Bluewater Outriggers Fishing Report 9-26-2026
Even a little bit of excitement is a big deal in a small town. There’s a bit of a thrill in the air amongst the early arriving Bluewater employees as we learned of the absence of 2 staff members this Saturday. Situations such as these keep all of us on our toes as we shuffle from station to station, printing out fishing licenses, dipping live bait, spooling reels, or checking out customers at the cash registers. I personally love days like these as the constant movement makes the time go by quickly. I believe I’ve already spooled six reels in the time it took me to write this first paragraph.
Not only is there a thrill in the air here at the office, but there’s a bit of a chill in the air this morning. Just like clockwork, with things beginning to cool down, the bite seems to be picking up everywhere.
Multiple customers have reported good days fishing under the Tapper Bridge catching a mixture of black drum, speckled trout and flounder. Just like last week, the flounder bite has remained steady. At Clifford Sims Park, there have been a good number of large croakers being caught. These little guys are not only good fried up, but they make an excellent offshore bait when butterflied, enticing the bite of larger snapper and grouper. Quite a few flounders are being caught at Clifford Sims Park as well.
Young anglers, Luke “Woody” Woodman and Brayden and Austin Green spent some time fishing inshore this last week. They wreaked havoc on flounders, croakers, mangroves, and the pompano pictured above (center). While their pose seems ever-so-serious, I know they had to have had a ball out there, and they’re smiling really big on the inside. Congratulations on the nice catch guys!
The offshore bite this last week has been phenomenal. I use the word “phenomenal” because even Ol’ Jake Harpe was able to get an impressive box, and let me tell you, for that to happen, the fish must have practically jumped in the boat when he pulled up to the spot. His icebox can be seen above (left) with a mess of red snapper, gag grouper, scamp, red grouper and porgies. I guess it’s true when they say even a blind squirrel can sometimes find a nut.
Guess who’s giving 'em hell down in Carrabelle. Folks, that looks like Ol’ Gary Dunn in the picture (above right). I’ll tell you, to know him is to love him. Ol’ Gary has been on fire the last few weeks when it comes to catching keeper red grouper and snapper on that shallow live bottom. With Gary, luck is not a variable when it comes to landing good fish. He’ll tell you from the start, we’re gonna go here, we’re gonna use this for bait, and we’re gonna come home with a limit in under four hours; and you better bet, it’ll happen just like that! I only pray that in another 2 years when I’m Gary’s age, I can catch fish like that!
Now that our water temperature is starting to fall, it’s time to get out there and make it happen. You may even want to pack a jacket for the early rides out. Inshore or off, the bite is on my friends. Whatever your pleasure, we have everything you need here at Bluewater Outriggers. Stop in and see us, then get out there and make some memories that’ll last forever.
-Jeremiah Beasley