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Hot Spots Charters, LLC
Charter operator

Hot Spots Charters, LLC

Pensacola Beach, United States
100+ reviews
Hot Spots Charters is a team of professional anglers who own a fleet of sport fishing vessels. Led by Captain Matt Mcleod and Captain Chris Philips, who were among the first inshore guides in the area, the crew has gained a reputation hardly anyone can beat. They fish at the professional level and deliver great service and personable assistance. All the captains – Tyler, Andy, Travis, Bob, Matt, Chris, and Tanner – are native to Pensacola, born and raised mastering the local waters.

Charters

Rating

4.8
158 reviews
4.8
Boat & Equipment
4.8
Captain & Crew
4.8
Fishing Experience

What anglers say

91%
Good experience
97%
Friendly captain
94%
Recommend this charter
94%
Appropriate for children
99%
Satisfied with the boat
90%
Caught fish

All reviews (158)

Showing 1 – 5 of 158 reviews
  • Daniel Binkowski
    Daniel Binkowski
    Repeat angler
    us
    Iowa, US
    Member since 2024
    7 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    young captain who knows how to put you on the fish!

    6 Hour – Offshore • 4 adults • 2 children

    just an amazing trip. went out i think 13 miles- nearly caught our limit at first stop- allowed us to get way more selective in size we kept. hooked and battled a large shark- for nearly 40 min on a non shark setup, saw shark twice before it snapped off at end of 40 min battle- made all my kids day. then immediately hooked up on a massive snapper- landed it, took pictures and let it go. boat is very fast and will get you from spot to spot quickly also had pin gps function so it could hold us over the hot spot. cant say enough great things about this captain.

    Reported catch:
    Amberjack
    Red Snapper
    Bull Shark
  • Chad Collingwood
    Chad Collingwood
    Repeat angler
    us
    Iowa, US
    Member since 2025
    3 trips
    5.0
    Verified
    NEW

    Great experience

    4 Hour - Inshore / Nearshore (AM) • 2 adults

    Captain was great, pre scouted fishing earlier in morning and day before. Went out at 20 am due to better fishing with a bonus of Blue Angels practices. Wife Hooked up on a Bull red right away for a first time fish was awesome. Had a 45 minute fight with a monster stingray (estimated 150+)🤪🤪

  • Ryan Phelps
    Ryan Phelps
    Repeat angler
    us
    Texas, US
    Member since 2021
    2 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Good times

    4 Hour - Inshore / Nearshore (AM) • 4 adults

    Thought it would be super hot in August, but we had a cool and beautiful morning. The captain was great! They cooked our catch just off the dock at Shaggy’s. Great time with family and friends. Dolfin watching was a huge bonus.

    Reported catch:
    Spanish Mackerel
  • Steve Carter
    Steve Carter
    us
    Florida, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    great trip

    6 Hour – Offshore • 6 adults

    Had alot of fun and cought alot of fiah. Capt Daniel and deck hand Andrew did a great job!

  • Thomas Melton
    Thomas Melton
    us
    Alabama, US
    Member since 2026

    The captain canceled

    Trip was supposed to happen on June 4, 2026
    The charter operation canceled -1 days after the trip date.

Real catches shared by our community

  • Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore III
    Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore IIIPensacola, FL
    Great experience
    Chad C.
    Chad C.
  • Hot Spots Offshore I
    Hot Spots Offshore IPensacola Beach, FL
    young captain who knows how to put you on the fish!
    Daniel B.
    Daniel B.
  • Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore II
    Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore IIPensacola Beach, FL
    perfect for my 5 yr old to get out and catch some fish!
    Blaine H.
    Blaine H.
  • Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore II
    Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore IIPensacola Beach, FL
    Captain Mike is awesome.
    Barry S.
    Barry S.
  • Hot Spots Offshore II
    Hot Spots Offshore IIPensacola, FL
    Our captain was very knowledgeable of the area and the fish.
    Luther C.
    Luther C.
  • Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore III
    Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore IIIPensacola, FL
    Captain Bud was great!
    Michelle U.
    Michelle U.
  • Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore III
    Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore IIIPensacola, FL
    June fishing trip
    Jason D.
    Jason D.
  • Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore III
    Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore IIIPensacola, FL
    Pensacola mixed bag and 3 bull reds to boot!
    Matthew T.
    Matthew T.
  • Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore II
    Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore IIPensacola Beach, FL
    Captain was great, fishing was slow
    Tom P.
    Tom P.
  • Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore II
    Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore IIPensacola Beach, FL
    Fish, sharks, dolphins, what more could you want?
    Kirstin B.
    Kirstin B.

Our Fishing Locations

What's biting with Hot Spots Inshore/Nearshore I in Pensacola Beach

Warm water species move on as the first cold fronts begin to arrive. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing! All the talk in town is about Flounder, which is migrating in large numbers out to the Gulf. You won't go hungry!

Top catches for November

Fishing reports

Adult angler proudly displays a large king mackerel aboard a center-console fishing boat on open coastal water.

Pensacola Fishing 10/8/2015

Oct 8, 2015 • Pensacola Beach
Inshore With the weather back into the eighties it’s hard to say exactly what to expect inshore fishing right now. October is always a big transition time in Pensacola Bay and ordinarily one of the best months of the year to fish. Good numbers of redfish are being found around deep docks and bridge pilings. Santa Rosa Sound is a great place to dock fish, just go from one residential dock to another with live shrimp until you find them. Inshore anglers have been catching good numbers of mangrove snapper and a few flounder as well. Just get some live bait and fish around any type of structure, especially jetties and rock piles. Offshore The weather last weekend was nothing like it was supposed to be, so most anglers weren’t able to get out into the Gulf and take advantage of the weekend red snapper season. Hopefully the seas will end up being 1-2 foot this weekend as the forecast is calling. There’s still plenty of action to be had trolling out around the Nipple, Spur, and Elbow. White marlin, sailfish, wahoo, and dolphin are all likely catches out there. Piers & Beaches Anglers on both the Pensacola Beach Gulf Fishing Pier and Navarre Beach Fishing Pier have been picking up a few king mackerel. There’s still bait around that you can catch with a sabiki, but it’s always a good idea to have a few frozen cigar minnows. Fishing for white trout has picked up on the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge. They can be caught using a lot of different baits and lures, but fresh shrimp and cut mullet are hard to beat. Freshwater According to a couple of different reports anglers have been catching quite a few bass on the nearby rivers and believe it’s only going to get better as the fall weather moves in anytime now.
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