Report for Destin, Florida - Nearshore

Capt. Larry Pentel
May 15, 2007
Destin - Saltwater Fishing Report

Great to be Here !

The water temp has made a slow steady climb since the "freeze" of mid April and is in the mid 70's. Just about perfect for all our finny friends and not to bad to jump into when it's 85 on the beach either !

The cobia run is winding down but there are STILL fish around if your willing to go look. This season has been one of the best years folks can remember. Before anybody starts looking at "trends" remember that last year was the worst year anybody could remember--- They are migrating fish- We will probably never understand why they go where they go or when they want to go-- sure is fun to try tho!!!!!

We had a great cobia rally a couple days ago in the middle of a bottom fishing trip. I was running up to a wreck on a slick calm Gulf when all of a sudden there are fish all around the boat. My crew was yelling Mahi ( we had allready had one of those tasty critters swim up and join the box). I dropped off a plane and spun the boat around, climbed up the tower and eased into a school of 10 or more cobias all wanting to play. We caught 6 but as these were all the male "clones" that come late in the season they were all just a lttle too short and had to be released. A great treat to catch tho and some different exitement in the middle of getting a box of Snappers.

Had a another couple of "first" to the long list of ways to catch fish this past week. I had 2 anglers wanting to bottom fish and then look for cobia booked so I launched at daylite to catch some live bait before I picked 'em up. A half hour into bait catchin' a 25# cobia swims up the boat following a hooked bait. As I wasn't going to have anglers for another hour and a half I felt it was my duty as captain to go ahead and put a fish in the box! First time I ever picked up folks with the box "seeded"! We went on and caught a limit of Red Snapper and a few grouper, then hit the beach to look for cobia. Looked for and hour or so with no luck but went to investigate a big 'cuda parked over a scool of bait on the bar. One of the guys wanted to throw at the critter so I rigged a steel mackeral leader up and let him pitch a live ruby. The 'cuda was totatly uninterested but as my angler was winding in a big King made a pass at the bait. I got back in the tower and loked down to see 4 fine kings darting around.-- We spent the next 2 hours sight fishing kings on the second sandbar with dead minnows! I'd see a school of bait from the tower, drive over to it with my anglers on the bow and yell directions where to throw when I saw a fish. They would work the baits on the surface and the kings would explode on 'em!!. We missed a few but landed 7 in the 12 to 20# range (released 1) And three of 'em were on my 12# bait rod! As a teenager I grew up sight fishing Kings off the old Crystal Beach Pier but had never taken clients out to do it like that!

Several other fish of noteworthy signifigance this week but this report is getting long!-- Next time-- right now I've got tackle to fix!

capt Larry

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