- Location
- Pensacola / Gulf Breeze, Florida
- Trip Types
- Private shallow-water fishing; sight-fishing instruction; guided inshore trips
- Phone
- 850-748-4368
Redfish University is Captain Eric Holstman's instruction-focused fishing operation in the Pensacola area. Its distinguishing feature is teaching shallow-water angling, especially sight fishing for redfish with artificial lures, while also offering conventional guided trips for several local inshore species.
Contact and booking details
| Operator | Redfish University |
|---|---|
| Area | Pensacola / Gulf Breeze, Florida |
| Departure / address | Pensacola-area launch arranged directly with Captain Eric |
| Phone | 850-748-4368 |
| ericholstman@hotmail.com | |
| Website / reservations | Visit Redfish University |
| Trip options | Private shallow-water fishing; sight-fishing instruction; guided inshore trips |
Fishing with an instructional focus
The operator welcomes beginners, intermediate anglers and experienced fishermen who want to improve a particular skill. Its teaching topics include bait selection, line choice, casting presentation and how to approach a visible fish.
Redfish are central to the program, but the website also discusses speckled trout, flounder, pompano and bull redfish. Tell Eric whether you want a lesson-oriented day, a conventional guided outing or help with a specific technique before choosing the trip.
Published price and group size
The homepage advertises five hours at $600 for one or two anglers. Additional anglers are $50 each, up to a maximum of four. Confirm the current rate, departure time and total for the whole party.
The service area includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre and Pensacola Beach. The reviewed pages do not establish a single fixed boarding address, so the launch must be arranged directly rather than assumed from the nearest beach community.
Equipment and boat questions
The business promotes quality fishing equipment and tournament experience, but the reviewed pages do not supply a complete current boat model, amenity list or itemized inclusions schedule. Ask what rods and reels are provided and whether you should bring familiar personal tackle for an instructional outing.
Confirm fishing-license coverage, bait or lure arrangements, ice, cleaning and gratuity when requesting the quote. For sight-fishing instruction, discuss your current casting ability and any particular setup you want to learn; that makes the lesson more useful than a generic trip request.
Booking and preparation
Call or email Eric with preferred dates, the number of anglers and the skills or species that interest you. Request the deposit, cancellation and weather terms in writing, since they are not fully stated on the reviewed pages.
Ask about suitable footwear, sun protection, food and drink storage and the physical layout of the boat. Parents should discuss children's ages and attention span before reserving a five-hour instruction-focused trip. The final meeting point and arrival time should be included in the operator's confirmation.
Details checked September 26, 2026, using the operator’s published information. Rates, boats, meeting points and policies can change; confirm the final trip details directly. Listed species describe possible targets, not a guaranteed catch or an open harvest season.
Sources and photos
Featured photo: Redfish University boat shown on the operator's website. Photo from Redfish University.