fort pickens Fishing Report 2025

Hello and Happy New Year,

The Apollo has recently returned from Mag Bay. We spent the month of December down there doing 5.5 to 7.5 day fly down fly back trips. The cow fishing was tough however we managed some very solid trophies for our efforts. For the 3 trips we did, we caught 8 fish over 200# the smallest went 219# and the biggest went 268#. There was steady action on 20 to 50# tuna most of the time and very good wahoo and dorado fishing to be had.

We are now setting up our schedule for 2013 and have our calendar of available dates on line at apollocharters.com, go to the calendar page and click or scroll the month you want to see. We will be starting the season in Santa Barbara beginning in April and will stay in Santa Barbara thru most of June hoping for a spring sea bass and halibut run this year. There are many prime charter dates available right now so give me a call now if you are interested in setting up a fishing trip for this season.

Lets make it a great year.

Thanks, JJ

Mike Pritchard called in with this report for the Tribute. "So far we are off to a great start this morning. The kelp fishing is very good and we are getting some jig strikes to go with it. We have limits of Yellowtail for our morning, just over 20 Yellowfin tuna and about a half dozen Dorado. The Yellowfin are school sized with some larger fish being caught.

"We'll keep you posted as the day goes on. We do have room available on tomorrow nights 1.5 Day trip. If you are interested, call Seaforth Sportfishing at 619-224-3383."

“Sea Dog” Dave McAdams holding a nice yellowfin. His charter group landed 163 yellowfin 1 bluefin 2 skipjack.

Here are a few photos from their recent trip. You can find more on our Facebook Page.

The season's fourth 300-pound tuna arrived November 29 aboard Polaris Supreme with owner-skipper Tom Rothery at the helm as the 90-footer docked at Fisherman's Landing. The trip was 13 days for the boat and ten for the anglers who flew home from Cabo, and was sponsored by Rothery's partner Tom Pfleger, who heads PIER (Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research). A small group of 14 anglers including Pfleger was aboard.

Nov. 15

                Not much to report from us today.  It was a pretty uneventful day.  We traveled all morning until after lunch when we arrived to the Islands, and we never saw a yellowtail.  It was dead as can be at this place.  We took the tour, well as much as we could in a few hours, and ended up back here in the lee.  We were and still are catching calico bass and things.  We did hook something big, a yellow or a big halibut or even a seabass, but we'll never know because the hook straightened out right before we could see it and the fish got away.  And that's it.  We're going to try and keep our anchor hung right here and see what kind of conditions we have here in the morning for our last day of fishing.  As soon as the wind backs off enough for a tolerable ride offshore Tuesday morning, we'll be on our way home.

                                                                                                               

65 yellowfin tuna (15-25 lbs) 129 purple skipjack aku tuna.  The skilled bait fisherman with a 20 lb setup and #2 hook was hooked up all day today.

~~Sep. 21
 Well, as promised we left on another trip today.  This one being an LA Rod and Reel Club long range 2 day trip.  We got a nice jump on things.  We were done getting bait and leaving the harbor by 11:00 this morning which allowed us to get to the tuna grounds by 5:00 this evening which allowed us to find a school of yellowfin before dark which allowed for most of the anglers on board to catch at least one which allowed me to feel satisfied about our day today.  Catching fish on a departure day.  Those fish were free.  Tomorrows the true day.  That's when we get real nasty.  So right now we're anchored up in the cove of an island and I couldn't be happier about it.  For the last week at night this boat has been running.  We've always been traveling somewhere so it feels real nice to be on anchor with the engines off.  It's even better that we're in a protected cove.  It's like being in the bay.  I can't speak for everyone on board but I'm pretty sure I'll be sleeping with my thumb in my mouth tonight.  Until tomorrow....