Following is a brief description and pictures of some of the common salt water fish you may catch close to the beach (within 3 miles) and in the bays, bayous, and sound. I have used the name that it is most commonly referred to in this area as the primary reference name. The other names that it may be called are also included. Illustrations by Diane Rome Peebles Provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Marine Fisheries Management |
Black Drum (Pogonias cromis) |
Catfish, Gafftopsail (Bagre marinus) aka: Sailcat, Gafftop |
Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) |
Bonito (Euthynnus alletteratus) aka: Bobo, Bonita, Little Tunny) |
Bonito (Sarda sarda) Rare in Destin |
Catfish, Hardhead (Arius felis) |
| Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) aka:Black Salmon, Crab Cruncher, Crab Eaterh, Eel Sucker |
| Croaker Atlantic (Micropogonias undulatus) aka: Bull Croaker, Croaker, Golden Croaker |
Flounder, Gulf (Paralichthys albigutta) aka: Doormat (Large fish), Flatfish |
Flounder, Southern (Paralichthya lethostigma) aka: Doormat (Large fish), Flatfish |
Grunt, White (Haemulon plumieri) |
Jack Crevalle (Caranx hippos) aka: Crevalla, Jack, Yellowtail Jack |
Ladyfish (Elops saurus) aka: Skipjack, Baby Tarpon |
Mackerel, Spanish (Elops saurus) aka: Skipjack, Baby Tarpon |
Mackerel, King (Scomberomorus cavalla) aka: Cavalla, Smoker (Large), Snakes (Small) |
| Grouper Gag |
Permit (Trachinotus falcatus) Rare in Destin but they have been caught here. |
Pompano, Florida (Trachinotus carolinus) |
Redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus) aka: Bull Red (denotes a huge one, > 30"), Red, |
Ribbonfish (Trichiurus lepturus) aka: Atlantic Cutlass Fish |
Snapper, Mangrove (Rhomboplites aurorubens) A lot of locals call it a Black Snapper. Aka Gray Snapper |
Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) |
Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) aka: Silver King |
Trout, White (Cynoscion arenarius) aka: Sand Trout |
Trout, Silver (Cynoscion nothus) aka: Skipjack, Baby Tarpon |
Trout, Speckled (Cynoscion nebulosus) aka: Spotted Seatrout, Sea Trout |
Whiting, Southern (Menticirrhus americanus) aka: Southern Kingfish, King, King Whiting |
Whiting, Gulf (Menticirrhus americanus) aka: Channel Mullet, Ground Mullet, Kingfish |
Fishing Destin Guide©
A local's guide to fishing around Destin and the Florida Panhandle
A local's guide to fishing around Destin and the Florida Panhandle
Known as the "luckiest fishing village", Destin is the home to some of the best saltwater fishing in the United States. The 100 Fathom (600' depth) Curve of the Gulf of Mexico draws closer to Destin than any other spot in Florida. This, along with Destin's close proximity to the East Pass and the Gulf of Mexico, allows quick access to the Gulf of Mexico's fishing bounty. The purpose of this site is to acquaint a new fisherman to the Destin area - our local facilities, fish, waters and fishing methods. Tight lines and good fishing! |
| Inshore Saltwater fish of Destin (From the beach and in the bay) While some of these fish can also be caught in the deeper offshore waters (King Mackerel, Cobia, etc), I have placed them in this category just to give you an idea what can be caught close to shore here. A lot of these fish are migratory and will only be found here predominantly from April to October. Locals usually look for a water temperature of around 70 degrees for these fish to show up. Last Updated: Feb 2014 |
would recommend you get a copy of Florida Sportsman "Sport Fish of the Gulf of Mexico" ( Can be found at the local stores or order it online here ). Also, the state of Florida publishes a free guide to Florida's fish "Fishing Lines". You can order a copy online by clicking here, or download it. A good site for fish identification is Anglers Guide to Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico.. Or you can find it online at RodnReel.com. Other good web sites are: Fish Base Strange Saltwater Fish FWC Saltwater Fish ID FWC Rays ID FWC Shark Page n n n n x x |
Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) aka: Convicts, Donkeys |
This web site is updated as I have time from other things going on. As there are a 1000 + different ways to do things, this is only my way of fishing, nothing else, and it is not the last word in fishing the area. I am by no means an expert but if you would like my opinion on something related to fishing the area, please email me at FishingDestinGuide@cox.net. It may take a few days before I get to it, so be patient. Thanks..... © Copyright 2014 Fishing Destin Guide All rights reserved |