Flounder · Pensacola
Around Pensacola, the East Bay drains and bayou mouths fish all season, and the pass pilings load up during the run.
Around Pensacola, the East Bay drains and bayou mouths fish all season, and the pass pilings load up during the run. The seawalls and bridge rubble give shore anglers a legitimate shot on any falling tide.
Flounder stack where falling water drops bait over an edge: drains, cuts, channel edges, and the down-current side of pilings. October's run pours fish toward the Gulf, and both states protect the tail of it, so plan harvest trips for September into mid-October.
October is the classic run month as fish leave the bays for the Gulf. Florida closes flounder harvest October 15–November 30 and Alabama closes all of November, so the harvest window is September to mid-October.
Flounder grab the bait crossways and turn it before swallowing. Feel the thump, drop the rod tip, count to three, then lean in — an instant hookset pulls the bait away.
Conditions decide more than tackle. The live dashboard scores each Pensacola morning from NOAA tide swing, wind, and sky, with solunar windows and marine alerts, and Gulf Breeze Bait & Tackle and Gray's Tackle cover both sides of the bay.
Seasons and limits change. Verify with Florida FWC or Outdoor Alabama before keeping fish.