Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore

Capt. Larry Pentel
May 30, 2005
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report

Memorial day ! My flag is in the front yard and it's about to blow off to Alabama. The weather man had called for rain with winds at 5-10 and seas at 1-3. Reality is winds at 20-30 and seas at 5-7 building rapidly. I imagine it'll look like hurricane surf by noon. Hope everybody stays out of the water. I hate missing a trip but today was a "kid" trip which really stinks- I get to take the "adults" all the time and they're not near as much fun!

Fishing's been steady with Red Snapper the predominate species filling the box. We've been able to limit out most trips and on the ones we didn't it usually wasn't the fishes fault. I stand by my usual promise of fish under the boat and tackle that works. Some angling is required ocasionaly.

Lots of incidentals to go along with the snappers. Most days we've got a grouper or 3, yesterday we even had a warsaw! Not huge and ugly but medium and still very pretty (they eat REAL good too up to about 40#). The triggers are just now starting to thin out for summer and some great piles of the old black beauties have been in the box. They seem to be running larger than average for beach fish . I still say if I just had to pick one fish to eat it would be trigs.

The king bite has been slow in the Grayton area. A couple weeks ago at the start of the month they were HOT but seem to have spread out. We seem to get one or 2 bites a day on the fly pole. Listening to the radio the Destin fleet seems to be doing a little better over there.

The cobia run is officially over but there are still a few around that suddenly surprise you by popping up next to the boat while you're bottom fishin'.The other boat like mine out of Grayton (capt. Kerry) had a nice one about 45# yesterday that he said commited suicide. We had one a little smaller on Friday that did the same thing. What a bonus fish!

The surf crew is picking up a few pomps interspersed with lots of whiting and skipjacks. The huge schools of hardtails showed up this week too. The early morning flyrodders can wear out their arms on skippys and 'tails before most of the vacationers are even awake- 'Course I'm out there dodging those species trying to catch bait in the early AM. Nothing can make you curse at 6AM like losing your 4th bait rig of the day to a school of skipjacks!

The water has been clean green and beautiful. The June grass JUST started to show yesterday. All this weather we're having the next few days may dirty up the Gulf but it may keep the June grass away for a week or 2 also.

Looks like I've got a few days off. Good time to start getting my Tarpon Tackle in order. I can't believe it's only a month till the season. I'm booked up for June but if you REALLY want to big game fish come over to the "pass" with me in July and chase 'poons. They average over 100#, jump higher than you can believe and fight harder than anything you've ever hooked. A long as we don't get any tropical weather the season looks good--- I've still got some days in 4th of July week open and a bunkhouse with a cold airconditioner.

capt Larry Pentel

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