Wow, school is out and Summer 2018 is here.  The busy season is here and we are fishing every day and keeping up with the fish.  Some days are better then others with all this crazy weather patterns we have had lately but we are still staying on the fish every trip.  Don't forget Redsnapper season opens up on June 11th and will be open for 40 days.  Gulf charters availability is getting limited so make sure to book your charter as early as possible. 

The bay fishing has been good.  We are still finding some trout when we are able to find the prime baits for trout fishing.  The grass flats are starting to hold bait bringing the trout and redfish to the flats.  As for fishing structure like docks and the bridges we are still catching a few blackdrum, redfish, and lots of mangrove snappers.  If you're wanting to target some big bull reds we have been doing well on the outgoing tide soaking big baits, as well as spot casting them on calm days on the flats and down the beach.  With all the bait fish becoming more plentiful the skipjacks, spanish mackerel, and bluefish will make for plenty of action. 

Out in the gulf while trolling we are targeting spanish mackerel, king mackerels, and bonitas.  This is the time of the year though that the beaches are loaded with bait and you just never know what you may catch trolling like a cobia or mahi mahi.  This is the time of the year that the shark fishing is best.  We are catching plenty of blacktips and spinners sharks on light tackle on the beaches as well as a variety of bigger sharks on the reefs.  Bottom fishing we are targeting trigger fish, vermilion snappers "aka mingos snappers" and white snappers.  The red snappers continue to be plentiful and open up on June 11th. As for amberjack and triggerfish they both went out of season starting June 1st be we are catching them for great photos and release them.  Give us a call to book your next family fishing adventure while visiting the Destin, Florida area this summer.

Wow, time is flying, Summer 2018 is right around the corner.  Weather is warming up and afternoon showers are starting to show up signifying summer is here.  Water temps are on the rise, bait fish are showing up, and fishing is heating up.  If you're planing a trip to Destin, Fl area and plan on fishing, remember to book your fishing trip as early as possible as there is limited availability.  

As for fishing, the bite as been good and is just getting better each day.  In the back bay with the bait fishing showing up in full force the fishing as come alive.  We are seeing alot more action on the flats with bluefish, skipjacks, spanish mackerel, and trout.  While fishing around structure we are catching redfish, mangrove snapper, and an occasional blackdrum still.  Majority of the redfish lately on the docks continue to be just under slot making for plenty of action and occasional slot fish to bring home for dinner. 

Out in the gulf while trolling we are targeting spanish mackerel, bonita, and king mackerels.  Bottom fishing we are targeting trigger fish, vermilion snappers "aka mingos snappers", white snappers, and amberjacks.  The red snappers continue to be plentiful but continue to be closed but we are catching them for great photos and releasing them.  

Wow, time is flying is Spring Break 2018 is in the history books.  Mother nature continues to make it difficult for us but the fishing continues to be good.  It seems like every time the water temperature climbs back up to the low 70s we get hit with a cold front and it drops back down to 66-67 degrees.  Even with the crazy weather and all the fronts we have still been able to get on the fish every day.    

The sheepshead are starting to slow down but they continue to be a targeted species for the first couple weeks of April. Usually when the sheepshead slow down though the pompano make their appearance for their spring run.  In the mix of fishing for sheepshead and pompano we have been catching some redfish and mangrove snappers.  In the back bay the trout and mangrove snapper are starting to show up and we are still catching redfish and an occasional blackdrum.  Majority of the redfish lately on the docks continue to be under slot but there has been plenty of action. 

Out in the gulf while trolling we are targeting spanish mackerel along with a few king mackerels starting to be caught.  Bottom fishing we are targeting trigger fish, vermilion snappers "aka mingos snappers" and white snappers.  The red snappers continue to be plentiful and amberjack have started to show back up with the water warming back up, both species continue to be closed but we are catching them for great photos and release them.  Spring time is a unique time for our area to fish because there is such a variety of species to catch. 

Fishing continues to be good.  The water temps have slowing rise back up to 70 degrees this past week.  We had to fish through a lot of wind every day but it was well worth it.   

As the week went on we spanish mackerel became one of our prime targets. As for the bay as the bait fish move into the shallows the trout and redfish will begin hitting the flats. 

The sheepshead continue to be a target but are expected to slow down as the month of April goes on.  Usually when the sheepshead slow down though the pompano make their appearance for their spring run.  In the mix of fishing for sheepshead and pompano we typically catch redfish in the mix.  This past week we found some monster bull reds on the outgoing tide. In the back bay the trout and mangrove snapper are starting to show up and we are still catching redfish and an occasional blackdrum.  Majority of the redfish lately on the docks have been under slot but there has been plenty of action. 

Out in the gulf while trolling we are targeting spanish mackerel along with a few king mackerels starting to be caught.  Bottom fishing we are targeting trigger fish, vermilion snappers "aka mingos snappers" and white snappers.  The red snappers continue to be plentiful and amberjack have started to show back up with the water warming back up, both species continue to be closed but we are catching them for great photos and release them.  Spring time is a unique time for our area to fish because there is such a variety of species to catch.  Make sure to give us a call and get out on the water if you are planning a trip to Destin, Fl for spring break.

Fishing continues to be red hot.  This past week we were thrown a curve ball with the cold front pushing through over the weekend and dropping the water temperature from 72 degrees to 63 degrees.  The main species this weather drop affected was the spanish mackeral.  The bait fish moved back to deeper water early in the week.  As the week went on we started to see the bait show back up as the water temp slowly worked back up close to 70 degrees  and we also started to see the spanish mackerel show back up. 

Throughout the spring Spanish mackerel can be found around schools of baits and around the tide lines.  As the water continues to rise and the bait fish hit the shallower water we will see the spanish mackerel fishing fire up more.  As for the bay as the bait fish move into the shallows the trout and redfish will begin hitting the flats. 

The sheepshead continue to be a hot target as they are in the process of spawning.  In the mix of fishing for sheepshead we have also been catching nice redfish.  The majority of them are over the slot and are measuring between 28-32" and an occasional monster pushing 40".  As for in the back bay the trout and mangrove snapper are starting to show up and we are still catching redfish and an occasional blackdrum. 

Out in the gulf while trolling we are targeting spanish mackerel along with a few king mackerels starting to be caught.  As far as bottom fishing goes the bite is hot.  Trigger fish opened up on March 1st so you can add them to the list of species we are able to bring home.  We are also catching vermilion snappers "aka mingos snappers" and white snappers.  The red snappers continue to be plentiful and amberjack have been hit or miss with these cold fronts lately, both species continue to be closed but we are catching them for great photos and release them.  Spring time is a unique time for our area to fish because there is such a variety of species to catch.  Make sure to give us a call and get out on the water if you are planning a trip to Destin, Fl for spring break.

Spring fishing is here and its in full swing.  The water is at the magic temperature and the spanish mackerel have showed up.  To me the spanish mackerel making their appearance every spring signifies that the spring fishing is here. 

Spanish mackerel show up every spring when the water hits the right temperature and the bait fish show up followed closely by the spanish mackerel right behind them.  The reason this means so much to me is that in our bay and inshore gulf, when the bait fish shows up everything begins to start firing off.  As the bait fish move into the bay the trout and redfish will begin feeding in the shallower waters. 

This past weekend we fished in the 2018 sheepshead shootout tournament and what a day of fishing it was.  We had a steady bite throughout the whole day and ended up catching a solid fish to weigh in but came up a pound short.  The winning fish was 9.6lbs and ours weighed in at 8.6lbs. 

The sheepshead have begin making their move out to the gulf for their migration and are they hungry.  The past few days we have had a good grade of fish with them all weighing 5-7lbs.  In the mix of fishing for sheepshead we have also been catching nice redfish.  The majority of them are over the slot and are measuring between 28-32".  As for in the back bay the trout and mangrove snapper are starting to show up and we are still catching redfish and an occasional blackdrum. 

Out in the gulf the spanish mackerel have showed up along with a few king mackerels.  There have also been reports of an occasional blackfin being caught in our area while trolling.  As far as bottom fishing goes the bite is hot.  Trigger fish opened up on March 1st so you can add them to the list of species we are able to bring home.  We are also catching some mingos and white snappers.  The red snappers and amberjack continue to be closed but we are catching plenty of them to take photos with and release.  Spring time is one of the best times in our area to fish so make sure to give us a call and get out on the water if you are planning a trip to Destin, Fl for spring break.

This fishing report is from the results of Destin fishing charters with Destin Inshore Guides the last week of February. 

Here at Destin Inshore Guides we finished off February with a bang.  All week we battled with mother nature dealing with high winds forcing us to stay in the back bay.  With non-consistent weather all winter and the water still being dirty from all the rain created some of the toughest fishing conditions.  This didn't stop us from getting on the water and putting in 110% effort. 

What a variety of fish we were able to capture this week.  Out of three trips we were able to capture almost every species in our bay.  On the first trip we had some experienced anglers on board and spent the morning throwing artificial lures.  We managed to catch half a dozen trout, a lady fish, and several under slot redfish.  The next two trips we used all live bait and what a variety of fish that resulted in.  This time of the year all the fin baits are too small to catch in a cast net so we mainly use live shrimp.  On these trips we caught bluefish, black drum, redfish, trout, and sheepshead.  Under the conditions we had to work with the results were well worth the effort. 

In the next few weeks fishing is going to improve every day.  The water temperature has reached the magic number earlier this year then it has in the past several years.  This makes everything happen, bait fish show up and behind the bait fish come all the predator fish.  The spanish mackerel and king mackerel should make their appearance any day now.  Along with the sheepshead bite firing up as they begin to spawn.  As always, you can't catch them sitting on the couch so get out there and see what happens. 

2017 Destin Fishing Rodeo is in the history books and is going to be one to remember for a lifetime for Capt. Josh.  Thanks again for all our clients that came down in October to fish with us and be apart of the 2017 Destin Fishing Rodeo.  The Destin Fishing rodeo is part of our town's heritage and history.  October is something our whole area looks forward to year after year for the Destin seafood festival and Destin Fishing Rodeo. 

This year was a tough year for participants with such harsh weather conditions.  There was only about a third of the month were the gulf was fishable for most, even though some hardcore anglers battled the seas on the rougher days.  But here at Destin Inshore Guides we had  a lot of troopers who were willing to battle the weather and in return were rewarded.  At the end of the month we finished off with 27 daily winners and on the big leader board finished 1st in the Redfish, Flounder, and Red grouper division and 2nd in the redfish and blackfin tuna division.  Congrats again to our lucky anglers in the rodeo and we look forward to doing it again next year. 

The last award Destin Inshore Guides brought home was the Captain of the Year award for our division.  Fishing against many of the old timers Capt Josh grew up watching and learning from, this meant a lot to him to be able to receive this award from the Destin Fishing Rodeo.  We want to thank all our clients for choosing Destin Inshore Guides to take them fishing, none of this would be possible without yall. 

We are very thankful and proud to announce the newest addition to Destin Inshore Guides Fleet.  We have been blessed with the opportunity to trade in our Triton 225 for a Sea Hunt Gamefish 25. 

This boat is absolutely amazing all around from looks to performance.  Measuring in at 25'6" and 9' wide it is a very stable fishing platform.  Its powered by two Yamaha 150 4 stroke outboards, getting us to the fishing spots fast, quite, and reliably.  There is plenty of seating all around the boat with seating on the bow, midship, and stern of the boat.  One of the best features about the gamefish 25 is that it has a full operating head/bathroom making it family friendly for the kids and women. 

We enjoyed having the triton 225 but we are stoked about the opportunity to offer this boat to our clients this year.  This boat is going to provide a drier and more comfortable ride with it being another 3' bigger and almost 3000lbs heavier.  Give us a call to book your charter and help us break in this boat.  Destin Inshore Guide Call 850-502-9170 to reserve your spot today.