# Catching Bait at the Destin East Pass Question



## SteveFL (Aug 2, 2010)

Seems the bait boats can't keep up with demand since snapper season opened. I certainly do appreciate them but we lost a couple of hours and wasted fuel by my not be better prepared for alternate bait catching methods. Yep, we had a bait trap out that apparently got robbed. According to a guy that was sitting at the ramp, a single small center console pulled up several traps in the area before taking off.

But anyway, I see the bait guys setting up a chum line with cast net to catch bait. Is there any reason anyone else can't do the same?? I saw a few folks trolling around trying for a throw but didn't appear to be successful without chumming. Sabiki's are ok but s l o w going. I would appreciate any tips anyone can provide. Pinfish aren't a problem but cigs, etc. seem to be pretty tough to get.


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## Redneckracoon (Jun 8, 2011)

sabikis should work so just go to some jettes or go in the gulf and look for schools :starwars:
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******** rule :red_indian:


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Catch your bait near the channel markers preferably not in the navigation channel. Also if you go west of the pass in 15 - 20 feet of water you can see the bait fish as well as have them show on the bottom machine.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

We went out on Sat with frozen cigs expecting to buy bait, no bait boat around.  Couldn't figure that one out unless every bait pod we saw were LYs. And there were pods all over the place.
Chumming should work but what kind of chum? We've smashed cigs and put em above gold hooks when they were picky so that means they will eat meat. I've seen the bait guys pitching out brown stuff, from a distance it looked like pellets, before tossing the net.


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## xyzzy (Oct 26, 2008)

There is always plentify amount of bait outside the pass -- be there early.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

There's bait everywhere out there, I usually try to push a school onto a flat and throw a net on them but like stated above there always on the ledge outside the pass and if you want a variety fish the markers. The later in the day they move deeper and are harder to catch. Sometime the cigs won't bite bare hooks but I've never had a problem catching threadfins. If you get desperate head into the harbor or any deep dock and tip your sabiki with shrimp or squid and catch pinfish. Or throw bait out and when the pinfish swarm it throw a net on top. I use all these methods successfully.


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