Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore

Capt. Larry Pentel
March 13, 2007
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report

It's Official !!

Spring is Here !!

The first cobia was caught last week with a few more hooked and lots of rumors of sighted fish. In acordance with time honored tradition among the coastal faithful this makes it offially spring! For those of you with any doubts I also sighted a large school of bikinis on the beach this past week!

I have yet to go looking for cobia, prefering to wait untill the run is "on" and we have a reasonable shot at catching a fish-probably another week. I have always said I realy don't care about the first fish ( or even the biggest)BUT- I do want a shot at every other one that swims down the bar!

I spent the past few days at Indian Pass and can verify that it's spring there too. The weather has been perfect and the trout are all over the oyster bars and flats. Being trout they don't bite all day but if you can find 'em and then be there when the tide starts to really move it is some of the fastest fishing there is. Yesterday mid -day we stayed a half hour later than we were supposed to 'cause I just couldn't pull myself to leave the bite. I caught a fish an every one of my last 8 casts- and this is between unhooking my folks fish and untangling rigs. We had a steady bite for a couple hours previous but the last hour was just like you imagine in dreams- not a lot of big fish but the perfect size for play fishing.

I did not have any sight fishing charters but did get to go with Capt Randall one afternon after I had run a half day trip for trout. I poled him up into the skinny water and sure enough-the refish were right where they were supposed to be. We took turns between the bow and the poling platform and managed to convince 5 of 'em to eat our imitation shrimps. Found several bigger than average with one that I would have grabbed for a live bait had he been a cobia! Not as many fish as the middle of winter but much more agressive with the water warming up. The sightfishing way up in the oystermazes will be good till the warm air and water turns the water cloudy with growth. The redfish are still there and can be caught using traditional methods but it just aint the same as sightfishing- Luckily the tripletail have just started to show over there and can fulfill all the adrenilin need to give any sightfisherman a quick fix-

I love spring--- come on out and get your share!!!

capt Larry Pentel

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