Recently, I had the opportunity to chaperone my nephew's Covid delayed Senior Trip to Panama City Beach, FL. One of the days, we did an Offshore Fishing Trip. I love these trips because you usually catch a lot of fish! The Captains know exactly where to find the fish. They move from spot to spot looking looking for places where the fish are biting. It is so thrilling to catch fish, especially when you don't have to cut the bait or clean the fish. When you get back, it is such fun to fry up everything that you caught. These charter fishing trips are offered in coastal cities throughout the northern Gulf Coast including Destin, Ft Walton Beach, Pensacola Beach and Orange Beach, AL.
The seas were flat and the hour was early when we left the dock. A word of caution, make sure you get the name of the boat when you book your charter. our Captain almost left the dock with the wrong charter group because I did not have the name of the boat.
It is about a 45 minute ride out to where we fished. On the way out they baited two trolling rods. We caught a nice size AmberJack, but we had to return him to the sea because they were not in season.
These trips are great for beginning fisherman, even the most squeamish. They fishing guide knows what bait the fish are biting. They bait the hooks for you. When you catch one, they take the fish off the hook and measure it to make sure it is big enough to take. They also clean them at the end of the trip. Then you get to my favorite part, the cooking and the eating!
If the fish are not biting, they ask you to pull in the lines and you head to another spot.
It doesn't matter how seasoned a fisherman you are, it is always fun to catch a fish.
We caught our limit on Snapper that morning and two good size Trigger Fish.
We did a three hour trip and that was the perfect length of time. By the time the day had warmed up and and sun was high, we were headed back to the dock. Although, not without catching another AmberJack who was quickly returned to the sea.
As you can see, we caught a lot of fish. We chartered with Private Charters Sport Fishing. There are looks of boats that go out of the Thomas Road Marina in Panama City Beach offering half day and full day trips. Don't forget your sun shirts, sun screen, and Dramamine.
The best part of fishing is eating what you catch!
Are you looking for accommodations in Panama City Beach,
check out the great prices on Booking.com.
For more information, check out my other blog posts on the Gulf Coast:
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