Destin Area Fishing Report 1/20
Posted: January 20th, 2005, 3:04 pm
DESTIN AREA FISHING REPORT
DESTIN-OKALOOSA ISLAND
Look For: Amberjack, black drum, gag grouper, gray triggerfish, little tunny (bonito), redfish, sheepshead and whiting. NOTE: New Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rules are now on the books to manage three species of Gulf of Mexico gamefish. The daily recreational bag limit for red grouper is two fish per person. When applicable, the red grouper must be included in the daily five-fish aggregate grouper limit. Wahoo and dolphin have been designated restricted species, which means they can’t be sold by recreational anglers without proper licenses. The daily recreational bag limit for dolphin is 60 per vessel, excluding 10 dolphin per passenger on for-hire boats. The daily recreational bag limit for wahoo is two per angler. Both dolphin and wahoo have to be landed whole. The recreational red snapper fishery is now closed in state and federal waters. It’s scheduled to reopen April 15 in state waters and April 21 in federal waters.
Comments: It has been slow going at the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier. There’s an occasional red or flounder caught , but that’s about it. Fishing analysts at Half Hitch Tackle in Destin report sheepshead and black drum at the East Pass jetties. That’s the first I’ve heard of drum being caught this winter. Sink shrimp, live or frozen. Trolling deep-diving lures in the pass has produced bull reds. In the surf, look for whiting or the rare red. If the wind continues to blow from the north, an eggsinker rig should be enough to keep your bait on the bottom. Offshore, head for structure in 100 feet or more of water. Grouper and amberjack are hitting. Also look for triggerfish, but use lighter tackle and smaller hooks. Cut squid works nicely on triggers.
NAVARRE BEACH AND VICINITY
Look For: Redfish, sheepshead and spotted (speckled) seatrout.
Comments: Cold weather means fishing the heads of bayous or creek or river mouths for specks and reds. Live bait is tough to come by this time of year, barring fiddler crabs I guess, so try shrimpimitation lures or softbodies mimicking finger mullet. Work lures slowly near, or on, the bottom. Sheepshead are hovering around structure such as the East Bay powerline pilings. Also look for stripers around the mouths of the Blackwater and Yellow rivers.
SANTA ROSA SOUND
Look For: Redfish, sheepshead and spotted (speckled) seatrout.
Comments: If black drum are being caught around the East Pass jetties, then they’re possibilities around the Coast Guard Station Destin jetty, as well as bridge pilings far and wide. Sheepshead, though far from abundant, remain available for those willing to chase them. Also look for reds around bridge pilings and deeper holes near docks. Finally, don’t overlook fishing Gulf Intracoastal Waterway ledges.
CHOCTAWHATCHEE BAY
Look For: Gulf flounder, redfish, sheepshead and spotted (speckled) seatrout.
Comments: For Roy Ledbetter of Salty Bass bait and tackle in Fort Walton Beach and company, it was an odd, though very productive, morning of fishing Monday. Using shrimp-imitation lures and "wild shiner" softbodies, the take along southeastern shores of local bayous was about a dozen specks and 19 or more reds. Work the lures along the bottom. Despite the risk of being called a liar, Ledbetter added some of the fish were caught in knee-deep water. It was so cold during the morning outing that fishing line guides clogged with ice. The solution was dipping rods into the water to melt the ice. The anglers also came across a freshly deceased red. Lifting the fish into the boat, Ledbetter saw a "hog choaker" flounder folded in the red’s mouth. It was alive. The flounder was pulled out, dropped in the water and swam away. We suspect the red suffocated.
DESTIN-OKALOOSA ISLAND
Look For: Amberjack, black drum, gag grouper, gray triggerfish, little tunny (bonito), redfish, sheepshead and whiting. NOTE: New Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rules are now on the books to manage three species of Gulf of Mexico gamefish. The daily recreational bag limit for red grouper is two fish per person. When applicable, the red grouper must be included in the daily five-fish aggregate grouper limit. Wahoo and dolphin have been designated restricted species, which means they can’t be sold by recreational anglers without proper licenses. The daily recreational bag limit for dolphin is 60 per vessel, excluding 10 dolphin per passenger on for-hire boats. The daily recreational bag limit for wahoo is two per angler. Both dolphin and wahoo have to be landed whole. The recreational red snapper fishery is now closed in state and federal waters. It’s scheduled to reopen April 15 in state waters and April 21 in federal waters.
Comments: It has been slow going at the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier. There’s an occasional red or flounder caught , but that’s about it. Fishing analysts at Half Hitch Tackle in Destin report sheepshead and black drum at the East Pass jetties. That’s the first I’ve heard of drum being caught this winter. Sink shrimp, live or frozen. Trolling deep-diving lures in the pass has produced bull reds. In the surf, look for whiting or the rare red. If the wind continues to blow from the north, an eggsinker rig should be enough to keep your bait on the bottom. Offshore, head for structure in 100 feet or more of water. Grouper and amberjack are hitting. Also look for triggerfish, but use lighter tackle and smaller hooks. Cut squid works nicely on triggers.
NAVARRE BEACH AND VICINITY
Look For: Redfish, sheepshead and spotted (speckled) seatrout.
Comments: Cold weather means fishing the heads of bayous or creek or river mouths for specks and reds. Live bait is tough to come by this time of year, barring fiddler crabs I guess, so try shrimpimitation lures or softbodies mimicking finger mullet. Work lures slowly near, or on, the bottom. Sheepshead are hovering around structure such as the East Bay powerline pilings. Also look for stripers around the mouths of the Blackwater and Yellow rivers.
SANTA ROSA SOUND
Look For: Redfish, sheepshead and spotted (speckled) seatrout.
Comments: If black drum are being caught around the East Pass jetties, then they’re possibilities around the Coast Guard Station Destin jetty, as well as bridge pilings far and wide. Sheepshead, though far from abundant, remain available for those willing to chase them. Also look for reds around bridge pilings and deeper holes near docks. Finally, don’t overlook fishing Gulf Intracoastal Waterway ledges.
CHOCTAWHATCHEE BAY
Look For: Gulf flounder, redfish, sheepshead and spotted (speckled) seatrout.
Comments: For Roy Ledbetter of Salty Bass bait and tackle in Fort Walton Beach and company, it was an odd, though very productive, morning of fishing Monday. Using shrimp-imitation lures and "wild shiner" softbodies, the take along southeastern shores of local bayous was about a dozen specks and 19 or more reds. Work the lures along the bottom. Despite the risk of being called a liar, Ledbetter added some of the fish were caught in knee-deep water. It was so cold during the morning outing that fishing line guides clogged with ice. The solution was dipping rods into the water to melt the ice. The anglers also came across a freshly deceased red. Lifting the fish into the boat, Ledbetter saw a "hog choaker" flounder folded in the red’s mouth. It was alive. The flounder was pulled out, dropped in the water and swam away. We suspect the red suffocated.
Read that report for years back home. Just don't get me started on the guy that writes the reports for the NWF mullet wrapper. 