# Bait boat in Destin???



## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Is there a bait boat in Destin to get cigar minnows for snapper fishing?? If not, where can you get them?
Also, any tips on where to find big shark bait? Doesn't matter what, just anything that will work.


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## Starlifter (Feb 24, 2011)

I copied this information from: http://fishingdestinguide.com/BAITSHOPS.html

GETTING BAIT FROM THE BAIT BOAT

Contact "Bait Boat"on VHF Channel 80
as you are approaching the jetties.

Ask for their location, tell them how much
you want, and ask what side they want you
to come up on.

Come alongside and he will hand you a
bait net full of your bait.

Dump the bait in your live well, hand
him back the empty net with your
money in it and you are ready to go.
That simple!!


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## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Thanks for the link, Starlifter. Our first experience with a bait boat was in Panama City Beach last year and it was very convenient. Was hoping there was one in Destin also. 
Good to know.


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## fishinole (Jan 29, 2008)

Cbumb, i fished in destin last weekend and the bait boat was outside the jetties near the #2 buoy. You can reach him on channel 69. $20 get you around 40 cigs.


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## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Nice. Good to know. Thanks


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## Starlifter (Feb 24, 2011)

If you would like to catch your own live bait.

Buy you some #4 hook Chaeil Sabiki Rigs; sold at Half-Hitch Tackle at around $1.99ea. And, use a 2-3oz bank or pyramid sinker, and you can catch all the live bait you want. 

If you are looking for crazy fish, el-y's, spanish sardines, threadfin herrings, pinfish, squirrel fish, etc.. Outside the pass early in the morning from sunrise to around 9am is usually the best window; watch your sonar around the CB Buoy (last buoy heading out to sea {red & white buoy}, and has an extremely bright white LED that flashes morse code "A" at night)

If you are either sighting visually a bait ball on the surface, or near the CB Buoy in the water column on your sonar. Find which side of the buoy the bait fish are mainly holding, and then anchor on that side of the buoy about 20-50 feet away.

You don't even need to tip the hooks with a piece of bait either because they will strike a bare hook. *Only time you have to tip with squid that I have noticed is when the seasonal bait fish leave for the winter, and the pinfish, pigfish, lizardfish, etc. are holding near it.

Just cast either to the other side of the bait-ball and jig through it if they are on the surface; or let the rig hit the bottom, bring your line tight and hold it there until you feel strikes, and set the hook and bring them in.

If this isn't really producing then let rig hit the bottom and then jig it back to the surface, and just keep repeating the process that is working on the side of the boat the baitfish are holding on.

A lot of times the bait will school under our boat, trying to find something to hide near from whatever is chasing them.

Lastly, if the school of bait is moving fairly far from the buoy, you can just idle the boat near where they are and follow them as they move. You can sight for them on the surface by seeing a big area of ripples moving around in the water, and maybe one or two jumping out of the water; or will see large schools show up as returns on your sonar. If your sonar's gain/sensitivity is set with just enough power, they show up as a large round yellow glob on the screen.


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## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Thanks for the tips. Will definitely try that! 
I have an HDS7 but don't think the sonar settings are set correctly as I never see anything on it.


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## Starlifter (Feb 24, 2011)

If you are using the transducer that came with the unit, check to see in the units options if there are several different transducer frequencies to choose from, and make sure you have the right one selected.

Then, the feature that shows the fish symbols on the screen; I would disable it.

Here is a great read written up by Lowrance on deciphering sonar charts.
http://webpages.charter.net/abshire5078/Chart tutorial.pdf


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## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Thanks for the link. I'll study up on it. 
I have the fish disabled and the correct transducer selected, but I think the colors and contrast setup may not be optimal. Or maybe I just don't know what I am talking about!! lol


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## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Is it legal to use the snapper carcasses as chum and bait for sharks after they have been filleted?


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## Starlifter (Feb 24, 2011)

cbump,

The fisheries services (state/federal) state that any fish categorized as a reef fish or is a regulated fish cannot be used "legally" as bait. With that in mind, every fish on that sheet of saltwater regulations (state regs) except for a few pelagics has to remain whole until back on land; except that they can be gilled, gutted, and scaled.

Just look on the sheet at myfwc.com, and there will be a legend for the symbols under each species and what each one means. Find the one that says fish has to remain whole; and then look down the list to see which fish are required to remain this way.

Now, I won't tell you what you can or can't do, we all have our own personal choices, and I'm just saying what has to be done to comply with the fishing regulations.

The only fish that I use as bait, are any fish that is not regulated by the state when in state waters, and any fish that is not regulated in federal waters.


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## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Thanks. I won't be doing anything if it is illegal. Just didn't know. 
Last year when we were down everyone just threw their snapper carcasses into Grand Lagoon after cleaning them. 
Seems like a lot of good shark bait going to waste!


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## Starlifter (Feb 24, 2011)

What stinks, literally, is when it rots, and wreaks up the entire launch/docking area. All I can say is if it is questionable; just don't get caught in the act.


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## cbump (Jun 8, 2011)

Thanks again for the help. 
Is it legal to use balloons to shark fish from the boat? 
The guy that I ordered my shark rigs from told me to fish them under balloons, then another guy said it is now illegal. I couldn' find anything online about it.


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## Starlifter (Feb 24, 2011)

cbump,

I wouldn't know the answer to that, but as for polluting the gulf due to ballon fragments; they do sell biodegradable ballons. I just Googled it, to make sure they did exist.


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