Fishing in Destin

[Chickapin]

My family and I will be in Destin later on this week and I'm going to bring the kayaks. Anybody here know of some good places to fish? What kind of gear should I bring? Thanks for the help guys.

[yak-aholic]

I didn't see the post, but Ijuswannafish said he saw something about free fishing weekend in Fl this weekend. May not have to buy a out of state license.

[Glwlsu]

Free fishing was last weekend and weekend before that. Go to the bridge going into Destin there is a parking lot under bridge on south side. Bulls run through there. Their is a coast guard station on left side of the pass all around there is good fishing. If you know where the original hog's Breath was there is a great launch down that road. I fished there last Friday lots of bait fish.

I would stop at the half hitch Bait shop/sporting good store on north side of road after you come into destin and they have a free map with all kind of info on it. Shows every launch around the bay. Called Boating and angling guide to Choctawhatchee Bay it's freeproduced by Choc. Basin Alliance website www.basinalliance.org

[ijuswannafish]

Sorry, I had my dates all messed up.Thanks for clearing that up Gairi.

[Chickapin]

Thanks for the insight Glwlsu. I figured that pass would be a good place to start. Last year I stopped by Half-Hitch to buy my dad a rod and reel, they were great to work with. Would you recommend live bait?

Also, I noticed the free fishing weekends, but I haven't heard anything about them extending it. Anyone know the cost of an out of state FL license?

[Kingfish]

I just got back from Seagrove Beach. $17 for three days.
I go mainly for the beach time but like to throw a silver spoon into areas I see baitfish feeding from the beach. Ladyfish, blues, and small jacks, probably some Spanish Macs but I didn't catch any. Daughter caght a flounder on a pompano rig with shrimp from the beach. Saw a big cobia lolly gagging under my yak in about 25 ft. but he wouldn't take the spoon.
I also saw two sea turtles and dozens of eagle-type rays this trip, right up near the beach. Very cool.
Choupique can give you some sailfish pointers.....

[GreenWave]

There's a nice park with a super easy launch on Hogtown Bayou. Try the points where the mouth of the bayou meets the bay. Also, I had good luck with the sheeps at the bridge Gairi describes. I was getting them steady on live shrimp, but a local was slaying them with shucked oysters.

[Glwlsu]

I caught Mangrow Snappers small on Tsunami under a popping cork, we caught small trout also and I caught a few fish (think tey were Bay snappers) not sure. Used Curly tail Gulp and getting hit on every cast. They loved biting off the tails !!!! Great fun with my 16 year old nephew. Saw the largest stingray under my yak it was about 25' across it's back. I thought it was a sand bottom until it started swimming. Tried to get a pic but didn't come out !!!! The people at Half Hitch can help you out they are really good guys and very friendly to yakkers !!!!!

[Branch_Office]

Glwlsu...Is that a typo on the stingray size (25') ? If not, that was one big ray. I did not know they could get that big. I freaked a little when I caught one at PP7 - my first one in the yak.

[Glwlsu]

It was well over my wingspan X 2 It was pretty big. Sure it would have been a "master" catch !!! Kinda glad it got the hell away from me !!! Largest one I have ever seen. Think they are close into tha mate. We could see groups of 20 or so 18" rays swimming down the beach from our 14th floor condo.

[Chickapin]

Wow, hope we don't run into any rays like that...just in case we want to get foolish though, where did you see them?

[ReelThrill]

I caught Mangrow Snappers small on Tsunami under a popping cork, we caught small trout also and I caught a few fish (think tey were Bay snappers) not sure. Used Curly tail Gulp and getting hit on every cast. They loved biting off the tails !!!! Great fun with my 16 year old nephew. Saw the largest stingray under my yak it was about 25' across it's back. I thought it was a sand bottom until it started swimming. Tried to get a pic but didn't come out !!!! The people at Half Hitch can help you out they are really good guys and very friendly to yakkers !!!!!


That is one big ray. I doubt it would be a Southern stingray at that size, but it is definitely possible it was a Manta ray or Devil ray. I have seen Mantas at about that size many times in he Bahamas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manta_ray

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray

[Razoryak]

Another large Sting Ray (Sorry I couldn't resist)

[Glwlsu]

We were under the IC bridge in Perdido Bay area. It was next to a hugh boat.tink it was feeding off tie off posts. Was brown really thought it was the sand bottom until it started swimming. Pretty neat. Just glad I wasn't wading in the water.