The gorgeous teal green waters along Florida’s Emerald Coast boast some of our country’s best fishing. Record-sized catches in many categories earned Destin, Fl the title of “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village.” And, while what constitutes a big fish varies with the species, the thrill out of catching a “big one” never wavers.
What Are My Chances of Catching a Big Fish On a Destin Charter Boat?
According to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, the largest Warsaw Grouper ever caught, (436 pounds and 12 ounces), was pulled over the side of a boat not far from the Destin Harbor on December 29th 2019. Biologists from FWRI’s Age & Growth Lab estimate the massive fish to be approximately 50-years old. Other record catches in the area include the biggest Gag Grouper at 80 pounds and 6 ounces, and the largest Red Snapper ever hooked in Florida at 46 pounds and 8 ounces. While you may not snag a record-breaker (not that you couldn’t), this area of the Panhandle does have a pretty good track record when it comes to big fish. Here’s a shortlist of some of the other area fish that local fishermen pull in on a regular basis.
Mackerel – The most common species of mackerel found in the Destin area waters include the Spanish Mackerel, the King Mackerel, and the Cero Mackerel. Mackerel range in size from two-pounds up to twenty-pounds.
Snapper – The Emerald Coast’s most caught fish – the Red Snapper – typically weighs in at a three to five pounds. But, with the state record at 46-pounds, 8-ounces (caught near Destin, of course), don’t be surprised to reel one in that’s ten pounds or more. Also plentiful in the Gulf waters, Mangrove and Vermillion Snapper grow to about eight and six pounds, respectively.
Grouper – Born as females, some Grouper later become males. The largest Gag Grouper ever caught in Florida (near Destin), tipped the scales at 80-pounds, 6-ounces. Similar in appearance and taste to Gag Grouper, the biggest Black Grouper caught in the state weighed-in at 113-pounds, 6-ounces. The equally tasty Red Grouper hold a smaller but, not too shabby, state record of 42-pounds, 4-ounces.
Shark – Destin waters feature almost two-dozen varieties of sharks. The most common species include the Tiger Shark, the Bull Shark, the Bonnethead Shark, and the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark. Depending on the species, Gulf area sharks range in size from three-and-a-half to twelve-feet long.
Spotted Seatrout – One of Florida’s more popular sportfish, Spotted Seatrout show up between March and November every year. Spotted Seatrout typically weigh four pounds and up, depending on where and when they’re caught.
Swordfish – Swordfish start at around 50-pounds, and the females can grow to well over 200-pounds. The tremendous fight put up by Swordfish makes them popular with big game fishermen.
Tuna – Another popular sportfish found in the Panhandle area – the Yellowfin Tuna – can weigh in at up to 360-pounds. The Yellowfin’s smaller cousin – the Tunny – holds its own at a respectable 26-pound average weight. And, of course, they are both “good eating,” as well.
Other species of fish found in Gulf waters include Amberjack, Cobia, Shortfin Mako, Sailfish, Bluefish, and many more. Several Blue Marlin caught throughout the years have approached the 1,000-pound mark.
When is the Best Time of Year to Fish the Emerald Coast?
Most Gulf water fish are in season year-round. Red Snapper season in Florida typically runs from early June to late July of each year. Gray Triggerfish, Greater Amberjack, and certain Grouper varieties also have specific seasons that vary from year to year. Every Spring, Cobia migrate north along the Gulf Coast. Capable of leaps, rolls, deep dives, and long runs, Cobia put up one of the most unpredictable fights of any fish. With catches weighing over 100-pounds, the Cobia Spring sojourn makes for some of the most exciting fishing found anywhere in the world.
Can I Catch a Big Fish on a Day Trip?
The answer is yes, indeed. Because the deep water (100-feet) starts just about 15-miles off of the coast, many Destin charter boats like the Finest Kind offer deep sea fishing on day trips as short as six hours. Waters teeming with everything from Tuna to Mahi Mahi are just a short ride from the Destin Harbor.
Can I Keep My Catch?
As long as your fish meets the minimum size requirement and the boat as a whole has not exceeded catch limits, you sure can. For the current year Recreational Fishing Season Calendar, check “What’s Biting” in the top menu. The calendar provides season opening and closing dates, as well as size and catch limits for many species found in local waters. Catch limits are per person, but they apply to the entire boat. The mates will clean your fish for easy grilling. Many area restaurants will even cook your catch for a small fee.
Am I Guaranteed to Catch a Fish?
Mother Nature makes no promises when it comes to catching fish. But, if she did, Destin, Florida would probably be her first choice. The Destin fishing fleet consists of over 40 charter boats, many with award-winning captains. Few people get shut out, and many enjoy the best fishing experience of their entire life on Destin Harbor fishing boats. Numerous Florida state, as well as world-record-setting fish, have been caught in the Gulf of Mexico near Destin. But many factors contribute to the success of any fishing trip.
Weather, tides, time of year, bait selection, and location all play a significant role in determining the day’s catch. And, like anything else, experience makes a huge difference. A seasoned captain and crew always know what fish are running and where to find them. Thanks to modern equipment such as radar, depth finders, and sonar, charter boat pilots can usually put their guests right over the fish any time of day or night.
Fishing is the perfect way to connect with family and friends. A day on the water takes relaxation to the next level. Catching a “big fish” makes memories that last a lifetime. As the old saying goes – “a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of standing on line at the amusement park,” or something like that.
A lot of people ask about fishing poles and which one is best for them. The knowledge that goes into answering that question can be complicated. There is not an answer that fits everyone. The components that go into this answer include:
The type of fishing you do
The species or range of species of fish you want to target
The environment in which you will fish
In this article, we go over how to choose a rod and reel for deep sea fishing around the Destin Florida area.
The Terminology
Four terms that are most important when selecting a deep sea fishing rod and reel are:
Rod Action – In short, it is the amount of bend in a pole from the tip A fast action pole bends at the top third of the pole. Medium Action poles bend to the middle of the rod from the tip. Slow Action poles bend from the center to the base when a fish applies pressure in a downward motion from the tip.
Blanks – Blanks are the sections of the pole. They come in a variety of materials, including fiberglass and graphite, or a composite of both.
Drag – is a mechanical “reverse” of the line spindle due to pulling from a fish. It is a tool that you use to wear out a fish while reducing the chances of the line breaking.
Line Spindle – The spinning part of a reel that holds the fishing line. It is essential to pay attention to the depth of the spindle as that tells you how many feet of the line the reel will hold.
What Is Your Fishing Style?
Deep-Sea fishing has a variety of options for fishing. Those include
Trawling – Dragging a lure or baited hook behind a boat to entire predator fish to strike a moving target
Top Water Plug – Fishing the top ten feet of water for those fish that hit flies or lures at the surface.
Mid Water Fishing is when you use a weighted lure or baited hook that hits the mid-range of where you are fishing. Fish hunt at different levels of the ocean, and they follow the baitfish throughout the top, middle, and bottom or deep layers of the water.
Deep-Sea Fishing – Targeting those fish in the deeper water. Mid and deep level fishing requires larger reels so that your rod holds more line.
Jigging – Usually, a mid-level fishing style with a set up designed to add specific motion to the jig.
Spot Fishing – A quick action situation where you are casting to visible fish.
Anyone of these fishing styles and usually many of them occur during a charter fishing trip. It is not uncommon to be headed to deep water and encounter a fishing opportunity, such as a pod of tarpon out hunting. These types of opportunities are why many fishers take multiple rods with them all rigged for different situations.
What Type of Saltwater Rod and Reel Combo Do You Need?
You Must pair the Rod and Reel to the Tackle and Line and to do so, you must start with your fishing goals.
Big Fish
7′-8′ rods – fiberglass for beginners and graphite or composite (fiberglass and graphite) for those with some experience. The difference is that graphite does not hold up as well as fiberglass does in hectic situations. A little nick in a graphite blank can mean a broken pole. So, once you learn how to handle a pole and how to care for it, graphite works terrific. For learning, the fiberglass is much more forgiving, and there is a lot of excitement when you start battling big fish.
For big Fish 7-8 foot rods with a heavy/medium action is ideal. These work well for Goliath groups, mutton snappers, big dolphin, sharks, and big tarpon. The reel needs to have drag to at least 50 pounds. These are big fish, and they have a lot of pull-power. Your goal is to tire them out, and the option to set the drag higher means they have to really work for it. On the other hand, it is good to be able to drop the drag so that smaller game fish do not just break the line.
Reel Selection
Reel selection should set to hold an 80-lb test line with a deep spool and drag to 50 lbs. A set up in this range handles big fish, including big tarpon, Goliath groupers, big dolphin, sharks, mutton snappers, kite fish, etc., with the ability to fish the top and middle layers. The longer the pole, generally, the bigger the fish it will handle. For big tarpon, hit the 8-foot range. The braided diamond line is ideal for big fish. A braided line is the key to big fish. It is thin and reliable without a lot of stretch, which makes it easier to cast long distances with reasonable accuracy.
Jigging
Jigging – Medium Heavy Action with a 7-8′ length, longer is okay as you gain a bit more “feel” than you do with shorter rods.
Trolling
Trolling – For big fish like tarpon a heavy action is ideal. A Medium/Heavyweight is suitable for smaller targets.
A Note on pairing Fishing Gear
The deal with picking the best rod and reel is that they pair up to fit an ideal range of specifics. The weight of a rod does not really mean the size of the fish. The rod is there to move a fish in the water. It is the strength of the line and rigging that matter when it comes to big fish. If you have a heavy rod and light line, the line is more apt to snap than the pole. If you have a light rod and heavy line, the pole is more prone to snap.
For those reasons, you must pick your rod and reel based on the type of fishing you do, the style, and the fish you want to target.
Style of fishing – a spinner rod is used almost exclusively in saltwater fishing with exceptions for trolling and deep water fishing. But there is a difference between a spinning rod and a spin casting rod. One is more accurate when targeting and casting. Those differences have to do with the power of the rod and the type of reel. The rod’s power is its ability to cast the fishing line accurately.
There is also a relationship between the line and the rigging. These are things that also must match up with the type of fishing you do. A jigging rod versus a trolling rod is a good example. One has a build that takes the deep hits while the other will take the deep hits but also translate the light bites to your hand.
Which saltwater rod and reel combo is best for you? The real answer is most likely more than one pair. After all, fishing is all about odds and skill, and you will need more than one type of fishing rod and reel setup to take advantage of all of the changing opportunities that you encounter in a day of deep-sea fishing.
A day of saltwater fishing can be a fun and exciting way to spend time with family and friends. A day of saltwater fishing on a Destin charter boat adds in abundant Florida sunshine, beautiful Gulf waters, and memories that last a lifetime. Whether you’re a total newcomer to the sport, or you’ve cast into a thousand freshwater streams, you will never forget your first-time fishing on a saltwater charter.
Saltwater Fishing vs. Freshwater Fishing
Even the most seasoned freshwater anglers find saltwater fishing an almost entirely new experience their first time out. Hooking a Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, or Walleye takes lots of patience and considerable finesse. Many freshwater fishermen have darned the waders looking forward to a day of quiet reflection and a few small Trout for the grill. On the other hand, saltwater fish come in a wide range of species and sizes. A day of saltwater fishing usually means much more action than fishing in fresh water, as well.
What Types of Fish Will I Catch?
The Destin, Florida area of the Gulf Coast features some of the world’s best fishing with too many species to list. Here are some of the most common saltwater fish you might hook on a typical day of angling:
Red Snapper – A variety of Snapper species make their home in the Gulf but, Red Snapper are the most popular with area fishermen. The largest Red Snapper ever caught in Florida – 46 pounds and 8 ounces – was hooked right off the coast of Destin.
Grouper – Grouper come in a variety of species including black grouper, gag grouper, and red grouper. These bottom dwellers come in large and larger sizes. They’re challenging and great fun to catch. The largest gag grouper (80 pounds and 6 ounces), and the biggest Warsaw grouper (436 pounds and 12 ounces) ever brought on board a boat in Florida were both caught off the Destin area of the Gulf.
Cobia – A.K.A. Lemonfish or Ling – Also called “Brown Torpedoes,” Cobia congregate close to shore around pilings, wrecks, and buoys. Cobia have long, slim bodies with dark lateral stripes, depressed heads, and white bellies. A record-setting 130-pound Cobia was caught right off the coast of Destin some years back.
Tarpon – Known as the “Silver King” of sportfish thanks to the fight they give, Tarpon are a favorite with sport fishermen looking for a challenge. Tarpons also grow quite large, some over 200-pounds.
Sharks – Florida regularly ranks as the state with the most sharks. Some of the more common varieties of shark found in the Gulf include Bull, Hammerhead, and Tiger. Destin also holds the record for the largest Thresher shark ever caught at a whopping 544-pounds, 8-ounces. Notice a pattern here?
An abundance of Mackerel, Gray Triggerfish, and Tilefish also make the Gulf waters near Destin their home.
If you’re looking to fish for a certain type of fish, remember that the fish has to be in season at the time of your saltwater fishing trip.
Do I Need to Bring My Own Rod and Bait?
Most Emerald Coast charter boats provide the bait, tackle, rods, ice, fishing licenses, and anything else needed for a great day of fishing. You should bring your own food, drink (bring extra water), sunscreen, and anything that might make you more comfortable throughout the day. And, don’t worry if it’s your first-time fishing. Gulf Coast charter boats have some of the friendliest and most experienced crews in the world who will guide you every step of the way, and clean your catch, too.
How Should I Dress for a Day of Saltwater Fishing?
Wear lightweight clothing – shorts and a t-shirt – or a light long sleeve shirt if you’re worried about getting too much sun. A straw hat or baseball cap provides shade as well as keep the sun out of your eyes. Polarized sunglasses also help protect your eyes against glare off the water. A windbreaker comes in handy on chilly mornings or in the event of wet weather. Most importantly, wear comfortable footwear with sufficient grip. Boat decks get wet, and flip-flops or sandals don’t offer enough traction, stability, or protection for a day on the water. More about what to wear.
What if I Get Seasick?
Luckily, only a small percentage of those who come aboard get seasick. If you have concerns, however, plan ahead, and you should be fine. Eat light, stomach-friendly foods for breakfast. Avoid greasy items like bacon, hash browns, and sausage. Also, stay away from foods that digest slowly – pancakes, waffles, and French toast, etc. Go easy on the alcohol the night before your trip. Why tempt fate by heading out to sea with a stomach in flux? Over the counter medications like Bonine and Dramamine work great for most people if you do start to feel nauseous.
What if it Rains or I Prefer Not to Fish?
Almost all Destin charter fishing boats have modern air-conditioned salons with all the comforts of home including satellite television, a restroom with a full shower, and a galley kitchen. But, of course, you can still fish if it rains, or soak up the sun if not.
How Long Will We Be Out?
Most Emerald Coast charter boats offer Half-Day, Three-Quarter-Day, Full-Day, and Overnight trips. Perfect for beginners, families with young children, or groups with limited time, Half-Day trips typically last four, to six hours. A choice of morning, midday, or afternoon departures makes it easy to squeeze a Half-Day tour into almost any vacation schedule. Three-Quarter-Day trips range from eight to ten hours. For the more adventurous, Full-Day trips run anywhere from twelve to eighteen hours and take guests offshore for some deep water bottom fishing. Overnight excursions usually run between twenty-four-hours and seventy-two hours. Think Tuna and Swordfish.
What Makes the Finest Kind Destin’s Most Popular Fishing Charter?
The Finest Kind specializes in bottom fishing, offshore trolling, and family outings. They charter groups sized from eight to twenty-two passengers. The captain, a fourth-generation fisherman with over 20-years of experience – Capt. Jason Mikel – knows the Gulf waters inside and out. Book your trip today and find out what makes the Finest Kind a TripAdvisor top-ranked charter boat on the Florida Panhandle.
Will I Have Fun and Make Memories that Will Last a Lifetime?
Destin, Florida features some of the world’s best saltwater fishing with numerous record setting catches across a wide range of species. Gulf Coast charter boats also boast some of the world’s friendliest and most seaworthy crews. Most boats offer trips that easily fit into any vacation schedule, as well. Even if you don’t catch anything, charter fishing trips are a great way to relax, enjoy a day of fun and excitement, and spend quality time with family and friends. Whether you take a three-day deep-sea adventure, or a half-day family outing, you will have fun and make memories that last a lifetime.
Choosing the best polarized saltwater fishing sunglasses is a little deeper than just jumping online and buying sunglasses with a polarized rating. In fact, it can be a bit tricky choosing the best fishing sunglasses. Let’s run through the process of finding the saltwater fishing sunglasses that best fit your style of fishing.
TIP: The best sunglasses go beyond just “you”, and they take into consideration many details about fishing that may not cross your mind. Let’s get started so you can find the best fishing sunglasses for you.
A little Transparency
We talk about a lot of aspects of sunglasses in this blog. However, none of what we discuss is about one brand or style of sunglasses. Our goal is not to sell you a pair of sunglasses, but to enable you to find and choose the best polarized sunglasses for fishing in Destin, Florida. The pair of sunglasses you want is most likely not going to be the same as those that other people choose, and that’s just fine with us.
Polarized sunglasses are an essential part of saltwater and freshwater fishing, and not all polarized saltwater fishing sunglasses are equal. That is not to say that there is a better brand; but instead, that the usefulness of polarized sunglasses changes based on many factors, including:
The color of the lens – Inner lens color vs. outer lens color, and the myriad of color combinations
The lens material – glass or poly – light vs. weight vs. comfort.
What are polarized Sunglasses
These are specialized sunglasses with a specialized film layer that blocks all refracted sunlight except those rays that are vertical. So, light hits the ocean, and it bounces back in many directions. This process produces what we call glare. Polarized sunglasses block most of those reflected rays and allow in only the vertical rays. That function removes the glare and helps you to see more clearly in situations where there is too much light coming from too many directions.
From this description, you might think that finding the perfect pair of sunglasses is easy – they just need to be polarized. Well, not so much. The problem is that polarized sunglasses come in a variety of colors, shapes, and materials. Each of those attributes changes how the glasses work. Pair this with the varying changes you encounter fishing, and you begin to see that choosing the best polarized sunglasses requires some thought. These issues are also why we don’t push one brand over another and want you to understand the process so that your Destin fishing expedition is the trip of a lifetime.
Why So Much Attention to Sunglasses?
Your eyes tie all the other tools of fishing together. Sure, you can drop a line and maybe get lucky, but with good vision, you can spot fish, read the current, etc. When you add polarized sunglasses into the mix, you remove the glare and can spot fish that you might otherwise never see. That little fact helps you better target big reef donkeys (greater amberjack), sharks, or groupers. The truth of the matter is that a great pair of sunglasses will help you become a better fisher, and they will make fishing more comfortable.
Don’t Buy Online
Sure, there are great deals online, but what is missing from an online shopping experience is the fit. Polarized sunglasses need to fit your face. Just like anything you’ll wear on a deep sea fishing trip, the perfect sunglasses for fishing must be comfortable, and they must fit so that there is little encroachment of glare through your peripheral vision. Poor-fitting sunglasses allow glare to seep into your field of view, and that defeats the purpose of having polarized glasses. The better fitting the glasses are, the better your vision, and the better your odds of battling big fish.
Which Type of Lens Fits Your Fishing Style?
Polarized sunglasses come with either polycarbonate or glass lenses. Which is best for you? There is no blanket answer here. Each type of lens has strengths and weaknesses. Here is a short overview of both lens types.
Polarized Glass Lenses – The plus here is durability. Glass is harder to damage than polycarbonate with one little flaw. Glass is easier to break. If you drop your sunglasses, the glass lenses may break, whereas polycarbonate will likely be okay. There are a couple of thoughts that glass lenses are clearer than are polycarbonate lenses and that they might improve the vision more so than polycarbonate. The school of thought seems to be more so in deeper water than on the flats. This is just another reason to try on glasses before you buy.
The downside of glass lenses is that they are heavier than the thinner polycarbonate lenses. If you can handle the added weight on a fishing charter – 4-12 hours – then this is not an issue. We do recommend a sunglass tether regardless of which type of lens you chose. This is because, during a battle with a big fish, you can drop your sunglasses. A tether keeps them on your chest and safe.
Polycarbonate lenses – There are a couple of plusses here. First, they are lighter, which can make them more comfortable to wear all day. Second, they are a little more durable than are glass lenses, but only if you drop them. The big downside to polycarbonate lenses is that they are softer and can scratch more easily. When it comes to durability, there is a real toss-up between glass and polycarbonate lenses.
So, which is best for you? It comes down to you. If you don’t mind the slight added weight from glass lenses and you use a sunglass tether, the odds of dropping and breaking the lenses are small. If you are someone who puts your sunglasses right into a case as soon as they come off your head, then the odds of scratching them is nearly nil.
In short, try on both and look at how you care for your tools. There may be a slight vision improvement with glass over polycarbonate, but again, this boils down to you. This is also another reason for trying on sunglasses before you buy.
How the Color of Polarized Lenses Impacts Fishing
Earlier we mentioned that how you fish is essential when you choose your sunglasses. It is different if you fish freshwater or saltwater. It is also a different light experience too. The same is true if you stay in the shallow waters or if you venture into the deep drop zones. The reason these factors are important is due to the differences in light and the color of the water.
In regular glasses, you see some detail, but the glare occludes most features. When you wear polarized sunglasses, the glare is mostly gone, and you see more. When you wear the right kind of polarized sunglasses, it is as though the water becomes clear and you see more details. In shallow water, this means you see the fish and the bottom much clearer. In mid-range depths, you see surface fish and fish that swim near the bottom, and maybe you see the features of the bottom. This is all dependent upon how deep the water is. In deeper water, you the clarity remains to certain depths, but you are still able to see some structures and surface fish.
It is also possible that you may see some mid-range fish in deeper water. All of these benefits improve if you choose the right color of polarized lenses based on the depth of the water. Below we make it simple to understand the color game with polarized glasses.
Note: Polarized sunglasses come with an outer lens color and an inner lens color.
TIP: Your goal is to match the color of the lens to the color of the water.
In-shore Fishing – Outer lens colors in greens are one of the best, and you want to find glasses that have a coppery or amber inner lens color. You might be thinking that none of these colors match the color of the water, especially when you are fishing on the flats. For this part of Florida fishing, we break the rule. The light is not as harsh inshore, usually. The trouble here comes from how the lenses affect the quality of light. Brighter and warmer tones of lenses make the day seem brighter. You could also opt for a mirror finish too. This suggestion is good for inshore saltwater fishing and most freshwater fishing situations. In deeper lakes, you might want to go more towards a blue outer tone, especially for lake trout which position themselves at different levels of the lake due to water temperature.
Green/copper/amber – perfect for those of you who love to sight fish or who fish from shore or near shore most of the time. These are wonderful for fishing the flats where you want to target bigger fish from a distance. If you tend to fish more in the morning or at dusk, then consider inner lens colors that range more towards yellow as they will make the low-light situations seem brighter.
Mid-range Fishing – Gray outer with a mirror finish or not is ideal for mid-range fishing. Pair this with a gray inner or a warmer color inner lens that helps to brighten the day. The Gray/Gray, Gray/Yellow, Gray/Amber, or Gray/Copper, are the most versatile options. These are ideal for fishers who hit all the zones while fishing. There will be some trade-off in deeper water, but if you have only one pair of glasses and you target inshore, offshore, and the deeper waters, these lenses with gray outer colors will serve you well.
Deep Water Fishing – Blue is king for lens color for deep water fishing. A blue outer lens color paired with an inner lens color that is gray is ideal for most anglers. Mirrored outers in blue tones are also good. The mirroring on lenses helps block even more of the glare. The quality of light in deeper water is more intense, and you want lenses that will combat the harsher glare so that you can enjoy a day of fishing without impact from glare.
Florida is the sunshine state and for a good reason. It is helpful to pair your polarized sunglasses with a hat that has a wide brim. The brim will help to block some glare from your peripheral vision and will keep your eyes shaded. Both will help your vision and reduce the strain from glare on your eyes. Destin also has its fair share of scattered showers and a hat helps. A full day of fishing takes in a lot of sun, and without eye protection, you will not only fight an uphill battle to target fish, but you will also wear down. Polarized sunglasses help reduce eyestrain and make the day more enjoyable. In closing, let’s reiterate a few points.
Try on your sunglasses in person as you will gain a better fit and better comfort.
Choose the lens color based on how you fish and where you fish.
Buy based on how the glasses work for you.
Come prepared to fish and dressed for a successful day of fishing.
Polarized sunglasses are a must for fishing the coastal waters of Destin, Florida. The light here changes by the minute, and we want everyone on board to enjoy the day by being able to accurately target and successfully battle big fish from the millions of red snappers to tuna, and snook. Your eyes are one of the top three tools used in fishing. Protect and enhance them with proper fitting polarized saltwater fishing sunglasses.
Florida is famous for its oranges and orange juice. And with orange juice, success is a simple proposition. You need:
Great oranges.
A great way to squeeze as much juice as possible out of said oranges.
Well, you can check #1 off if you’ve decided to vacation in Destin, FL. You’ve already got your great orange. This is an area ripe with opportunity for adventure, relaxation, and some of the best natural attractions around.
What about that pesky number 2 spot, though?
Squeezing the most out of your Destin vacation experience requires a little guidance. And since we’ve been in the area for several generations, we have a thing or six to say on the subject.
Step 1: Reconnaissance
Good news here: you’re already doing it. Before you take your trip, scope out the key places you want to see and the top adventures you’d like to have. Here are some Destin Vacation tips to make sure that goes as smoothly as possible:
Include a few activities you can do in rain/shine. Counting on great weather means sometimes you get lucky, but no one can promise that it will be cloudless outside when you need it to be cloudless.
Give yourself budgetary wiggle room. For example, you can do some “fixed” items in your budget like chartering “The Finest Kind” for a deep sea excursion, while giving yourself wiggle room for unforeseen expenses.
Step 2: Get Your Children involved with Planning
Ever go on vacation and see that your children just feel like they’re being dragged around? That’s not a good feeling. You don’t want to shell out thousands of dollars to bring your family to a new place just to have them feel like they’d rather be indoors.
That’s why it’s a good idea to get your children to pack for the trip and help plan the activities. For example, when chartering a deep sea fishing excursion, you might have them select the types of fish they’d like to see.
Step 3: Give Yourself Downtime
Hey, we’re just as in favor of squeezing as much juice from the orange as you can. But let’s be honest: you’re going to have downtime. Probably significant amounts of downtime. And if you can find great ways to enjoy Destin, FL during your downtime, you’re already ahead of the game.
For example, maybe you’ll decide to shop along the Destin Harbor Walk to make use of that downtime. Or maybe you’ll stay home and cool off. Point is, it helps to know your options for your downtime, which is why it’s a good idea to plan for that, as well.
Step 4: Be Spontaneous
You’re going to be tempted to plan your time in Destin, FL down to the minute. Can we speak from experience? Don’t. Yes, we do think that you should plan to show up ten minutes early when you come to your chartered deep sea boat experience. But that doesn’t mean we think you need to have all 24 hours of your day just as tightly planned. Allow flexible time for spontaneity. Do something you didn’t plan. Make sure that you check on cancellation policies with different events to make sure you have the flexibility you need to try something new.
Step 5: Pack some Healthy Snacks
Speaking of oranges, they make a great dose of some extra blood sugar if you’re feeling tired. Make sure you have enough food, water, and sunscreen to beat the heat—and that you have access to shelter nearby, too. Some people from cooler climates aren’t quite ready for the Florida heat during the daylight hours, which is why we recommend taking it slow at first.
Step 6: Enjoy Some Exercise
There’s nothing like a great meal from a restaurant in Destin, FL when you know you’ve earned it. Plan some time for exercise, like visiting the local fitness club.
One word of warning: make sure to try and exercise indoors when you can. The summer heat is especially tough on outdoor exercise, and you’ll want to avoid the peak daylight hours to ensure that your exercise doesn’t come with a side helping dehydration.
With these tips in mind, you’re ready to fully enjoy your vacation in Destin. But to make sure that you squeeze every bit of that orange, make sure to plan your biggest events well in advance. We recommend making your Fishing Reservations with us so there’s no confusion when it comes time to go out and enjoy everything that Destin and the Emerald Coast have to offer.
