, the measurement is taken from their mouth to the fork of the tail. Some novice fishermen once came into Bluewater Outriggers telling us they had a chance to take a boat out. They were very excited and started to inquire about what type of fish they could keep. Employee, Daniel Coleman, was behind the reel counter and while staring at them over the top of his glasses, he said, "Y'all better take your lawyer out there with you." It was the funniest thing I'd ever heard him say, but it was true.
The Big Day is Tuesday, September 1. Red Snapper will open back up, but along with it, so will Gag Grouper and Amberjack. Triggerfish are still open as well. That means that just about everything you catch out there will be legal to keep if they meet the required measurements. You can imagine how tempting this is to anglers wishing to bring home a box full of delicious fish. Captain Jake and I are driving the store's manager insane telling him we may or may not be able to work on certain days, depending on the weather. It makes it hard to put a schedule together when you have to study the offshore forecast beforehand. I think he may be ready to give both of us the pink slip; but what did you expect choosing to manage a store full of fishing nuts?
Speaking of fishing nuts, I'd like to highlight two young men that came into Bluewater Outriggers over the weekend. Brothers, Noah and Elijah, found me working in the store and inquired about local fishing spots. Polite as they could be, they listened to me as I told them about the jetties at the local marina and how to best catch the fish that congregate there. After sending them on their way with intel, small hooks, ½ oz leads and live shrimp, I went about my business. A couple hours later, they were back and very excited because of all the fish they were catching. In fact, they came in for more live shrimp so many times over the next two days that we got to be on a first name basis. I guarantee they spent their whole vacation on that marina wall catching fish. Their enthusiasm for fishing was contagious and evoked memories of when I was that age, visiting this same area; you couldn't keep a rod out of my hands. Noah and Elijah caught everything from flounder, keeper mangroves, slot reds, speckled trout, black drum, and sharks. Their pictures are the ones seen above. Congratulations gentlemen! I hope your time spent here will be a good lasting memory that follows you your whole life.
Folks, remember to keep Bluewater Outriggers in mind as you prepare for The Big Day. If the weather is good and the waves are two feet or smaller, Jake and I may not be there to help you, but there will be others that can assist you with anything you need. We've got the best rods and reels, the necessary terminal tackle, fluorocarbon leader and more bait than you can shake a stick at. Whatever you need, we've got you covered. To all you anglers heading out there, I hope it's a banner day!
-Jeremiah Beasley