Pier/Surf
Under sunny skies, the water was clear and calm Tuesday morning at the Okaloosa Island Pier. In the last few days anglers have been pulling in sheepshead and flounder and an occasional pompano. Try shrimp or sandfleas for bait when trying to snag that pompano.
Inshore/Bay
The hot ticket right now is flounder on the inshore wrecks just a couple of miles outside the pass, according to Pete Wright at Ships Chandler. The best baits are Gulp shrimp, swimming mullet or even live mullet. Sheepshead are still showing up around the bridges and they like live shrimp, fiddler crab or an oyster. Redfish are all around the bay. "Look for the birds diving," says Wright. You might even want to try trolling a stretch Rapala in 12- to 20-feet of water along the beach for redfish. Trout can be found in deep water holes near the mouths of the river. Live shrimp or soft plastic grubs work well for luring in the trout.
Offshore/Bottom
A few boats are starting to book trips and bring back some nice catches of mingo, white snapper, amberine and triggerfish. Boston mackerel or squid on a small hook works best for triggerfish. Other fish coming in from the eight-hour trips are red grouper and amberjack. No offshore reports right now.