Here lately in Destin, Florida we have been having some crazy weather patterns but are finding a few days pretty days a week between the fronts to get our Destin inshore fishing on. There are fish to be caught but with cold fronts coming through some days can be tougher then others. Keep in mind with cooler water temps fish are a lot less active and it tends to take a little longer to get bites as fish are roaming around slower. So while fishing don’t give up too soon and keep at it.
In the back bay of the Destin Florida it’s that time of the year the speckled trout migrate towards the rivers to get ready to spawn over the next couple months. As the vast majority of the trout will be found close to the rivers and in the rivers there are still a few around in the bayous to be caught. Remember if using lures to slow your retrieve down. Its also that time of the year to start seeing the bull reds working baits in deeper water. You can generally find the redfish in the deep water with the help of the birds. If you see birds working the water it’s always a good sign and generally a for sure sign that there are predator fish feeding and pushing the baits to the surface. Here lately we have also been catching blackdrum and sheephead around the pillings bridges. Yup it’s time for the annual cleaning of the bridge pillings. Make sure to bring a scraper or shovel fishing if you’re targeting sheepshead so be able to scrap some barnacle off the pillings to chum the sheephead up. If fishing docks look for a mixture of redfish, sheepshead, blackdrum, and speckled trout.
As for gulf fishing the primary type of fishing going on is bottom fishing. The vast majority of species are closed for the year including amberjacks, redsnappers, and triggerfish but there are still a variety of snappers to target. While bottom fishing we have been targeting mingo snappers, mangrove snappers, white snappers, and a variety of porgies which are all great eating. There is plenty of action though between triggers and redsnappers to have a blast and they make awesome photos before releasing. Although it hasn’t been the best year for flounder there flat fish are still around and can be caught on inshore wrecks.
Check back next month as the new seasons for amberjacks and trigger fish will be announced for the 2019 season. Redsnapper season is generally not finalized til around April.
If you are planing a trip to Destin, Florida this winter, Destin Inshore Guides fishes year around so be sure to give us a call and let us take you out to catch your next memory of a lifetime. Till next time Tight Lines.