Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore

Capt. Larry Pentel
September 14, 2001
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report

Well the latest storm missed us by a bunch but it sure has kicked the wind up the past few days. The only folks that have been fishin' must not know it's supposed to be fun. With a 25 to 30 knot NE wind blowing it's SO choppy once your a couple miles off the beach that you have to be on your knees to fish even on a 50 footer. I canceled my last couple of days to wait for better conditions.

I did run several days over at Indian Pass last week and up to Monday of this week. There are still a few tarpon around but not in the numbers we like to see. Plenty to fish for tho--. I had a repeat customer on Friday who had never caught a tripletail so we went and chased 'em. Not only did we find some we came back to the dock with one that went 14.22#. Not bad for 8# test line. Of course it probably took 25 minutes to get him in the net and another 10 to take pictures. My angler wasn't quite sure what he had untill we got back to the boat ramp and everybody else started making a big deal over his fish. I think he walked about 6 inches taller back to the fish camp. Saturday I had folks that love to catch sharks. They said they wouldn't mind a Tarpon but really wanted some 100#+ toothy critters. The sharks obliged and we brought 3 good ones to the boat. Dad got a Bull 'bout 150# after an hour and half fight. Mom got one about 120# in 45 minutes ( I'm sure that got rubbed in all the way back to Birmingham). And thier 12 year old son got a blacktip right at 90# that we brought in. They wanted the meat and he wanted the jaws so I cleaned that critter down to nothing but hide. I think that young man was figuring how the story was going to be told to his buddies the whole hour he fought the fish. Sunday brought more sharks and Monday gave me a good chance to rib a couple of fine local anglers. I had two folks who love to cobia fish and one of 'em has placed in several big tournaments, caught ling over 100# and just generally regarded as an excellent sight fisherman and an accurate caster. They had never chased triple tails before. Good thing too or thier reputations wouldn't look so good. We found 5 big fish in about an hour of looking and never got a hook in any of 'em. I told my anglers we probably ought to go in and eat lunch and then go catch some more sharks since they had proven they could handle that species. My folks agreed!! Seems thay want to come back for a rematch tho and spend the day sight fishing for the frustrating things. Boy, I sure love to hate those 'tails.

Hopefully this wind will lay down by Sunday and I can get some trips in. I've got 3 Gulf trips on the books next week and I'm about to start going through withdrawls from not grabbing a snapper in 10 days. Of course my hands look the best they have all year with not the first cut or hole in them. Amazing how you can deal with dozens of sharks and stay safe but grab one or two snappers and look like a pin cushion.

Capt. Larry Pentel

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