How to Become the Luckiest Fisherman in America's Luckiest Fishing Village

Destin is best known as America’s Luckiest Fishing Village. Its placement on the Gulf puts it right by the 100- Fathom Curve, a place where the sea shelf drops 600 feet. This creates the famous luck of the village and has led to more billfish caught than any other port on the Gulf. Destin offers four times more types of fish per season than any place in Florida, besides Key West. Tempted to choose Destin as your next fishing vacation spot? If so, check out our tips and tricks on how to optimize the plentiful luck spilling out of this small fishing village.  

Destin has a type of fishing for anyone! Here is a list of types of fishing available in the area.

-Deep sea fishing  This is a very popular form of fishing. The east pass in Destin is just ten miles from 100 foot depths. Fishers can choose from Near Shore Fishing or Offshore Gulf Fishing. Near Shore Gulf Fishing contains 50-100 feet deep waters and is a popular option since you can still be a part of the beach scene. With Near Shore Gulf Fishing, you can catch king mackerel, triggerfish, grouper, bonito, shark, and red, white and black snapper. Offshore Gulf Fishing begins nine miles offshore and has 100-300 feet deep waters. These waters contain amberjack, tuna, grouper, marlin, snapper, sailfish, scamp, mahi-mahi, king mackerel, wahoo, triggerfish, shark and bonito.  

-Charter Fishing This is the easiest way to deep sea fish. The company will drive you to the best fishing spots and provide a fishing license along with rods and reels. Charters will also cold store your fish and clean it for you at the dock.  

-Bay Fishing The bays in the area include Choctawhatchee Bay, Destin Harbor, East Pass and inlets and bayous. Choctawhatchee Bay has a twice-daily exchange of fresh and saltwater, which means all types of fish can be caught here from Speckled Trout and Striped Bass to Redfish, Grouper, Flounder and Spanish Mackerel. This bay also offers endless bayous, creeks and rivers.  

-Destin Jetty Fishing Fishing on the jetties includes a trek through boulders, but is unanimously known as being worth it. The daily tidal changes make it the ideal place to catch bluefish, trout, flounder, sheepshead, grouper, redfish, and king and Spanish mackerel.  

-Fishing at the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier This pier juts out almost a quarter mile into the Gulf, making it a great spot to spend your day fishing. You can also rent tackle and bait and purchase snacks.  

-Fly fishing Our grass flats and dune lakes make it an ideal spot for any fly fishing enthusiast.  

-Surf fishing Destin’s shallow beaches and clear water make surf fishing a popular choice, and a great way to catch pompano (but beware: pompano pull as hard as fish twice their size).  

-Kayak fishing Like surf fishing, this kind of fishing allows you to be immersed in the beautiful waters while you fish your heart away. 

-Crabbing Crabbing Charters can take you to crabbing grounds and teach you the process to ensure you come back to your rental with some tasty treats. 

-Shrimping Shrimping is a fun, and rewarding, activity in the Gulf as people have been known to catch up to five gallons per day of shrimp.  

-Scalloping With a license, you can snorkel or scallop from a kayak with a landing (or dip) net. Scalloping season is July through September.  

Be sure to take advantage of Destin’s Gulf-to-Table culture wherein local restaurants will clean and prepare your fish! 



Below are some general tips for fishing in Destin.

-Summer months are the best months to fish since the bait is more active.  

-Check out shipwrecks (often marked by lighted buoys) and artificial reefs in the area.  

-Rent a pontoon boat for family day fun or an angler to access some of the best fishing spots.  

-Or bring your own boat! Destin has plenty of marinas and ramps. 

-June through October is the best time for offshore fishing in Destin and is also open season for sailfish, marlin, tuna and wahoo.  

-Amberjack is in season winter and spring, grouper is in season June and July, Cobia is in season March through May and Spanish and King mackerel is in season May through September.  

-Fishing licenses are required for all residents 16-64, so visit myFWC.com/fishing for more information. 

-Go to myfwc.com for detailed descriptions and tips on catching Emerald Coast fish.  



Destin has luck just waiting to be harvested, so follow our tips for the best optimization of this one of a kind fishing destination. Good luck and happy fishing!

Published on Thursday, May 31, 2018