Destin Fishing Report for August 2024
Once again, Destin, FL remains one of the luckiest ‘not so little’ fishing villages. There have been some changes to the open seasons for a few of Destin’s target species. The big news this month is that Red Snapper season is over. Amberjack is now right around the corner starting September 1st and running through the endo of October. However, there is still a lot of action to be had in the Destin, FL area.
Inshore
Redfish has been the name of the game in the area. To produce the best results, live shrimp from local tackle shops on a leader under a popping cork just over the grass flats. For keeper redfish, the key is fishing structure around high tide. The docks in Choctawhatchee Bay have been fruitful as of late. Again, live shrimp works well but also, cast netting some finger mullet and using those in place of the shrimp have been landing bigger fish. Early and late high tides have shown the most success. If you find the trout, they will hit these baits as well. Be sure to book an inshore charter guide to get out on the Destin, FL waterways.
Nearshore and Offshore
In Destin, we are now in the end of State water Red Snapper season. If sportsmen in the Destin area are still trying to target red snapper, they will need to find a federally licensed charter to fish those waters. Be sure to book an offshore charter to get out there and limiting out should be quick, so be prepared to go trolling for Kings, Spanish & Wahoo for the remainder of your trip. For those of you who prefer bottom fishing, triggerfish is re-opening so a lot of the by catch sportsmen have released in the past can now be harvested. Cut squid on two hook drop rigs will produce fish. As mentioned last month, Amberjack is currently closed in State waters but will reopen September 1st and run through the end of October. For deeper waters off Destin, trolling for Wahoo and Mahi Mahi has been productive. The King Mackerel have made an early departure to the deeper waters due to higher than usual water temperature in 2024.
Beaches and Piers
In the Destin area, the June grass was not as bad as years past therefore, clean water should be able to be found on beaches and piers especially around the Okaloosa Island pier. King mackerel have remained steady on the pier up until a few weeks ago, they may make a brief return towards the end of the month it the temps cool. Shark fishing has been excellent on all the Emerald Coast beaches in 2024. One strategy would be to catch some hardtail or bluefish on the piers using Gotcha lures, then rig them on heavier gear to target sharks from shore. Additionally, bull reds have been reported patrolling the shoreline. Live shrimp and cut crab will entice these giants to bite.
