# Wading Destin



## okiehuntnfish

I will be in Destin in a couple weeks. I am fired up to get down there and do some fishing. I was surfing the web last night looking at fishing articles, getting my son excited about our trip. We ran across a gigging video. My son got big eyed and asked if we could do that on our trip. 
We already have one offshore and one bay fishing trip planned, but I have decided to try gigging out. At least get my son in the water at night and do some exploring, if we happen upon some flounder...all the better.

I have never been to Destin. But I have (think I have) a good plan on where to go. I have a good lantern with a crome reflector I use for surf fishing and I am going to just use a bullfrog gig I have in the garage. It's just a one night deal, so I don't want to spend a ton of money getting outfitted with underwater lights, fancy floats and stainless gigg's. 

My question is...does anyone with any gigging experience want to tag along?


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## fulish850

have fun when u get down there i bet the boy will love it . there are also flounder barge charters in texas u can do during the winter months i think in the galvaston area dont kno if ur close to it ? but i think the frog gig is not gonna cut it , try a one prong gig they are not the much $ and just pin the fish down then pick up with hands . GL :thumbup:


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## okiehuntnfish

Thanks. I will get a different gig. I am up by Dallas, I will look into Galvaston later this year. I am up by Dallas, It's about a 4 or so hour drive down there.


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## banjovie

What night are you going?


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## fulish850

banjovie said:


> What night are you going?


banjo i know wat ur thinking , frodo syndrome is a Fl born disease we can not let it spread to the good people in TX :thumbup: ........ plus i have family there :blink:


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## bamafan611

Morning Okie
When you get to Destin, you might want to try the beach just North of the Coast Guard station. West side of the bridge and accesible by foot.It has deep water channel and flats that run up to the beach, killed quite a few there.The North shore of Destin going into Choctawhatchee is one of my goto areas and allways produces. Take a gig and a net if you like blue crabs.
Good Luck


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## okiehuntnfish

Thank you guys!! I appreciate the info and will put it to good use. banjovie...pm replied to.
Not sure what frodo syndrome is...but I have found that a cold budlight cures just about anything.


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## bamafan611

*Frodo foot disease explained*

Afternoon Okie
I'm sure you are confused about the Frodo Foot Disease syndrome. The new young guns think it was caused by BP and are trying to collect huge checks, so they can fish everyday.It's been around a long time and the scientific name is Frodofishichtis. There are numerous post on this forum and Gulf Coast Fishing Forum/Pensacola about this dreaded disease. The attached picture is a case study of only about 4 years and the cause is wade gigging flounder.It's like unprotected sex, sooner or later you look down and there it is. Fullish is afraid of the zombie mermaids in the Pirates of the Carribean movie, but in my opinion that in the advanced stages that this is what you become. Fullish be very afraid, because there is no coming back. Banjo is kinda new and has allready seen the first stages. Hairy feet and webbed toes. Dr. Phil says it is more than a medical condition, it is a state of mind. I think it is a reversion back to the neanderthal days with the hairy feet and reverting back into a fish. I base this on the Oprah show, but she has some weird beliefs. What are we going to do now that she is off the air??? Dr. Oz says there is absolutely no cure after first contact is made and you have to just count your days and hope the tide and wind is right. Protect yourself and remember that a bad day fishing is allways better than a good day at work. Hope this helps clear up some of the confusion and have a great vacation.
bamafan611


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## okiehuntnfish

Bama,
We have not met...yet. But I need to assure you, I have fishichtis also. I think I caught it when I was noodling with Oprah back in the 70's in the Deep Fork River out east of Oklahoma City. I knew there was an explaniation for the mermaids. Dr Phil was our stringer man...what a puss.

Needless to say I am ready for the new strain Frodofishichtis ala Destin, FL.


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## okiehuntnfish

Also, after many days of contemplation I am kicking around hauling my boat down. Anyone know of any nearshore snapper/grouper hides out of Destin Pass? ...only if you have Frodofishichtis.

I am at odds with my wife about hauling the boat so I need some moral support...anyone up for a nearshore/offshore adventure with gigging to boot?


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## ruggster

*follow up!*

So, did you get to gigging any flounder down in destin? I'm here now but just until Monday morning. Went tonight with the kids but had no luck. Any more tips you care to share? Where'd you go? We tried about a mile or so past thecoast guard station. Saw one but vby the time the kids got close he dissappeared. Saw these crazy fish jumping clear out of the water. Long and thin. What are they and can you eat them? What part of the tide is best for flounder? Slack low? Anyone with some experience want to hang sunday night?


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## okiehuntnfish

I had a great time and I fished my butt off. I got all the gigging stuff together, but the one night I was going to go, I could not wake my son up, he was way too tired. So, no gigging. But I did catch some good fish, flounders and red fish...in the pass. Our condo backed up to the pass on the east side. I cast netted pin fish next to the jetty and waded out just north of the jetty. A big eddy formed as the tide was going out in the evenings. The slack water had flounder and the red's were where the eddy flowed back to the north and hit the outgoing tide.
The long thin fish are skipjacks (ladyfish). They are fun to catch, never tried to eat one....they stink kinda like a carp.


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## ruggster

*destin*

I tried to fish an area not far from where you're talking. There's a small park on the north side on the east side of the bridge. Early a couple of guys were cast netting some mullets. They didn't get many while we watched. We went back later . The pinfish were biting like they'd never seen a piece of cut bait. They kept us busy cutting up cigar minnows. When fishing out further the flounder didn't get a chance to bite because the cats were feeding. We tried 3 nights and got skuned when it came to flounder. How were you fishing for the flounder. Casting out and letting it sit? What did you use for bait? We're not giving up though I will have to go back and do some more homework.thanks for the info. I'm thinking we'll come back in the fall. Maybe october.


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## bowdiddly

Okie,
If you are looking to get some snapper while in Destin, they are biting at all of the near shore public and private reefs right now. You can go to some of the Okaloosa/Santa Rosa/Walton County websites and they have the gps numbers for them. Just make sure you study the Fl Wildlife rules for offshore reef fish because they will smack you with a ticket if you are not 100% legal comin into Destin Pass with your catch.


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## okiehuntnfish

ruggster, I learned how to catch flounder up in VA. Just by trial and error. I have only been a few times so, certainly not an expert. I use a Carolina rig with as light as weight as the current will allow, 1/4 to 1 oz and a small wide gap hook. mud minnows work well, I could not find a place to catch them in Destin so I used pin fish. Cast out in an outgoing tide and reel in slowly so as to keep the bait moving slowly and keep your line tight. 
I really wanted to try gigging. But I am going to Galveston this fall to make up for it.
I got lucky though, I never caught a hardhead the entire trip to Destin.


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