In this week’s Northwest Florida Fishing Report, host Joe Baya works through a tough, wind-driven week with help from two key contributors: Tom Hilton of Hilton’s Real-Time Navigator and Brandon Barton of Emerald Waters Kayak Charters. With limited offshore intel due to weather, the episode focuses on using satellite data to stack the odds for wahoo, then shifts to a surprisingly fun inshore kayak pattern where redfish and trout are eating on top during warm windows.
Conditions Recap
The Emerald Coast saw a classic late-winter rollercoaster: hard wind, rain, and dramatic temperature swings that kept most boats at the dock for several days. As conditions begin to calm, the key theme is efficiency and confidence—using current, water temperature edges, and water color to narrow down the most productive areas offshore, and taking advantage of midday warming trends inshore when fish slide shallow.
Offshore Report: “Eyes in the Sky” Wahoo Setup with Hilton’s Real-Time Navigator
Joe checks in with Tom Hilton of (Hilton’s Real-Time Navigator) to break down what to look for when you’re trying to target wahoo during a winter pattern. Tom’s starting point is tightening the sea-surface temperature range so subtle edges are easier to see. For wahoo, he likes a temperature window that begins around the upper 60s and runs into the mid 70s, then refines the picture by layering in water color (clean blue-green), current, and structure.
The conversation focuses on areas that are realistically within reach for boats running out of Pensacola, Destin, and Panama City when conditions allow. Joe and Tom talk through the Destin FAD line and the Oriskany area, emphasizing how a defined edge that stays “pushed together” can create a natural collection zone for bait and weed lines. Even small temperature changes can matter when the edge is tight and well-formed, but the goal is always stacking factors—temperature, clean water, current movement, and structure—rather than chasing one data point…