Destin Florida Inshore and Kayak Fishing - How & Where

Off of Meigs Park in Shalimar, the Gulf Islands National Seashore Park on Okaloosa Island, and along the north end of the Mid-Bay bridge always produce. I arrive about two hours before sunrise and fish lighted docks with a Zara Spook Jr for trout while pulling a 4-5" minnow jig behind my kayak using a Shimano bait runner for trout and redfish. After sunrise I sight cast to schools of redfish, bluefish, jack cravelle, and spanish mackerel. Around 8 am I cast top water along the channel and catch trout (20-26"), bluefish, small tarpon, larger spanish mackerel, and sail catfish. On top water I use an Abu Garcia baitcast reel spooled with 30lb braid and a 50lb flourocarbon leader, when I purchase my plugs I always upgrade my treble hooks and split rings.

I grew up in Ft. Walton in the 60's. I used to ride my bike from Ft. Walton to Destin and fish from the bridge. Destin was a very small fishing village. Beyond Destin there was nothing but beach, no buildings at all. My Dad took me fishing all the time in the Choctawhatchee Bay. I wish I still lived there.

Im a destin local and enjoyed your video. Wanted to let you in on some of my honey holes. Fish the docks behind destin yacht club in the harbor for monster flounder, legal black, vermillion, and white snapper. Often catch small groupers Spanish mackerel and every once and a while a keeper red snapper. Use heavy rigs they go straight for the pilings. Big baits dead or live and get them to the bottom quick to keep away from pinfish and other undesirables. Also in the afternoon when the party boats roll in and start to clean their fish behind Aj's restaraunt fish near where they are dumping scraps. The snappers are already chummed up there in numbers and hang in that area for a free meal.

This is a great video. Thanks so much for sharing.

I lived on Eglin for about a year for training, and I fished nearly every single day I had off. I didn't spend much time on the big water, but had a hobie to kick me around some of the inshore waters looking for trout and reds. My go to bait for trout were little 3 inch swimbaits in a copper flake color and white with chartreuse tails. The specks would also wreck a Heddon super spook junior in almost any color right before sunrise and right after sunset on the flats around cover. My biggest red came on one of the 3" swimbaits on 8# flouro. Right around 25 lbs. I'll probably be moving back after my tour in europe.

Great video! Thanks for sharing. I moved to the area this February and am just getting started doing some fishing. Great tips on locations and baits!

This was super helpful, thanks!

Great video Hydra.  You are spot on (pardon the pun) on the lures and your best fishing spots.  I typically get to Destin once a year and have fished all the spots on your video.  The West Jetty is NOT for the faint of heart and yes, it is a very long walk.  The East Jetty is much more accessible so it draws more anglers. For those who have never fished from Okaloosa Island Pier here is a suggestion.  Spend the $1.00 (not fishing) and go out there before dawn, watch the locals (pier rats as some call them) and you will learn a lot.  Next day come back armed with your fishing tackle and give it a try.  I have (many years ago) caught a tuna off the pier but they don't seem to run the pier like they once did.  King Mackerel, and in more abundant numbers Spanish Mackerel are often caught.  An occasional shark, porpoise (hooked up by accident) and Sea Gull are snagged also. Fish until 10:00am and then pack it up, go home and then come back right before dusk when the fish tend to feed again.  A must for the Pier is a Sabiki rig to catch bait fish and free line them. Good luck and thanks again for the video, great job!

vudu shrimp and mullet 3.5 works great with that clacker float and by them selves specks and reds

Use live shrimp for the bay. Fish the bayous near docks and you may catch redfish. For rod &reel i use peen battle 2 2500 and a light/medium rod for the bay it works great.

i use a miradine lure for speckled trout. they love it.

I use the Popping cork with shrimp, pinfish, or croakers down by Gulf Breeze/Navarre area just west of the 399 Bridge on the mainland side. I caught seatrout all day with my biggest being 27". A lot of fun.

great video, thanks for all the info man, appreciate it

@1:53 at the word 'Beach' in "Santa Rosa Beach" is Hog town Bayou, good spot for reds and trout, nice place to launch off of 393.

If your ever back in town you can launch at live oak landing in Freeport fl and fish the river heads with soft plastics and jig heads big trout also eat finger mullet is there favorite they eat in the morning or evening when there's a ongoing tide and when you get into one the school is there they travel in schools choctawhatchee river head the intercostal that area is the best for trout fishing

West size of the Destin bridge has a nice flat sand bed where red and trout gather misting early morning and sunset .

I will be down there for a week in June 10th thru the 15th plan on trying to wear my arms off casting!

A good place for trout and redfish is grass lake on the north side of Choctawhatchee bay near the mid bay bridge you may also catch the occasional flounder also

Nice vid great info

I just watched your video. I live in Okaloosa County (Destin area) and fish here all the time. If you wanna catch some Speckled Trout, use a Mirror Lure (suspended or top water) white with a red head. Those work awesome in the flats, on the west jettie, and in the bay. Good luck!