Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore

Capt. Larry Pentel
February 1, 2004
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report

I've always said I liked the change of seasons but I'm 'bout ready to be done with winter. After a prolonged stretch of chores on the hill I was ready to go out every day this week but it doesn't look like the weather man is going to let us.

I have spent most of the month of January moving. After 26 years living on Choctawhatchee Bay we have moved to Eastern Lake. It's a LOT closer to Grayton where I launch for Gulf trips( and a 1/2 hour closer to Indian Pass). Plus I can see the Gulf when I wake up in the morning to see if the weather man lied (again). Please check my "info" on the sidebar for new contacts.

While I had to put a halt to charters this month I did sneak off in plain sight and do a little inshore fishin' at the "Pass". Plenty of redfish up in the backcountry, I even got to take my son sightfishing one morning. Of course being 18 he forgot to bring the polarized glasses (and hat) I gave him for christmas so he had a hard time with the "sight" part. Even so he saw enough fish to get a couple of fine ones to eat his rubber offering before Dad was tired of poling him around. We went on and caught a couple dozen specks before filling up a cooler with oysters and still made it in early.

Speaking of oysters- I ran a bunch ( had to make 2 trips to haul 'em all) of "snowbirds" down the bay last week and dropped 'em off on an oyster bar. These folks had as much fun "hoggin' oysters as anybody ever had catchin' a fish. The tide was LOW and they couldn't belive all those oysters were just laying there for the taking. I gave 'em all a quick lesson in culling and shucking and went to fillin up a cooler myself. Back at the campground later with all the new "oystermen" the oysters were as good as any I've ever had. The weather cold but calm wind, high sky and a pile of folks enjoying the bay in a way they had never even thought of before.- Aint life grand.

Capt. Larry Pentel

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