Luckiest Fishing Village Dodges Bullet
Have you ever heard of the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village? No? Well those in the know call that place Destin, Florida. Located on the Florida Panhandle, their latest luck was dodging the wrath of Hurricane Michael. Their emerald blue waters, sugar white sand beaches, and resorts, hotels, and restaurants are ready for a busy winter season.
In addition to their luck with Michael, Destin garnered this nickname for a multitude of reasons. Of greatest interest to iBass360 readers is their high quality Gulf and Bay fishing, allowing anglers to catch a wide variety of inshore and offshore species. Choctawhatchee Bay is an estuary where many different species reproduce safely before migrating back into the Gulf. This variety means that on any given day you can sight fish, dock hop, wade the grass flats for inshore species, or out through the pass into the Gulf for offshore bruisers.
Cruising the shallows along the beaches for sight fishing is one of my(Cali) favorite ways to enjoy Destin's riches. You will typically encounter different types of fish including Sharks, Jack Crevalle, and Bull Reds. If that’s not enough, head south one to two miles where the water starts to drop off to the 80 ft. plus range and enjoy some bottom fishing for Grouper,
Snapper, Amberjack, and Trigger Fish action.
Another reason we consider our Destin the world’s luckiest little fishing village is that you can travel a mere 70 miles offshore where the Gulf of Mexico reaches a depth of 2500ft, making it the shortest path from land to the hunting grounds where you can target Marlin, Swordfish, Tile Fish, Yellowfin Tuna, Mahi-mahi and more.
How do you take advantage of all these fishing options and let the luck rub off on you? For iBass360 fans, Lionel James and Lion’s Tale Adventures is your access ticket. Lionel and his first mate- me- book trips for experienced anglers, anglers seeking
fly fishing tours, couples on holiday, families with members of all ages, and event bachelor and bachelorette groups looking for a new adventure including diving. Destin and Lion's Tale really do have something for everyone, and whatever trips you choose, you will discover that Destin truly is a fishing paradise that must be experienced at lease once in a lifetime.
Cali Hlavic and Lionel James are Destin Ambassadors who took very different roads to get there. Lionel was born in Anchorage Alaska and was educated at the University of Minnesota Crookston and Columbia Southern University. Lionel has successfully established businesses, Lions Tale Adventures- Destin Fishing Charters and My Town 2 Go Emerald Coast. These have led opportunities to represent Minn Kota and Simms Fishing. Lionel specializes in family friendly fishing trips, trips for experienced anglers including fly fishermen, and even books sunset dolphin tours! Cali is a Cornhusker from Harlan, Iowa, who studied advertising at the University of Nebraska. She is the founder of To Do In Destin, a resource for all things happening in Destin (@todoindestin). She is also Marketing Director at Fudpuckers, a bar and grill featuring over 100 live alligators, gift shop, arcade and live music, plus many other activities in both Destin and Okaloosa Island. To book with Lionel, call (850) 585-4747 or contact him @lionstaleadventures or bookings@lionstaleadventures.com or http://www.lionstaleadventures.com