Outdoor writers, television crews, tackle representatives, and guests who drove down from Ohio, Alabama and Kentucky.
As an outdoors writer I've had the opportunity to fish with professional guides throughout the state. Captain Todd Jones is one of the best.
They know where the fish are at all times, what they will hit, and how to get them to bite. Time is valuable when I'm on assignment, and Captain Todd has always come through when I needed quality photos on short notice.
Hey Todd, what a great three day hunt we had with you and your crew! You made Ken, Jeff and I feel so welcome, we felt like we were hunting with a longtime friend. We have not stopped talking about our trip since getting back to Ohio. We are also trying to pick a week next year to come see you again. Our biggest worry is that it will be very hard to top this year's trip.
Best wishes in the New Year. We may try to sneak down there and fish with you in the summer. We are finishing a pretty good year here in Ohio. Come see us in Ohio sometime; spring turkey season will be here before you know it. Thanks again for everything.
Todd, thanks for a great trip last Saturday, we had a blast! I just wanted to thank the both of you for your help and advice for two Alabama guys trying to learn how to fish waters closer to home! We will send anyone who asks about specs and reds your way. Thanks again!
Todd took the Livin It Outdoors TV crew on an awesome trip. We fished for redfish at daylight and bowfished for stingrays after sunrise. We were on stingrays the whole time, we shot 12 or so, missed around 30, caught some great redfish, and filmed a couple hours of beautiful video for an upcoming TV show. This trip was a blast and we look forward to doing it again. Back Bay Adventures is definitely Livin It Outdoors approved.
Back Bay Adventures is not for the lazy, have a drink, relax fishing crowd. Captain Todd is an intense, hardcore inshore angler.
He will put you in the best position to have a great day of fishing. Light line, shallow water and the opportunity to see and hook hundreds of fish. They get as excited to see you hook up a good fish as if they had caught it themselves.
If you are in the Bay County area, don't waste time "winching a 2 pound fish from 100 feet of water on 50 lb line." Hear your light line scream off the spool as a quality redfish, trout, jack, etc. just smokes your bait! Back Bay Adventures will give you the "best day of my life" every time out. Great guys, great fishing, in the prettiest location in Florida.
Capt. Todd Jones of Panama City, FL is undoubtedly one of the best overall outdoorsmen I know. From the standpoint of an angler, hunter, or professional guide, Todd has all of the qualities that make him stand out from the rest. His knowledge of the outdoors makes him one of the leading guides around, and he has traveled the world serving in the United States Navy.
Having personally hunted and fished with Todd in Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina, it's apparent that he has the acute ability to adapt to any environment, and quickly learn and master the techniques required to successfully hunt and fish new terrain.
Todd's military training has played a big part in his ability to be mentally and physically tough, prompt, properly prepared, and on top of his game, and these assets carry over into his guide service, Back Bay Adventures. I've known Todd all of his life, and we've been on some extreme hunts that few would find enjoyable, yet Todd's made those some of the most memorable due to his will and determination to make those adventures a success.
In my endeavors as an award-winning outdoor writer and photographer, Todd has been integral in delivering insight into new story ideas, and put together the hunts that made many of the articles come to fruition. Bottom line: Todd is an innovator, extremely talented decoy carver, tireless outdoorsman, first class guide, my friend, and I would trust him with my life.
So what does a guy from Kentucky, with a penchant for big game, do on the Florida Panhandle? After years of offshore fishing I began the quest of tarpon fishing. Having heard for years that big tarpon cruise the sugar sand beaches out of casting distance from the beach and too far in to be of concern to the offshore fleet, the Silver Kings slip by almost unnoticed.
Three years ago I attempted a tarpon trip only to be beaten by the weather and unable to make it out of the harbor in the typically small flats boats. This year was different. After completing a successful offshore trip including a boat limit of red snapper and king mackerel the day before, I met my guide, Captain Todd Jones of Back Bay Adventures, at what he described as "brutally early": 4:30 in the morning.
In the preliminary phone conversations Todd shared the lay of the land: don't get your hopes up, tarpon can be tough, don't set the hook too quick, and only 1 out of 20 hookups makes it to the boat. Capt. Todd is honest at his profession just like all good guides. Honest, hard working for his clients, and gets as much if not more enjoyment than they do at the hook set.
The morning started off with catching live bait, then a short run to the tarpon grounds. The first tarpon was spotted just seconds after our 6:00 am arrival, followed by a steady flow of fish until almost the noon hour. I can only compare tarpon fishing to elk hunting: spot and stalk big game. Spot the tarpon gulping air or rolling at the surface, determine a line of interception, present your bait and hope for the best. When the best happens, hang on for the ride of your life!
Fishing is fishing, sometimes the bite is on, sometimes it's not. This day happened to be one of the days it was light, resulting in only a single hookup. No reflection on the guide or location; there were plenty of fish and presentations, just not a lot of takers that day. Proudly I can say that Captain Todd and I were the only boat with a hookup and jump in the area that day, and yes, there were other boats.
It may seem that I'm downplaying the single hookup. It was phenomenal! A light touch as the bait was taken and allowed to free spool, a moment of steadiness as the hook grabbed the fleshy corner of the fish's mouth, followed by an explosion of energy only rivaled by a big sail or marlin: the classic, stuff-dreams-are-made-of leap and cartwheels from 150 lbs of pure, raw, unbridled strength. With the fish's tail two feet above the surface, a cartwheel and a spray of water, the bridle slipped from its mouth. I'm sure that fish felt the same as I did: excited, flushed and looking for another fight.
Back Bay Adventures knows the area and where the fish are. They are professional and enjoy the sport of sight fishing big fish. You can't ask for anything more; I know I can't. I look forward to the hunt again with Capt. Todd.
Trips are booked directly with Capt. Todd by phone or email. We'll choose the most convenient boat ramp to meet at, depending on where you're staying and where we'll be fishing or hunting.
