ucf_motorcycle

I need some advice for inshore fishing near the Destin area. Was thinking of fishing around the Mid Bay Bridge but I don't know the area very well. Any advice for locations, times, and what tackle to use? I would appreciate any help.

Coryphaena

How close to the Pass do you need to be? If you go behind the Elks' Lodge (Okaloosa Island) and a little east, look for a whole mess of pilings minus their docks (used to be a marina back there). Drop live shrimp for grey snapper... but they're spooky so you'll need to drift or use a trolling motor. Good luck!

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ucf_motorcycle

I dont have any boundary limitations anywhere around Fort Walton or Destin will work.

kanaka

What kind of fishing have you done before?

Are you fishing from a boat?

If so, does it have a trolling motor?

Artificials only or can you toss a net?



Hard to answer your questions without more information.

But..... bayous and grass flats, anytime there is current movement, the lightest tackle you can get away with.

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ucf_motorcycle

I'm pretty novice .

I lived in Corpus Christi before. There I used to tie up to an offshore platform in the afternoon and bottom fish into the night. We would catch anything from snapper to sharks using squid and live shrimp. I also fished in the canals there and caught a few reds but they were all shorts (wrong time of year I think) and some trout mostly on top water lures.

No trolling motor, its more of an offshore style boat. But it seems that you have to go pretty far offshore here for the fish so I am looking for some closer alternatives as the gas isn't cheap. Plus I would like to have inshore options when the weather is bad offshore. I can toss a net. I had some time soItried my luck this afternoon.

I caught some pin fish with my net and headed for the mid bay bridge got there around 6pm. Dropped a few lines there about .25miles south of the channel. Tried a live pinfish, a piece of cut pinfish and some squid. Stayed there about 45min and didn't even get a bite. I headed to the Destin pass and it was getting dark already saw a boat anchored by the west jetty (he was on the canal side) I went around the jetty and anchored on the other side. Dropped my lines again and came up with several catfish but nothing else. I let em all go.They were hitting the squid and cut bait but not the live bait. Stayed there an hour or so till 8:30 and since it was dark I decided to head in.

It was kind of nice being out there with so little boat traffic but it would have been better if I caught something worth keeping.

reelfinatical

Try the Coast Guard station and underneath the Destin bridge too (try different legs each time)...

Coryphaena

ucf, there are also some good spots near the Shalimar bridge which is not too far of a run from the Pass. Approaching it from the bay side, watch your bottom machine as there is fallen structure just out from the bridge, and the Shalimar end seems to produce a little better. Careful of snags. I've had my best luck fishing it a few hours before the published tide, when the water is moving. Red tides last year did a number on the fishing in that spot, but over the last 6 months or so it's gotten better, and has been a honey hole for me for many years (depending on season- redfish, sheepies, grouper, Spanish mackerel, grey snapper, etc along with blues and ladies and a few oddballs thrown in for fun) In my experience, fishing slack tides is a reasonable guarantee for catfish bites.

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ucf_motorcycle

I launch from Fort Walton so the Shalimar bridge is even closer than the Destin Pass. I'll give it a shot next time I go out. I have heard the coast guard station before. Where exactly near the coast guard station?

reelfinatical

around their rocks .... there are some grassy areas over there too....

kanaka

OK, since fishing the docks is going to tough for you, try these options. Practice your "drifts" BEFORE you approach your fishing area. Comming in and leaving for another drift with the big motor will spook the fish. Just take into consideration the direction of wind and current and figure it out from there, you sure don't want to get too shallow, eh? Stopping/starting at least 100 yards away is a good start.



If the drift business is a big hassle, BRING the fish to you. Get a few blocks of chum and a chum bag (Wally World in FWB) and anchor up in 4'-8' of water. Toss it over and wait about 15 min or as long as you can stand and then put out some live baits. Try the same technique around bridge pilings.



There's a nice grass flat between Shalimar Point and Blacks Point to try these techniques, it's 3'+ up to the docks. Other fishy areas, grass at the mouth of the Narrows, grass to the west of White Point, ALL the bridge pilings at the Mid Bay Bridge.



As for the tackle, I'd stay with 20# class around the pilings and 10# on the grass. Use fluro leader 15-25. Ck out the Flats Class web site for the "flats class rig". Is nothing more than a "drop shot" rig and I think you'll be happy with it.

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