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Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore
Capt. Larry Pentel
February 19, 2003
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report
Sorry for not sitting down and typing sooner but I have been hard at it. Fellow capt. Randall Jones has started calling me "ghetto boy", says I can't seem to stay away from the "projects".
Latest major project is I took over Indian Pass Campground, the store, charter booking etc. The good news is the store is better stocked than it ever was. Ww actually have lots of fishing tackle, groceries, ice etc. AND I am working on getting a real fuel system. No more driving an hour into town to fuel up the boat after a long day offshore. We have cleaned the place up a bunch, new bathouse, several new cabins, the pool is being redone etc.. By spring break the place should be a great homebase for the fantastic fishing the area offers. I am also trying to get permits to put in some real docks back on the lagoon! No more having to pull the boat out every day.
Bad news is I haven't been able to run any trips myself with all this work on the hill. I have booked several trips recently for Guides out of Indain Pass who did quite well tho. Right before this last front Capt.s Randall and Tim both ran half days with winter visitors. Randall's folks sight fished the flats for redfish with good success releasing most but bringing in thier 3 fish limit with fish right at the 27 inch max. Tims couple opted to chase trout and found 'em stacked up in a deep hole in the oysterbars.While trout are closed to keep this month they are quite leagal for catch and release. Tim didn't give me a total number count but allowed they boated 5 over 25 inches. Wish I could have run that trip!
A couple days previous Randall ran another sight trip and came back saying the bull reds were up on the flats with several fish hooked in the 20 lb range. Must have been a big time 'cause the angler called me 2 days latter and booked again for this week.
Not much to report from offshore. There have not been to many weather"windows" conducive to going out in the big pond. The weather pattern usually straightens out in March around here allowing us to start chasing all those groupers that have stacked up over the winter.
On the beach the whiting started a pretty good run during the last string of nice weather. Folks fishing just past the boat ramp had some good catches with one couple tallying 30 head of the tasty panfish. I imagine they will regroup again as soon as it calms down.
Come on down to the "Pass" and visit. I imagine I'll be back to Grayton to run my cobia trips booked from last year but most of fishing will soon be over in Gulf County.
Capt. Larry Pentel
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