ANYWHERE THERE’S WATER

Redfish, Hands Down

Hello, I’m Capt. Tommy “TD” or “TommyD” Derringer. My home waters, right here in St. Augustine, have always been my favorite place to fish. However, I’ll travel anywhere there’s water to fish! Hands down, redfish are my favorite. They’re a great gamefish, and you can catch them so many different ways. For me, sight-fishing in super shallow water is #1.

The ESPN Redfish Cup FLW Redfish Tour, Florida Pro Redfish Series and IFA Redfish Tour are my tournaments of choice. Over the years, my team and I have consistently done well, but most of all, I’ve had the time of my life fishing different places and making new friends. Our most recent win was the 2018 IFA Redfish Tour where we took home a check for over 30K.

Inshore Adventures

I’m an inshore guide at heart. That’s why, when I opened my charter business in 2003, I named it Inshore Adventures. I also do quite a bit of nearshore and light offshore fishing, and have extensive knowledge of fishing the Intracoastal Waterway and its many creeks, flats and backcountry estuaries. Every day, I get to meet all kinds of cool people and introduce them to the best saltwater light-tackle and fly fishing opportunities around the St. Augustine, Palm Coast and Flagler beach areas.

The truth is I get excited about any kind of fishing whether it’s chasing a redfish up shallow, going offshore to hook a grouper, or even catching a little bream in the pond with one of my daughters––I love it all!

When I’m Not Fishing

My wife, Laina, and I have three of the coolest daughters on the planet. They’re just as happy chasing lizards and bugs or fishing on the boat with me as they are “doing ballet.” I try to spend as much time as possible with my girls. I also head to the beach to surf any time the waves are up. Plus, I’m a Life Member of CCA and support its conservation efforts in our beautiful state.

My Insider Job

I started filing regional reports on Florida Insider Fishing Report in 2015, and am called on occasionally to fill in for Rick on-air when he’s not available. And even though it’s only been a short time, I feel as if I’ve known the RM Media crew forever. We’re like one big family.

Rick has also taken me on several Sportsman’s Adventures shoots. What an amazing experience! Who knew how much time, talent and expertise went into producing one 30-minute TV show––and he’s been turning out 13 episodes a year since 1994.

As for working with Rick, all I can say is the dude is a wealth of knowledge––and not just about fishing (although he knows and has experienced just about all there is to know on the subject!). He’s been a mentor to me, and I’m happy to call him my friend!