Finally Fishin'
Capt. Larry Pentel
April 20, 2009
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report
We finally have had a break in all this weather the past week. Still more rough days than I would like but there were a couple of just beautiful ones and a couple more that while rough were very fish-able.
I got to run a couple bottom trips on the calm days and we had some great catches of vermilion Snappers, a few groupers and even some triggers we could keep. With the current size on triggers at 14" to the fork if you keep a few the fillets'll fill a gallon zip lock pretty quick. Every spot seems fishy and there is no shortage of bites. Even with all we have to release the box seems to fill up pretty good by the end of the trip.
I somehow reset a button on my camera so I missed having pictures from a couple trips-- just look at the past couple reports and the boards are the same to better!
Saturday was pretty rough and I was supposed to run a family bottom trip. I told 'em we would wait to see if it got comfortable looking but by 10 AM it was downright sloppy. We called the trip and I stayed on the beach to watch for a bit. My son, Capt Will Pentel, came down around noon. He had come over from Indian Pass to celebrate his Birthday with his mother and I. He convinced me to take him out and look for a birthday cobia. The fellow that helps me launch, William and I pounded thru the surf. My son and I climbed the tower and Edmund put out a spoon. Our stay in the tower was short lived as it was too rough for both of us to be up there. I climbed down , left my son and looked from the deck while Edmund bailed in spanish. William was hangin' on while tryin' to drive and look, never easy, especially when you don't do it but once a year. I saw a fish from the deck, yelled at William and drove the boat while he threw. After much yelling, screaming and ado I was able to gaff a fine birthday fish. As great as the picture is I was really glad I hadn't taken my charter out to try it!
Great Fish but We Earned 'Em
Yesterday was a lot calmer and I was excited having two fisher gals that wanted to cobia fish all day. Alas, the day started cloudy and after looking for 45 minutes and only being able to see 20 feet from the boat we decided to go off a little and do the sure thing a while. We caught some fine fish including the first king I have seen for the year and had a great rally on a snapper/grouper hole till a bull shark moved in We came back to the beach and tried to look when we thought the sun might come out. It was just a tease tho and after it socked in completely with black dark clouds we loaded it on the trailer. I was feeling a little bad since we didn't see a cobia when the gal in the pictures started raving about what a great trip it was and how fantastic the fishing is here. Sometimes I have to be reminded that I'm spoiled----
Her first grouper
As an experienced Tarpon Tamer it wasn't her first run in with the landlord though!
I mentioned we caught a King but we also got a bunch of cigars and speedo's just off the beach. With the bait finally here in numbers I'm sure the kings are thick close by as well. We didn't target 'em but I'm betting that in the pretty weather coming all week they will be making many anglers very happy.
All the rough weather and rain had driven the water temp back down into the 60's.Not just on the beach but even 6 miles out I have been marking 67-68 degrees all week. Not necessarily a bad thing. It probably slowed the cobia run down a little and we may get a little bit longer shot at the brown backed crab crunchers now that weather pattern seems to be returning to normal. I'm sure ready to get back to workin' everyday- all this time off this spring has driven me nuts!
Captain Larry Pentel
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