Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore

Capt. Larry Pentel
November 5, 2001
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report

Recreational Red Snapper season ended last week and the anglers on the Dead Fish made sure it went out with a bang. We had limit catches on almost every trip for the last two weeks including the 4 hours. I hated leaving the triggers alone a couple of days but I wanted to be sure my folks got the snappers when they could. Quite a few groupers seem to be around also but a lot of them are profesionals at finding holes in the rocks.

Snapper season may be over but that doesn't mean there is nothing to catch. If anything the fishing in close gets better for the next month or so because there are so few folks going out. I ran a 4 hour this morning with two folks. One was a repeat from about 4 trips in the past 2 months who believed me when I said we could get a box full even without snappers. I didn't lie and they left happy with two coolers full of fillets. We had 13 triggers, 2 groupers ( one at 17#) and 15 amberines. We also let go a bunch of amberines as we had our limit. My folks said that pound for pound they had never fought anything that had an attitude like an amberine. It's a good thing they don't grow to be 50# or I'd have to put 12/0 reels on the boat. We also had one BIG grouper on for about 5 minutes that got away by straightning out a 4/0 circle hook. Ans we had to throw back quite few snappers that ate our grouper baits including one about 12#. He did make for great picture before we let him swim off though.

On the inshore scene the cooler weather has the trout and redfish doing right what they are supposed to. I haven't been but I talked to Capt. Randall Jones at Indian Pass this weekend and he said they caught 14 keeper trout on a morning trip Fri. along with a bunch of shorts. Sat. morning he was driving to get a paper and saw some wakes in the ditch along the side of the road. Turned the truck around and caught a red fish for breakfast. I guess it's about time to start sightfishing the reds on the flats if they are all way up into the ditches !

So many fish, so little time to chase 'em all!!

Capt. Larry Pentel

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