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Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore
Capt. Larry Pentel
October 16, 2005
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report
I apologize for being so remiss in writing a report. The good folks at cyberangler sent me an e-mail telling me I hadn't written in a while ( which I kinda blew off). When my charter fussed at me 'cause he couldn't read a report before we went I thought I'd better write.
Ok- the first few weeks I didn't write we had a hurricane (Rita)- then it blew out of the north 30 knots for a week- then we had a red tide that made it miserable to be on the beach. So much for the bad news. The reason I haven't written lately is that it's been BEAUTIFUL and I've fished the past 10 days in a row.
North winds in the AM diminishing by lunch, slick calm on the beach, crystal clear water and lots of bait on the sandbar. just like it's supposed to be in October!!!!!
The triggerfish have moved in thick and the folks that want em have been able to limit out no problem. Day before yesterday we had 40 trigger, 11 red snapper and 2 nice Red grouper on a 4 hour!
I have been running a lot of "family" trips and the triggs make it easy for me. It may take an hour for me to teach a grown up how to catch 'em but kids get it quick- and they love to show up the parents!
The kings haven't been real thick yet this fall but we have caught a few. They had shown real well prior to Rita but seem to have been blown somewhere other than here. The snapper seem to be moving in. Every day this week it seems I check a spot that was "dead" and it's got a school of Red Snapper on it now. The big "sows" haven't hit the beach yet but I'm hopefull they show before the season closes in Nov. Right now we are throwing back at least 2 for every one we keep-luckily we are throwing back a BUNCH!
Still quite a few grouper around. Lots of throw backs but we seem to average a couple keepers even on the 4 hour trips. The black snapper are just starting to show for fall. We had 2 today along with a dozen reds, a black grouper, 12 triggers and a king on a half day. Made for a nice board of fish
Two weeks of snapper season left. Still don't know whats going to happen with groupers in State waters. The Feds are for sure shutting groupers down beyond 9 miles starting Nov. 1 till Jan.1. The state didn't see the need and the last I heard we are still going to be able to grouper fish all my usual spots. It's amazing that we have had the best show of grouper for the past 2 years that I can remember ( short of "moved" fish after a storm) and now the Feds decide they are in trouble. The advertised rational is that Red Grouper are declineing (?)so thay are shutting down all grouper-
The only logical thing they have down is lower the grouper limit in Federal waters ( when it's open) from 5 to 3 fish per person. I never understood why the grouper limit was higher than the snapper limit!
This should help the grouper population from getting hammered so hard right after a big storm and they are easy pickins. Besides- if your on a all day trip with a bigger boat- 6 anglers- capt and deckhand thats still 24 groupers you can keep! 2 Dozen should be enough for anybody! Maybe we can get the state to go along with that part of the rule------
Capt Larry Pentel
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