# Destin Oct 20, Need advice / tips,  pier, jetties etc



## weagle (Oct 5, 2008)

I've got a week of vacation (week of Oct 20) and I'm headed to the Destin Fl area. I plan to do as much fishing as possible and I also need to be in a spot that my wife  will like (nice pool, beach, restaurants etc). I plan on fishing the Jetties and pier.

Any suggestions? Don't really want to spend more than $1500/wk on the rental.  Looks like the Holiday Surf & Racket Club is convenient and reasonable.

Let me know what you think.  I've fished the pier a good bit in the past but not this time of year.  I love fishing with artificials ( bubble rigs, gotchas, spoons etc ) over bait but I'm not stubborn.   

East or west jetties the best?

Anything else including good restaurants appreciated.

Thanks
Weagle


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## Shane Dockery (Oct 5, 2008)

Okaloosa Island has a great pier.  It's out by Fisherman's Wharf.  I haven't been since I last lived there in '03, but I enjoyed it then.  Food is everywhere.  McGuire's is great (Destin), Old bay Steamer is the best steamed and boiled seafood.


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## T-Boy (Oct 6, 2008)

weagle said:


> I've got a week of vacation (week of Oct 20) and I'm headed to the Destin Fl area. I plan to do as much fishing as possible and I also need to be in a spot that my wife  will like (nice pool, beach, restaurants etc). I plan on fishing the Jetties and pier.
> 
> Any suggestions? Don't really want to spend more than $1500/wk on the rental.  Looks like the Holiday Surf & Racket Club is convenient and reasonable.
> 
> ...



Try a site called VRBO.com. Think thats it.  Tons of great places for half of what you mentioned. The site does not guarantee anything so be careful. I booked a room in PC and it was great. Pay with a credit card if possible and check out the owner of property. They have tons of rentals in Destin and they are in need of your business.

I fished the pier by the East Pass in Destin and had a good time a few years ago.


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## UWGduck (Oct 6, 2008)

i fished yesterday and the spanish and redfish we on the beach really thick. I was fishing just off the beach in my bay boat. Spanish on gotchas and reds on live pinfish. Redfish will just be getting better


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## weagle (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks guys.  Looks like I can get a nice place for about $700 within walking distance of the east Jetties.

I've caught redfish before on jigs and gator spoons.  Is there a good artificial for the reds.  

I love fishing bubble rigs with a trailer and gotcha's for spanish.

Any other good artificials that come to mind.

Weagle


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## jamessig (Oct 7, 2008)

East jetty will probably still have mangrove snapper, live shrimp or smallish pinfish are the top producing baits although I have seen some caught on gulp baits. Redfish have been pretty sparse this year, still worth a try though on an outgoing tide. Flounder haven't moved through the pass yet and should start heading out to near shore spots soon. Small live pins, finger mullet or big bull minnows will probably entice the larger fish, but artificials can and do produce some nice fish. Pompano should be in the surf, sand fleas or fresh dead shrimp are the best bets. Post again right before you head down and I'll let you know what's happening.


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## weagle (Oct 8, 2008)

Thanks.  I'll check back for an update in a week or so.  The long range forecast looks like the weather will be excellent.

I throw a cast net reasonably well.  Is there a good spot to throw for small mullet, pinfish or whatever bait?  back in the bay, boat launch, surf , other?

Weagle


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## jbi1104 (Oct 8, 2008)

The Red Bar at Grayton Beach is worth the drive. (20 minutes or so back towards PCB)  Cash only and usually limited to whatever 3 or 4 choices they write on the chalkboards.  I will be in the area around that time to so I will be checking here for fishing updates as well.


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## Shane Dockery (Oct 8, 2008)

jbi1104 said:


> The Red Bar at Grayton Beach is worth the drive. (20 minutes or so back towards PCB)  Cash only and usually limited to whatever 3 or 4 choices they write on the chalkboards.  I will be in the area around that time to so I will be checking here for fishing updates as well.



X1 on The Red Bar....Great food and worth the drive


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## jai bo (Oct 8, 2008)

weagle said:


> Thanks guys.  Looks like I can get a nice place for about $700 within walking distance of the east Jetties.
> 
> I've caught redfish before on jigs and gator spoons.  Is there a good artificial for the reds.
> 
> ...



I've caught bull reds on live croaker and white trout...If you get a big pin fish use them too.  Try floating one/free lining one/ and sinking one, you never know where in the water column they'll be...  Good luck and if the seas are calm and you wanna hook up during the weekdays while you are here shoot me a message, I live about 45 minutes from Destin and my boat is getting mad at me for not taking her out


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## XTREME HUNTER (Oct 8, 2008)

I have had nothing but GOOD experiences with VRBO & the McGuires Suggestion is a great one, make sure you go there.


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## weagle (Oct 8, 2008)

XTREME HUNTER said:


> I have had nothing but GOOD experiences with VRBO & the McGuires Suggestion is a great one, make sure you go there.



Yes,  thanks.  My wife used VRBO to find us a condo only a couple hundred yards from the east jetties.  It's going to run around $850 for the week.  

We'll be checking out the Red Bar also.  

Weagle


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## jbi1104 (Oct 8, 2008)

weagle said:


> Yes,  thanks.  My wife used VRBO to find us a condo only a couple hundred yards from the east jetties.  It's going to run around $850 for the week.
> 
> We'll be checking out the Red Bar also.
> 
> Weagle



See you there.  Actually the full name is Piccolo's Restaurant and The Red Bar.


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## jamessig (Oct 10, 2008)

weagle said:


> I throw a cast net reasonably well.  Is there a good spot to throw for small mullet, pinfish or whatever bait?  back in the bay, boat launch, surf , other?
> 
> Weagle



Any grass flat in the bay should be holding small to medium sized pins, croakers and possibly finger mullet. With some polarized sunglasses you can see pinfish flashing as they feed in the grass. A carcass will draw them together if they are spread out. You can probably get a kingfish carcass in the harbor where the charter boats dock in the afternoon. Any kind of fish will do really, but pins love oily fish. If you need some larger baits for offshore, try a sabiki tipped with small bits of squid off any dock or bridge. A five gallon bucket with battery powered air pump will hold several dozen small to medium sized pins all day if you change the water out a couple of times.


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## dchfm123 (Oct 10, 2008)

Dont know much about the shore fishing there, i have always chartered boats.  If you decide to go out on a boat look into the Backdown2, increadible boat best in destin.  Gary Jarvis is the owner/capitan i have never been disapointed.  I have caught a 50 plus pound grouper every time i have been and lots of other Big fish.  Lost a grouper that we are not sure how big he was bit the tackle that i had could not handle him.  Got him about 30 cranks off the bottom and he just took of for the bottom and there is nothing the 9/0 could do to slow him down, broke me off in the reef.  Also will take you out for game fish and such.  You might try renting a bay boat and fishing in the bay.  Lots of fun in there.  This time of year expect to catch anything.  The water is normaly clear enough to see the fish as well so you can sight fish with artificial lures quite well.



Food



Good food for the money - AJ's, its right by the docks has live music in the evenings on the deck that overlooks the charter boats.  Get to look a big fish and eat and listen to live music durring the nice cool october evenings, just get there early to get a table on the deck.  You can also bring your fresh caught fish in and they will cook it as well.

Best food on the strip = Harbor Docks, fresh unfrozen seafood best i have had in destin, great sushi but kinda pricey expect to spend 50 bucks a person min..

We always stay in the cheap days in right by the docks when we go so i cannot give you any advise there.  You may also look into renting a house for the week.


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## weagle (Oct 17, 2008)

I'm headed down to Destin this weekend.  Weather forecast looks good and I have some new tackle to try out. (7ft Allstar spinning rod) 

Any new fishing updates/tips?

Thanks
Weagle


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## jamessig (Oct 18, 2008)

PM sent.


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## weagle (Oct 21, 2008)

Thanks for all the tips. 

Fishing:  I've fished the east Jetty a couple of times as well as the Okaloosa pier this morning.  Haven't hit anything spectacular, but it's pretty steady on blues and spanish.     There are some big reds being caught on live bait, and I'm going to give that a try in the morning off the jetty.

Eats:  McGuire's, the Crab Trap and Hogs Breath have all been great.  

The weather has been absolutely perfect.  

A sunset pic from the east jetty

Weagle


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## weagle (Oct 22, 2008)

I fished the jetties this morning and never got around to catching any pin fish for bait.  The blues were hitting so good I just fished for them all morning.  I caught them on gotcha's, rattle traps and bubble rigs.  I caught a couple of ladyfish also.  The guys fishing with shrimp were catching a lot of small snapper and grouper.  

Some of the blues were pretty nice size.

Weagle


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## weagle (Oct 23, 2008)

Rainy and breezy this morning, but I headed out to the east jetty to try some live bait.  I caught some small pinfish and fished them on a circle hook and a 4oz pyramid weight.  Caught 2 redfish and lost another one.  This one is approx 43" log.  

Basically I did it just like you guys advised:  Fished the outgoing tide with live pinfish on enough weight to hold them in the current.

Thanks to all 

Weagle


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## weagle (Oct 24, 2008)

I'm digging the jetty fishing.  Went down and fished the outgoing tide this afternoon.  Caught a few pinfish for bait then caught some good reds.  I ran out of bait so I used a blue fish fillet to catch this last one.  

Weagle


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