Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore

Capt. Larry Pentel
August 29, 2002
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report

Where'd everybody go?

It's that time of year again when the beaches and waters empty of vacationers. Never mind that the weather is usually the calmest of the year or the fishin' is great. I came in to Grayton today at noon after a 4 hr and there were only two families on the whole beach. I only saw 1 other boat while fishing too! We had a limit of snappers, 8 trigs, 2 spanish, a king, a 4#mahi and a 20#mahi for a Fine bonus fish ( love that fly pole). Glad the fish stick around.

Yesterday I went over to Indian Pass to run my last trip on the books over there-a scalloping trip! One of my regulars asked if I would take him and his wife when we were tarpon fishing in July and I said sure. They had a ball. Niether had ever been before and like most first timers were amazed at all the sea life in just a foot or two of water. My wife showed his wife her trick of lying on a boat cushion "so your ears don't get wet" and scooping up the scallops with a dip net. While we got a limit it's probably the first time my boats ever been in the water without a fishin' rod.

I talked to the guides over there and it seems a few Tarpon showed back up. Sat. a lot were seen but none hooked. Sun. several were hooked ( one for over an hour) but none landed. Mon. there was only one boat out and they got one! Maybe the fish will gang back up for a week or two before migrating back South.

I mentioned a couple times about records. I have a client who wanted his 9 year old son to catch a world record Tarpon. He checked the books and said we needed one over 100#. I allowed that a fish over a 100 wasn't hard to find but that there was a reason it was a record. He chartered me with his sons for 2 days and we went looking. The first morning the 2 boys ( other one 6) caught several small to med. sharks and had a blast. We finally get what appears to be a real bite `and I get our angler to pick up the loaded pole while I got the other rods in and the boat in battle mode. He did real good for about 10-12 minutes untill the fish started jumping. He was awe struck as the fish blasted off for the stars and forgot about winding ( I've seen adults do it too). The slack line gave the fish (about 130#) all he needed to throw the hook. WE went on to miss a couple more on the bite and catch a good shark ( after an hour fight on spinning tackle). The next day we had all the "bugs" talked about and went at it again. This time we had a little bit bigger fish and the young angler was ready. He did real well for about the 1st hour but wore out about the time the fish got it's second wind. The Tarpon did one of thier patented figure eight curly cues right under the boat and our angler couldn't move quite fast enough to keep up with the fish. As Murphy was a fisherman naturally the line went over the motor. I trimmed it up but realized I couldn't touch the line and still keep us "record fishing". My angler was dead tired but even if he had been fresh I don't think his arms wre long enough to even reach past the motor! We were in stale mate for a minute or so untill the fish launched again and broke off. An interesting note on kids fishing tho- When the young angler was rehashing the days events to mom and others he was WAY more excited about the 100# bull shark he had caught than either tarpon he'd fought. I don't think some folks would have even known we had been tarpon fishing if Dad hadn't been there to bring those fish to conversation. Kids just want to have fun

Take your kids-they'll talk about it for years-

Capt. Larry Pentel

More Fishing Reports:

• All Reports by Capt. Larry Pentel
• Destin Fishing Reports
• Panhandle and Big Bend (Suwannee to Pensacola) Reports
• Florida Fishing Reports
• Browse All Fishing Reports