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Random Quote: Who cares, I scheduled this trip with the wife and we're going somewhere rain or shine.
Still new to the gulf fishinig stuff. We're headed down to Destin in mid-may. Wanted to know any info about spots, bait or whatever. Just picking some brains. Got a Grady 228 f225 so decent range is a possibility. Thanks for the info!
We'll be over in Ft. Walton in May. Staying at Pirates Bay condos.
We plan on offshore fishing a couple of days.
I fish the edge out of Orange Beach sometimes.
Running out of Destin I plan on fishing the other side of the edge. About a 25 mile run to the deeper water where it starts dropping off.
I have never fished that side but it looks to be about the same on the charts.
I just look for rocks, humps, drop offs, ledges, etc. and fish the bottom for red snapper,vermillion snapper and grouper. I have caught blackfin tuna on top and nice amberjack deep but that was during the late winter. I don't know if the aj's and blackfins are there year round or not.
If its like the west side of the edge it won't be hard to find some natural bottom to fish.
Get a gulf chip for your gps. Run SW out of Destin to the edge (closest deep h20). You can fish some of the public #'s but by then they will be pretty well picked off. Cobes will probably be gone by then. Just watch your bottom machine @ the edge. When you are bottom fishing make sure to put a flat line out w/ a livey (hardtail if possible) on a stinger rig. Mahi, Blackfin, kings a possibility this way. Maybe even a hoo if you're lucky and the water is right. You will most likely see some grass (scaterred or lined up). Fish it. Look for subltle rips too. Lots of stuff to be had on even the most sublte one. email when you are down. My boat is being repowered now and will be done next week. Looking forward to more offshore fishing this year w/ reliable power. Always nice to buddy boat when you have a single engine.
Hi guys, just joining in my sons post. Your help is VERY appreciated!!! redfish86, if you're up for buddy boating that would be great. Please give me a pm with some contact info and lets talk about that.
Questions:
1 Lots of references to "the edge" and to the "other side of the edge" - I'm looking at my garmin software on the computer now and am not sure exactly what i should be looking for to ID it. I'm sure it references a steep slope from relatively shallow to deep, but about how far out are we talking?
As you can see by the questions, we're "newbies" to the gulf (we normally fish wrecks and artificial reefs off Hilton Head, SC).
2. When we fished last year out of Panama City, we got a lot of help from Half-Hitch tackle and ESPECIALLY from THTer "BigNUgly". By any chc does Half-Hitch have a location near Destin?
FYI, we'll be in Destin 5/12 to 5/19 and will be slipped at Baytown Marina. We'd love to hear from any THTers that want to meet up.
The edge is about 22 or so miles out of the east pass. Half Hitch has a location in Destin and their friendly and I'm sure will offer some help. I've only started fishing the gulf myself so I can't be much help. Go to MyFlorida.com and search for Artifical reefs and look for Okaloosa County. You'll get all you need. You can jig for bait just outside of the pass. You should see all the boats there in the AM. Hope ya'll do well. Let me know if you need anything else and I'll see if I know or not
I came down here from Atlanta about 2 years back. We were in Kennesaw but grew up around Tucker.
Hi guys, just joining in my sons post. Your help is VERY appreciated!!! redfish86, if you're up for buddy boating that would be great. Please give me a pm with some contact info and lets talk about that.
Questions:
1 Lots of references to "the edge" and to the "other side of the edge" - I'm looking at my garmin software on the computer now and am not sure exactly what i should be looking for to ID it. I'm sure it references a steep slope from relatively shallow to deep, but about how far out are we talking?
As you can see by the questions, we're "newbies" to the gulf (we normally fish wrecks and artificial reefs off Hilton Head, SC).
2. When we fished last year out of Panama City, we got a lot of help from Half-Hitch tackle and ESPECIALLY from THTer "BigNUgly". By any chc does Half-Hitch have a location near Destin?
FYI, we'll be in Destin 5/12 to 5/19 and will be slipped at Baytown Marina. We'd love to hear from any THTers that want to meet up.
sent you a PM.
we'll be down there on 5/8 to 5/11.
if you'll have access to a computer while you are there i'll send you a PM when
i get back and hopefully an offshore report.
You can email me @ brianconnell@mchsi.com. The repower got all screwed up but the end is near. Pick her up w/ a new ETEC tomorrow!
Yes, HH in Destin is on 98 just past (west) of the Donut Hole. On N side of road. Go to www.halfhitch.com. They have a list of public #'s that you can try. Email whenb ya'll come down. I'm always up for some fishing!
on my garmin software, 228 at about 28 miles from the East Pass is the 300ft break (that's "The Edge" you hear everyone talking about around here. AKA "SW Edge"). 180 at about 26 miles is the 200 break. 36 miles is the 300 ft break. I have fished that 300drop around 180 out of the pass and it was pretty good. Found some BIG rocks trolling a weed line out there. Did not bottom fish but got a nice blackfin on top while killing a bunch of mahi. There were several destin charter boats out there on my last trip out too so that's usually a good sign. I think we even saw some longline gear on the same trip so there must be fish out there on the bottom if those guys are going after it.
Thanks once again for the extra info!! Redfish86 and swrock, I'll be in touch with you real soon! Redfish, congrats on the repower - I'm looking foward to seeing that new ETEC you have!! Let's definitely plan on getting together. I'm drooling at the thought of BFT and mahi bloodying our deck!!!
Hey guys! If your interested in meeting up before then or in Destin or both I'll be down there may-12th thru20th with a few friends to try our luck for some decent weather. I've been fishing that inlet for about 10 yrs now so I do Okay but only when we have good weather. I'm in a grady 228 as well so buddying up would be great. I love to make runs to the ledge and try my luck there as well as runs to the nipple when the seas are right. The 300'ledge is 32 miles every time I've run it and I've caught plenty of tuna,dolphin, kings, grouper, and a sailfish off of it. The nipple is 47 miles out and it's the 600'edge into the canyon. Same fish listed as above other than I can't fish tthe bottom in 600 to 1000 feet of water but I am looking for that first elusive wahoo and marlin. I am more into trolling than bottom fishing mostly because I am better at it but I do catch some decent bottom fish on the down riggers if I bounce them on the bottom on the topside of the ledge( 180 to 200). We stay in destin harbor at some condos but neither of us will be to far from the inlet so if your interested in hooking up and sharing secrets or buddy boating to the deep stuff pm me and let me know!
Went Sunday to a live bottom spot 20 miles ESE of DTS. Only a few miles offshsore of Seagrove area. Had some nice BIG bites on the first 2 drops but broke off Brought up a few NICE snappers and one very nice 14# gag. Even caught a small Scamp out there (only 100' of water!). Opposing wind/current made staying on the spot tough w/ a single. I think we dragged the fish away from the holes cause the bite just shut off. Cruised the beach for cobes and had a nice bite but she ate halfway down the eel and not on the hook thru the jaw. No tower on my boat so it's kinda hard to compete w/ the big boats w/ 30' towers. Saw a HUGE 'cuda on the 2nd bar just hanging out. Lotsa sharks too. Saw a school of very large jacks (easy over 250 fish). We were not rigged for them and apparently they do not like cobia jigs or eels. Ended the day w/ some nice bottom fish for dinner though. Got a chance to go on a half emptry cobia charter yesterday and absolutely killed 'em. Caught 9, biggest 70#'s. The other 5 we kept looked like clones @ around 40-45#. Saw same school of jacks, 50# smoker king (cut off a perfectly good eel and Owner hook), 100 Tarpon, 250#ish mako. Mate and Capt. said this is the "fishiest" they have seen Destin in 35 years. Looking forward to a great season!
Edit: Cigar minnows are in! Make an extra an hour of fishing time, get rid of those sabikis and call Live Bait on VHF 80. WELL worth 20 bucks or so. He hit me with some cigs that you could have fileted! Get there early though!
Redfish86,
Wow!!! We're really looking forward to the trip. Awesome fishing report!! How's that new ETec working out? I bet you are pleased with the repower!!!
Our plan is to spends Sunday 5/13 doing the Half-Hitch trip for licenses and misc tackle, and then rigging up the gear for a Monday AM start. Fingers are crossed for good weather that week. I'll give you a call soon. Fisherman for Life will be there with his GW228 and we're hoping for a run to the ledge. We need to share phone numbers so PM me, ok?
Hey redfish- if you see those schools of jacks again throw a topwater mirrolure at them and give about a half a twitch before you'll be into the fight of your life if its light tackle. A year ago april I found a similar school cruising the second sand bar just west of the pass and throwing a few topwater plugs was a blast. I haven't found to many schooled up fish that won't hit the mirrolure but those jacks were especially fun. Until you are able to separate the fish you hook from the rest of the big azz school you might as well hook the school bus that comes in front of our houses daily. I hope we can all make a deep water trolling day together as a buddy system. That would be fun and I'm looking forward to meeting any THT'ers that are in the area when I'm there. Me and 1 of my partners will be arriving next Sat. and will probably try to get a pole spot troll in before sunset to possibly pick up a king or blackfin to throw on the grill but sunday will be our first hard hitting day (weather pending). Monday may be a short day for me with bluewater out because my 2nd partner will be arriving. All other days I'm happiest if the weather allows me 30 to 50 miles out into the blue water and if some one or others want to buddy boat up I'm all for it! My primary targets will be tuna, dolphin, wahoo, and bills but I will spend some time on the top ledge loading up on grouper as well I just like to hit the bottom quick for some tasty tablefare and move on to the more elusive critters of the sea in my case! Good luck to everyone and let's slay some fish. I'm SO ready for this trip I can't stand it until its here.
Destin in May 
Brought up a few NICE snappers and one very nice 14# gag. Even caught a small Scamp out there (only 100' of water!). Opposing wind/current made staying on the spot tough w/ a single. I think we dragged the fish away from the holes cause the bite just shut off. Cruised the beach for cobes and had a nice bite but she ate halfway down the eel and not on the hook thru the jaw. No tower on my boat so it's kinda hard to compete w/ the big boats w/ 30' towers. Saw a HUGE 'cuda on the 2nd bar just hanging out. Lotsa sharks too. Saw a school of very large jacks (easy over 250 fish). We were not rigged for them and apparently they do not like cobia jigs or eels. Ended the day w/ some nice bottom fish for dinner though. Got a chance to go on a half emptry cobia charter yesterday and absolutely killed 'em. Caught 9, biggest 70#'s. The other 5 we kept looked like clones @ around 40-45#. Saw same school of jacks, 50# smoker king (cut off a perfectly good eel and Owner hook), 100 Tarpon, 250#ish mako. Mate and Capt. said this is the "fishiest" they have seen Destin in 35 years. Looking forward to a great season!
