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Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore
Capt. Larry Pentel
February 28, 2005
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report
Here it is the last day of February already. The first cobia will be caught in the next few weeks and another season is about upon us.
I've been able to run several trips the past week as the Gulf has started being a little gentler between cold fronts. The beach water is 60 to 61 degrees and there are allready schools of (small) baits just outside the bar under the birds.
The groupers are moving inshore again as they are supposed to this time of year and we are fortunate enough to still have quite a few triggers around. The box may not have much color when you come in but all that gray sure looks good in the shape of gag groupers and trigs!
I ran a "Dad" trip the other day with 2 girls 'bout 8 and 9 and an experienced fishing dad. He allowed he wanted the girls to catch fish more than him and did I know where any triggers were for them to catch? I told 'em I might and we ran out to a little wreck with a big show on what was probably the calmest day of the month. Each of us took a girl and pretty soon we had 'em haulin' up a fish every drop with with a double thrown in every now and then just for bragging rights. Nice triggers, red snappers, and pinks the girls were having a blast. After an hour or so they were wearing down so I got dad to run a slip lead while they girls took a break. He said he had never landed a "good" grouper ( there are bad ones?) about the time his rod doubled over and hit the rail. Much exitement with his girls playing cheerleaders the whole way. Broke his snakebite with the first drop! He caught a couple more short grouper off that spot and the girls were getting their wind back so we moved along to a "junk" spot.The girls quickly filled the livewell with sand squirrels and other baits and even caught a couple more trigs. The kids were now beat down entirely and only wanted to chase the baits in the live well. I took dad to several reefs I hadn't been to in a while and they all had a resident "bubba" jsut waiting for breakfast. At 10:30 one of the girls says we're getting greedy, dads tired too and I'm told to run in early on a 4 hour. The tally for the board was 20 triggers 10 big pinks, 4 nice gags and 2 "fire plug" red grouper, back to the beach at 11AM. Cleaning fish at 70 degrees by a crystal clear slick Gulf with exited kids playing in the sand sure beat anything else I could think of!!
The Red Snappers seem to be starting to bite again after having taken some time off with the cold temps. Day before yesterday one of my anglers caught a fine one about 15 lb.'s. One of the few times I've been glad the seasons closed 'cause this gal wanted to throw 'em back before I even said we had to. She had allready told me to throw back a (just) keeper Red and a Gag grouper she got ! Her Husband and I had to beg her to let us keep a 10# gag she caught!! I told her I had a reputation to uphold and she should keep at least one big fish so if anyone asked what she caught when we hit the beach she could point to it. Her husband caught 3 fine groupers with one just under 20 #. He had to throw back his glory fish too though. He'd run a big live bait down in 85' on a 6/0 looking for the big bite and boy he got it. I've gotten everybody else up and standin' by with the gaff watching what I thinks a 4 foot long grouper comin' up. When it (finally ) hits the surface it's about the biggest redfish I've ever seen up close in person. I pulled the hook out, we made a quick picture and I released her to speed off and hopefully make more redfish. I called the fish 45# when I picked her up to take out the hook. I haven't seen the picture yet- I hope it came out good- as I'd sure like another look when the exitement has calmed down.
On the beach scene the pompano have started but are sporadic and mostly small groups or singles. I heard of a fellow getting 6 near Tops'l hill last week but didn't see 'em. The catches I've seen coming in at Grayton are still just 1 or 2. Some nice reds still in the surf tho-last year the redfish bite hit its peak in the middle of cobia season for the surf fishermen. Down at Indian Pass the whiting have started pretty strong and should just get better this month. Whiting fishing is so "civilized" they like a warm sunny afternoon after a cool snap, dead bait, and seem to bite best when your sitting in a lawn chair having a cool one. They may not be big but boy do they fry up nice!! Last spring I went down to the beach late one afternoon and got 2 big whiting and 2 pompano, gave my neighbors the pompano and I fried the whiting!!
Capt Larry Pentel
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