Destin Fishing Report 5-11-25
A good reason to never trust the weather forecast was Friday. If you looked at it showing over 3ft you would have stayed home. It did show 5 seconds but was more like 7 seconds and not nearly 3ft maybe 2ft at the most. Yes, they can miss it both ways. The best thing many days is to get up, go to the bridge, catch bait and then go check out the pass! Never pass up a day to fish!
Let's talk about bait! It has been steady around the bridge and pass now. The bait boat will be starting up production on Memorial Day weekend. I for one will be happy to see the bait boat out there, the guys with Fresh Fish Live Bait are awesome!
With the Offshore trolling season upon us now is a great time to check out our expanded offshore trolling section! We have added many new items from Fish Razor, Tormenter, Redeye, Fathom, Nomad, Bluewater Candy, and more! Its time to get after the wahoo, mahi, tuna and marlin.
Pier Fishing
Redfish have returned to the pier and are biting in the shallows with the pompano.
Spanish are available most days on Yo-Zuri, Rapala, and Got-cha lures.
Kings show up some days and tarpon are not biting yet but will any day now.
I don't think there were any cobia this week but I could have missed one or two.
Surf Fishing
Pompano are steady and biting sand fleas fresh or frozen, fresh peeled shrimp, and FishBites. Get some pompano rigs, sputinik sinkers, and a sand flea rake.
There were quite a few ladyfish and hardtail in the surf zone also.
Nearshore Trolling
Offshore Trolling
As mentioned earlier this is prime time to get a offshore trolling trip in. Check your Hiltons or Ripcharts App for the location of the blue water and temp breaks. You will find almost all the species now including wahoo, tuna, mahi, and marlin if you have the location to blue water and temp breaks. Add to that the last few weeks have produced many daytime swordfish bites it's definitely time to head offshore.
Bottom Fishing
Whether you call them black snapper, mangrove snapper, or gray snapper, they are abundant right now in state waters over natural bottom. Look for tiny specks in the water column, then chum with cut mackerel or cigar minnows. Fish 30lb leader with 3/0 Owner Mutu Light hook and no more than a 20z lead and as little as none. You want your bait to sink at the same rate as you chum.
Other things biting well at the moment are vermillion snapper, triggerfish, and a few almaco jacks.
Bay Fishing
