Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore

Capt. Larry Pentel
October 2, 2002
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report

This weeks high winds and seas are brought to you courtesy of...... Hurricane Lili !

I think someone entered us in the storm of the week club- looks like the next 4 days or so aren't going to be fishable. Not that we don't like what storms can do for the fishing, just hate missing trips.

The last 3 days though have been absolutly wonderful. A little breezy 1st thing in the AM and then 'bout slick in the middle of the day and afternoon. Not wanting to let a pretty day go to waste and wondering if there were any fish left after the last storm I took my wife and a buddy from Grayton on Sunday "play fishin". We checked the bait fads (gone)and then started checking wrecks and rocks to see what was where. We never stayed on one spot more than a couple of drops but ran through some bait in a hurry! 3 hours after launching we were back on the trailer with a limit of snapper to about 12# and 3 grouper. The best part was we threw back a bunch of legal snappers. Everything we checked had "keeper" fish and some spots had Glory fish.

Monday I ran again. This time with just one fellow (local)who fishes with me a lot. Discount trip, lets go, fishin' hot ( all the usual sale pitch). We fished two hours and came in with 3 grouper and our 8 snapper. This time the snaps were a bigger average 'cause I knew to cull and release anything under 4 or 5#. Very impressive fishing.

Yesterday another 1 man trip. Once again a regular (only this time fron Atlanta). He had come down to check his beach house for damage from the last storm (none)saw how pretty it was and called up to go. I offered to find some more folks or do something to help with the trip but he said no- If the bite was as good as I said he wanted to glory fish. Usually when I get in this kind of situation it seems the fish develop lockjaw but not this time. After going the previuos 2 days I had a good idea where the storm had blown fish and where they were piled up. My one angler caught 8 grouper (we kept 5) and I don't know how many snapper (kept 8). The biggest snapper a little over 12 and six more 'tween 5 and 10. We had one that was gut hooked we kept "only" legal. Now all this is on a 4 hour. I just love fishing after a "good" storm. My angler was wore out but estatic, he couldn't get over it. I told him not to ask me to repeat that day on demand- wasn't quite that easy.

Time will tell what this next storm will do. Some bring you lots of fish and others take all you had away. If Lili slows down any and goes right into the middle of La. she may bring us phenomenal snapper fishing for the next month. She could also hook back towards us and wash all these fish we've got 100 miles from here. I should be able to find out this Sunday-

Tune in next week------------

Capt. Larry Pentel

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