• Trouble logging in? Send us a message with your username and/or email address for help.
New posts

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
Paula said:
Are these fishing trips available between Christmas and New Years? We'll be there with 5 adults and 3 kids (ages 13, 11, and 6) and it could be fun. Thanks.

Check out Larry's website in the first post for contact info.
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
Fishing Report for:
Destin, Florida (nearshore).
Updated: November 29, 2005.




It's officially winter as most of my guide and captain buddies are off thier boats and into the woods with smokesticks. I think I'm the only fishhead around that dosn't hunt deer. Ilove to eat 'em, have cleaned dozens and make some of the best jeky you've ever had but pullin' the trigger does nothing for me. I'll chase birds or squirrels with a shotgun and have a blast tho! Lucky for me I've got enough friends that shoot more than they want to clean so my freezer stays full all winter.

The other sure sign of winter is these fronts coming through so fast. I was booked up for 8 days right at Thanksgiving and had to cancel half my trips and got talked into running one we came in early on. We caught plenty of fish but when it's pouring rain and only 60 degrees even most hardcore folks will give up. Of the three anglers on the boat that day only one was fussin' bout' having to quit early. The other three days were wonderful including one of those "magic" days.

If you've read my read ramblings for a while you'll remember me mentioning a dad and 2 daughter team that have fished with me reularly for 5-6 years. The girls are now 13 and 15 and can outfish most men ( they have embarassed several of dad's buddies). I got to take them on the day after Thanksgiving. We left the beach late ( 10AM) to take advantage of a dying North wind. By 11 AM the Gulf was as slick as it gets in August without the heat or humidity. At 2:05 PM we hit the beach with the cooler full of groupers . The biggest was in the 25# range caught by the 13 year old. Now as anyone who has done it knows a 25# "beach" grouper isn't like deep water grouper fishing. These fish fight all the way to the surface, try to run up and down the reef and don't quit even when in the boat. This gal is not a tomboy either but a demure little girl who likes pink things and ponies-. She and her sister just happen to be some very "bad ***" fisherman. Our total box was 18 grouper and 6 trigger with dozens of shorts being thrown back, The 15 year old gal caught the most landing a fish almost every drop and never missing a down. Dad came in second on the head count but he missed a few downs having to rest after a few better ones and missing a few more bites than his older daughter. Probably the most grouper the boat has ever seen on a 4 hour trip. The ones we kept weren't "just legal" either but a fine grade of fish. I just love it when a plan comes together!!

Not many trips left on the books this time of the year. There will be a bunch of folks down around Christmas and New Years wanting to fish but other than that it's time to work on boats and tackle. I hope santa brings everyone what they want for christmas- me I'm fine, just want more pretty days on the water..

capt Larry Pentel
 

Landlocked

Beach Fanatic
May 16, 2005
3,216
24
47
Alabama
You been recently, Kurt?
 

kathydwells

Darlene is my middle name, not my nickname
Dec 20, 2004
13,310
418
62
Lacey's Spring, Alabama
I loved reading this fishing report Kurt. Thanks so much for posting it. It reminded me when I was little up until my teens, I used to go fishing with my dad every Saturday and usually on Sunday. We would get up before the sun and get the boat loaded up and hit the river, not to come back until sundown. I sure do miss those day's, and this report sure brought back some wonderful memories!!!!!!
 

Landlocked

Beach Fanatic
May 16, 2005
3,216
24
47
Alabama
kurt said:
No, but I may hit some trout this afternoon. Weather.com says it's 53 today but it feels like 75 to me.

Love specs. Yumm!
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
Fishing Report for:
Destin, Florida (nearshore).
Updated: January 10, 2006.


A New Year!! I rang in the begining of another year of chasing finny critters over at Indian Pass. I can gladly report that the redfish are there and hungry.

I had several days of great weather conditions and low tides letting my anglers and I toss imitation temptations in front of hundreds of fish. Had 2 days where we saw over 300 fish each day and my anglers had shots at over 100 daily. The most memorable fish was a 32" red (12#?)that was caught on a fly- dang fish fought for 20 minutes and was still spunky when released. We caught fish on traditional 12# spinning tackle and on down to ultra lites with 4# as well as flies.

Alas the weather is warm again ( 75 in Jan. !!) and the wind has swung back South so I came home to Seagrove till the next cool snap. I did trout fish 2 days over there when conditions weren't favaorable for sight fishin' with good success. Fished Appalchicola Bay one afternoon and found a school of fish eager to bite- 'bout half of 'em legal-only a couple a "good' ones tho with the biggest at 20". Spent an afternoon "up the ditch" and found lots of fish- get a bite every cast for 5 or 6 casts and then that many casts to find the school again. These were all smaller fish with one out of 7 or so being keepers

The Grayton gang only had 2 days that were fishable offshore while I was gone. The boats I talked with found their share of grouper but said they had to run around some- glad there are still some left!

Unless you can get one of these picture perfect winter days for the Gulf the best bets for the next 2 months will be reds on the flats- trouts in the holes and deep pockets ( ditches) and of course, sheepshead around any large structure.

Go get 'em !!!! Every day you miss is one you can't replace !!!!!

Capt Larry Pentel
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
Fishing Report for:
Destin, Florida (nearshore).
Updated: February 20, 2006.




I know it's been a while since I wrote a report but it's that time of year when a good captain does boat work instead of fishinin'. A good rule of thumb is that every hour spent fishing requires 20 to 30 minutes of time spent working on eqiupment. During the summer when I'm running every day I spend about a hour a day just fixing whatever "glitch" needs it after cleaning the boat- this means that during the winter I have all that catching up to do---. By the end of this week all three boats and all those dozens of rods and reels will be ready to go again. Until the first few trips when I'm back to fixin' that daily "glitch" !!

While the weather for the past month has been pretty rough we finally got a break last weekend. On Saturday I ran a Dad and 2 eight year olds on as pretty a day as the Chamber of Commerce could have ordered. Foggy on the beach, small swell and pure glass and bright sun offshore. By 10 AM I was down to my short sleeves and wishing I had shorts on instead of jeans. The fish seemed to be enjoying the weather also. Our 4 hour trip boxed 5 nice grouper ( up to 17#) 3 redfish just under the upper slot, two triggers and couple dozen big pinks. We released a big redfish and a bunch of short groupers.

On Sunday I ran three anglers who had never been in the Gulf before but were hard core bass anglers. The day started cold and windy but I knew what was coming so we started late ( 9:45). The plan payed off as at 11:00 the wind died to nothing, the sun came out and it was another beautiful day. We did have a few issues with the " don't yank" technique, as all bass oriented folks do but we came back in with 7 nice groupers and a triggerfish. My folks were exited by how much meat they got on a half day trip. If they had gone during snapper season it would have been hard to carry the fillet bags as we threw back a bunch of good sized red snappers.

The surface water temp on the beach was 57- 61 about 4 miles offshore. There were HUGE schools of bait in 60 to 75 ft. water. Not cigar minnows or herring but smaller minnows about 2 to 3 inches long locally called silversides or anchovies. If all this bait stays in close there should be a movement of fish back inshore pretty soon. I tried a few spots in close but as usual for this time of year they were devoid of life- best fishing was from 85 ft on out, about 4 miles offshore and beyond. The fact I found the school of redfish on Sat.( in 70 ft.) is a good indication that the predators are starting in after the bait.

Only 1 month till cobia season !!!!!!!!! I had dreams about 'em this weekend and had a rod ready while bottom fishing,- just in case.

Capt Larry Pentel
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
Fishing Report for:
Destin, Florida (nearshore).
Updated: March 21, 2006.




It must be spring! The roads are packed with cars full of kids and there are bikinis on the beach!!

The fish have noticed and are starting the yearly move inshore- it must be that first bikini in the water that makes 'em start in---. I ran trips 3 days last weekend and we did good. I was supposed to run the past 2 days also but along with spring we get these fronts moving thru that make it a little to rough to be fun.

I bottom fished my clients and have not looked for cobias yet. There have been a few caught but the run has not really started. Amidst all the rumors I only know of half a dozen actual confirmed fish. This with several dozens boat looking multiple days--. I'm going to wait till this front is over and it warms back up ( 75 now but supposed to be 40 tomorow nite!) before I run a real cobia trip.

The triggers have moved back in to the inshore reefs along with the Red snappers. We caught a pile of snappers with 3 over 10# on one of my half days this week. All have to be released untill April 15th but they still fight good and photograph well! My 3 anglers had 19 triggers and 2 Black groupers in the box when we hit the beach so nobody went hungry without the snappers.

Still quite a few Groupers around. Ran a half with a couple of "regulars and 2 buddies and came in with 8 grouper (4 red, 4 black). 'Course the regulars landed 7 of the 8 and the buddies learned a bunch about short water grouper fishin'. Just 'cause you get the bite doesn't mean you can land the fish! On my last trip we were mainly after triggers ( came in with our 40 fish limit) but also had a couple grouper. The biggest was a red about 15# that ate a little tiny piece of squid on a trigger rig! The angler had quite the battle with the big boy AND a trigger on the little penn 3/0. Another great (true) fish story to tell his buds-

Lots of big schools of small minnows on the sand bar and big schools of cigs out in 75 to 90 feet. No sign of spanish or pompano yet though. My last trip the beach water was 65.5 degrees. After this blow is over and the sun comes back out it should hit the magic 67 degrees pretty quick. I believe this is going to be one of those years when the flood gates just open up and all of a sudden one day everything is here and hungry.

I plan to be cobia fishing that day--- come join me.

Capt Larry Pentel
 
New posts


Sign Up for SoWal Newsletter