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Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore
Capt. Larry Pentel
December 31, 2004
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report
Greetings from the recently frozen South !!
Not much fishing untill this week. We actually had some sleet and a few snow flakes Christams eve! It snowed almost all day in New Orleans on Christmas Day ! Not real conducive to putting a boat in the water, it's supposed to be fun !
The weather has been much better this week with the high today around 70. A liitle to much surf on the beach for me to want launch this AM tho. The beach water is down to 55deg. so if there is a chance of swamping the boat on the launch I call the trip. The three days prior all had a small sea and decent temps with the high on the upper 60's,. We took advantage of the weather and I ran some of the many folks down on vacation out to the fish.
Yesterday I had a Dad and his son 'bout 6 or 7. I'd send the bait to the bottom and then hold the rod butt while the youg man cranked the reel and caught the fish. He was very much into keeping score and did great untill after fish # 28 when he sat down and went to sleep! He basically fished till he dropped- pretty neat, I was impressed. Oh, ya, Dad caught some groupers but he's a big boy.
Wednesday I had a Dad and 2 daughters, 11 and 14. They fish with me several times a year and are quite good. The youngest girl ran a 2 hook rig for the first couple hours and had a a dozen triggers and a pile of nice vermillion snappers when she asked to grouper fish. Now shes not really big enough to be able to horse a big grouper but her sister and dad had each landed 3 nice ones apiece along with a lot of throw backs and she wanted in on the action. I rigged her up and sure enough on her first drop she hookes a good 'un. I'm trying to help steady the rod, she's crankin for all she's worth and she gets this fish up and comin' off the bottom and proceeds to get it towards the boat. Now this is a bit of a protracted battle and the fish is just about in gaffing range when this big dolphin that had been hanging around can't take it any more and grabs her fish! Now attached to a 500# critter the 50# test line broke pretty quick. It was exiting but I don't believe she thinks "Flipper" is quite as cute and cuddly as she used too!
Tues. I ran some locals who were out fish in the freezer. Even the day after the full moon we still got 9 nice groupers, a big Black snapper and a pile of triggers in the box on a half day trip. The highlight was throwing back half a dozen Red Snappers over 10#, one was pushing 20#!!! Hopefully I can find that one again when the season reopens in the spring!
If you get the time and the weather the fish are there- go get ya some!
Capt. Larry Pentel
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