One-stop shop fishing
If you’re looking to hook up with some fish, there's no need to drive all over. Destin offers one-stop fishing in more ways than one.
Not only does Destin harbor hold more than a 100 charter boats with some of the most experienced captains around but they offer customers one-stop fishing of sorts.
Alabama and Illinois anglers on the Finest Kind with Capt. Jason Mikel did some of that one-stop fishing on Monday. They pulled in their limit of amberjack, triggerfish, several mingo and a scamp.
“It was good fishing today … like it has been,” said Capt. Mikel.
As a matter of fact, deckhand Alex said they started fishing for amberjack at about 7 a.m. and by 7:15 they had their limit.
“We made one stop for the amberjack and one stop for the triggerfish,” Mikel said.
They managed to hook the scamp along with the triggerfish.
Capt. Kyle Lowe and his group of Arkansas anglers on the Special K did a little of that one-stop fishing.
“We had our limit of triggerfish in the first 30 minutes,” Lowe said. He went on to say they could have had their limit two or three times over.
On the next stop they pulled in their amberjack.
“We had to go deep to get the amberjack,” Lowe said, noting they like those deep water wrecks and reefs.
In addition to the jacks they had mingo, white snapper and a scamp in the mix.
Capt. Scott Robinson on the Stress Relief II came in from a morning trip with a nice catch of king mackerel, triggerfish and mingo.
Anglers fishing aboard the Tropical Winds with Capt. Steve Allen loaded up on mingo, white snapper, triggerfish and a few amberine.
Capt. Matt Wheeler on the Swoop II took about 40 anglers out on Monday and brought in a massive catch of triggerfish. The limit is one per person, but by the time you haul out 40 triggerfish and put them on the rack … it’s pretty impressive looking. In addition to the triggerfish, they had mingo, white snapper, a lane snapper and a couple of Almaco Jack.
A little after lunch the Backlash with Capt. Chris Kirby at the helm backed in with plenty of amberjack tails sticking out the tub on the back deck. They brought in their limit of amberjack, which is one per angler with a 34-inch minimum, along with some huge mingo in the 3-pound range, white snapper, triggerfish and a scamp. His group of anglers were all the way from Alaska and North Carolina.
“We catch halibut and salmon,” said Charlie Summerville of Alaska.
When asked how the pull of an amberjack compared to some of the fish he catches back home, Summerville said, “Those things will whoop you … they’ll straight up wear you out. He tried to punish us today. But we prevailed, nobody gave up.”
South Carolina anglers aboard the Destination with Capt. Stan Phillips got their share of amberjack, along with triggerfish, mingo and a speckled hind. The speckled hind is in the grouper family, and basically looks like a small grouper with white measles.
Anyhow, his group of anglers had a great time.
“It was great … perfect day. It couldn’t get much better,” one of the anglers on the Destination said.
Capt. Allen Staples on the 100 Proof and his group of fishermen from Birmingham, Alabama, came in about 2 o’clock with a massive catch. They had seven big amberjack on the racks, several mingo, triggerfish and a pair of scamp.
“We couldn’t get away from the triggerfish,” Capt. Staples said.
The limit on triggerfish is one per person, with a 15-inch minimum.
Texas anglers on the Bow’d Up with Capt. Brady Bowman did it up big on Monday. They hauled in some huge amberjack, big triggerfish, a snowy grouper, mingo and a 35-plus pound Warsaw.
“It was tough pulling him in,” said Billy Hathcock who landed the Warsaw in the about 15 minutes.
But when asked if he was tired, “Hell no … we’re ready to go again,” Hathcock said.
Capt. Justin Hall and his group on the Maximus filled the racks with amberjack, triggerfish, mingo, white snapper and a bluefish.
Tennessee anglers on the Backdown 2 with Capt. Gary Jarvis got their share of amberjack. They had eight fat jacks on the racks along with a few triggerfish and mingo.
Fishing is good right now, as Capt. Mike said.
So make sure you make the one-stop in Destin to get in on some of that one-stop fishing.
See you at the docks.
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