Trip to Myrtle Beach, SC

In June 2017, we decided to try the East Coast for fishing, Myrtle Beach SC to be exact. We’ve heard about the popular attraction in SC and many fishing piers and golf courses there. We also found out that generally, Myrtle Beach is less pricey than Destin. We were able to book a room at the Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort for a relatively low price. One drawback was that the drive to Myrtle Beach was about an hour longer (full 7 hours including a little bit of rest time).

We were quite pleased with the accommodation at the Litchfield Resort. The room was very clean, spacious, equipped with a kitchen (where we hoped to cook our big fish), and provided a good view of the beach. Nice and comfortable hotel is very important for us because we weren’t here just to catch fish; we were looking for a good vacation. That evening, we went to the Broadway at the Beach, a popular outdoor entertainment center full of restaurants, shops and other attractions. We had a very nice dinner at the Captain George’s Seafood Buffet where we ate more crab legs than we could handle.

There were about 4 fishing piers along the length of Myrtle Beach. We chose the pier that was closest to our hotel, the Pier at Garden City. The thing that stood out about the Garden City Pier was that it was very “touristy.” The bait & tackle store attached to the pier also had a game room, a full service bar and a restaurant that features a live band, and a large pavilion at the end of the pier.

So picked a spot somewhere in the middle of the pier and tried our luck. The pier was noticeably shorter than the ones in Florida, at about 800 feet. It didn’t seem to matter since the water looked deep enough. We’ve heard about many shark sightings at the Myrtle Beach but we were shocked when a huge shark swam below the pier. It was, by far, the largest sea creature we’ve seen outside of an aquarium. I suppose the shark was there to snatch away any fish that one of us might hook. Our puny little rods won’t stand a chance. After about an hour, my husband caught a small croaker. Shortly thereafter, a whiting was caught. But we didn’t even get a twitch after that. Other people weren’t doing much better either. Our little girl was getting restless so decided to call it quits and head to the beach for some playing in the sand.

On our last day in SC, we decided to just spend our time walking around the beach, taking a lot of pictures, and just relaxing. We surmised that we weren’t really fishing maniacs after all. It can be disappointing and exhausting when the fish and weather refuse to cooperate. But let me tell you, it’s a lot of fun when you do catch fish and get to eat them. So if you have given it a thought, just try it? As for us, we eagerly look forward to our next trip to the beach!

Yum! Snow crab!                                               So cute!

Thanksgiving Trip to Destin

After Samantha’s first trip to Florida, she wouldn’t stop asking when we can go back again. It was very clear that she had enjoyed the trip. She didn’t get to catch many fish, but she still had a blast. So we decided to book another trip to Destin during the Thanksgiving 2016, only a few months after our September trip. It was not too difficult to find a hotel room at a reasonable price because most people do not think of November as a good fishing season. And another big plus is that we don’t have to endure the summer heat.

We booked a hotel room at Fairfield Inn. The room wasn’t very big and the walls were so thin we could hear the conversation from the next room. The day time temperature was at around upper 60s which was comfortable. Unfortunately, the morning temperature was at around 50, and the wind chill would make it seem colder. So this time, I let my husband try his luck early in the morning by himself while Samantha and I huddle inside the warm blanket. He came back at around 10:30AM with a few whiting. We were very encouraged by this and decided to try again later when the temperature is warmer. We went to the Okaloosa Island Pier and used the little shrimp pieces for bait to try to catch some more fish. After about an hour, action started to pick up. We caught a whiting after whiting. It was a lot of fun. They weren’t large, but it was so fun to catch so many in a short period of time. We noticed that most of the other anglers were catching them too, and they were fishing not too far from the shore. It turns out that the surf zone is the best spot for whiting because that’s where all the crustaceans and clam pieces wash up for the fish to eat. My husband decided to try a squid piece for bait. After about 20 minutes of waiting, my husband caught a nice flounder. We were so thrilled because flounder is one of our favorite foods to eat. By the end of the day, we had a respectable amount of fish (2 flounders and around 12 whiting) in our cooler. We cooked some of the fish in the hotel room kitchen and ate them with warm rice and vegetables. It was so delicious and fresh.  

On our last day in Destin, we went to the Norriego point to try our luck. Pier fishing is fun, but it’s nice to fish right off the shore as well. My husband did most of the fishing since I have had enough fun over the 3 days. He caught one nice sea bream, couple of hardtails, and one fish that we could not identify. It almost looked like a creature from outer space. To this day, we do not know what specie it is. The ocean is so vast, right? 

                          Nice catch                                                      Mystery fish?

Return After a Long Hiatus

Well, it’s true that family changes everything. When our daughter Samantha was born in 2011, our life changed a lot to say the least. We had to reprioritize basically everything in our life, including fishing. We did not return to Destin until 2016, almost 5 years later. It was only her second time seeing the ocean (first time was at Hilton Head Island in 2015), and her first exposure to saltwater fishing. Just the anticipation for our return to Destin was just so much to bear at times. Unlike our previous trips, we had more things to think about. There were more things to pack, including more food, snacks, smaller fishing pole, kid’s sunscreen, books to stave off her inevitable boredom, etc.

It was the last week of September so the weather was still warm. We did not go fishing on the first day. Instead, we went to the East Jetty to enjoy the ocean view. It was Samantha’s first time seeing such a beautiful white sand beach. Only thing we had to watch out for was jellyfish on the beach. To step on one would cause a painful swelling. 

We went to the Okaloosa Island Pier the following day, and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, the action was slow. We caught a few small fish, but nothing to brag about. We were really hoping to see some great action so Samantha wouldn’t get bored. Thankfully, several dolphins made their appearances around the pier, and Samantha was absolutely enthralled. It was her first time seeing a dolphin in the wild. Seeing her fascination gave us such a great sense of satisfaction.

 But after a long hiatus, we were really hoping to catch some nice fish in Destin. We all had a great time and it was nice to be back on the beach, but we became a little bit desperate. We really didn’t want to go home empty handed. So on our last day, we decided to take the gamble and drive over to Panama City Beach. It was a beautiful drive, and we became very hopeful that our luck would be much better. Two piers on the same day sounded so cool. Thankfully, action was much more brisk in Panama City Beach Russell-Field City Pier. We caught a few hardtails, a few small crabs, and some nice person gave us his Spanish mackerel. We took a little break at the Pier Park to enjoy some nice ice cream and pizza. The atmosphere at Panama City Beach seemed more festive. We resumed fishing near dusk and caught a few more small fish and decided we had enough fishing for a day. The overnight return trip to Atlanta was long and tiring, but it was very much worth it. A few days later, we had a tasty fried fish for dinner.

Yummy Recipe

I would like to share with you some delicious fish recipe. In my native country, Korea, it is very common to make a spicy soup with fish. The spiciness can take out the unpleasant fishiness from the fish. The soup also goes very well with rice, and it’s not unusual for a hungry person to down 2, 3 bowls of rice with a bowl of good spicy fish soup. Here’s a recipe I used to make a Korean fish soup (known as maeuntang in Korean) with a big redfish my husband caught in Destin.

Ingredients:

1 whole fish cut into chunks (with the head)

1 1/2 cups Korean radish, cut into pieces (daikon can also be used)

1 bunch green onions (sliced diagonally)

1-2 handfuls of bean sprouts (heads removed)

2 tbsp gochujang (spicy chili paste)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 small bunch enoki mushrooms

2 tbsp fish sauce

6 cloves garlic

1 tsp ginger root

6-8 cups water

You might be wondering, why would I need a fish head? That’s because it’s the head and the bone that give the soup’s rich taste, almost like a natural soup bouillon.

First prepare the stock by adding the radish slices to the water and then simmering for 15-20 minutes. Add the gochujang, pepper flakes, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and fish to the pot and bring it to boil. Cook for about 15 minutes. Add bean sprouts, green onions, and enoki mushrooms. Cook for another 3 minutes. Serve with freshly cooked rice.

Our spicy fish soup made with redfish was delicious, but I may have added a little bit too much ginger. I could feel the spiciness right in my throat. I have a feeling that it might be a good soup to have when you have a cold. Oh, remember the fish head? Not many people know this, but the little pocket of flesh on the fish head, right below the eyeball, is quite tasty. So don’t throw away the head without eating the “filet mignon” portion of the fish.

For smaller fish that is small enough to fit on a fry pan, here is a very simple recipe:

Clean the fish and pat it dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper, and dredge the fish. Heat the oil in a fry pan, or preferably, a cast iron skillet. Brown the fish on both sides. Turn the heat to medium, add some parsley and lemon juice, and cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Serve with hot rice or fried potatoes.

Some Basic Tips

For this post, I’d like to share with you some of the tips I’ve gained through fishing. Again, we are not fishing experts by any stretch. We simply love going to the ocean and catching some good fish. Catching our own dinner is so much fun, and considering how pricey seafood can be, it’s a good bargain. I hope that the tips here will help you to get the most of your fishing trip, especially if you are a beginner and not particularly serious about becoming an expert.

1. Be prepared. This should be a given. Make sure your fishing line is not damaged. Look for signs of wear and tear on the line, especially fraying. You do not want to lose your big fish from a snapped line. If possible, you should sharpen your fishing hooks with a grinding stone. Sharp hook means you are more likely to hook the fish. To keep your catch fresh, be sure you have enough ice the cooler. We even packed a small Ziploc bag full of coarse salt to prevent spoilage. Some people use pier cart to haul all their equipment and supplies. We don’t have one, but we do use a cooler with wheels so we can carry everything to the pier easily. In the summer, sunscreen and wide-brimmed hat are essential to prevent painful sunburn. Always bring water bottles and snacks to the pier, because price at the canteen can be a little bit high.

2. It’s easy to think that the end of the pier would offer the best fishing. It is not always so. Sometimes, you will have better luck at the shallow end of the pier. Certain species prefer the surf zone where there is an abundance of floating crustaceans to eat. One easy guideline is to see where everybody else is fishing at the pier. You will always see a group of people at the end who are going for big fish, but there will be plenty of people trying their luck at the shallow end as well.

3. If possible, it’s better to use the restroom before going to the pier. I’ve found the public restrooms at most fishing pier to be of poor maintenance.

4. If possible, eat your meal before going to the pier. When the fish starts biting, you may not want to leave the pier to grab a burger or two. It’s one less thing to worry about.

5. Above all, safety is the most important thing. Do not leave your gears around carelessly, because you or someone might get injured on a fishing hook. When someone is about to cast, keep enough distance so you do not get hooked on the razor sharp hook of the lure. By the same token, be sure there is no one behind your back when you are about to cast.

There are many more tips, but here are some of the essentials. Please visit next time, and I’ll share with you some more.

The gentleman in the picture is hauling his gear on a pier cart. If we ever move to Florida, we'll definitely buy one. 

Another Destin Trip, Not So Great!

Fishing is a lot of fun, no doubt. But it’s to be expected that you can’t be successful all the time. Sometimes, fish just won’t cooperate. That’s one fact that every fisherman and fisherwoman has to accept. There is no absolute guarantee that you will catch fish. Buoyed by the success in Panama City, we decided to go to Destin again, only a few months later. With the better-than-expected performance in Panama City, we felt that we really got the hang of fishing, and that we would experience a lot of success in the neighboring Destin.

This time, we booked a room at Inn on Destin Harbor. The location was perfect. As the name indicated, it was right on Destin Harbor and provided us with a beautiful view. It was located not far from the Okaloosa Island Pier. Free breakfast was nice too, but I would rate it a little bit below what we had at the Club Destin. There weren’t any hot waffles, cold boiled eggs instead of omelets, and the dining area was small. For some reason, the toilet didn’t flush well, so that was a big minus.

So we went back to the Okaloosa Island Pier with a lot of expectation. But for some reason, we didn’t get a single bite. We casted our silvery lure, but there were no strikes. We thought may be we were fishing at too shallow of a depth, so we moved to the very end of the pier. Still there was no luck. But we also noticed that other people were not doing much better. Some people were catching a few baitfish for king mackerel, but we didn’t see much action.

After hours and hours of no action, I finally caught a fish. It was very strong, and gave up some good fight. The fish would leap out of the water and thrash about, and I even had to open my reel to let the fish tire itself out. I’ve heard that how furiously reeling in a strong fish could stress the line and result in the much dreaded broken line and lost fish. The fish I landed looked silvery, long, and had sharp teeth. I was told by an elderly man that it was a ladyfish. He said it is very bony and therefore not good to eat. I was disappointed, but I did enjoy the good fight. A few minutes later, my husband caught one too. Ladyfish must be schooling fish, we thought. Later that day, we switched to shrimp bait and managed to catch a few hardtail fish, which didn’t look very appetizing either. We threw them back, and surmised that we’ve seen better days.

Panama City Beach, Florida

Sadly, we didn’t get to hit the beach again until the summer of 2009. This time, we decided to try our luck at Panama City Beach, Fl. Mention Panama City Beach, and a lot of people think about the rowdy college crowd during the spring break. That reputation may be well deserved, but Panama City Beach is also a very popular fishing rivaling Destin. It’s also slightly closer to Atlanta than Destin, being situated almost directly south of Columbus, GA. So in August 2009, we once again packed our humble set of fishing gear and headed down to Florida Panhandle. One bad thing about our trip this time was the accommodation. We noticed that the hotels in Panama City were generally cheaper than the ones in Destin, but they were older, and service wasn’t as good. I can’t remember the name of the hotel we stayed in, but it was less than satisfactory. The bed was smaller, the carpet seemed a little dingy, and there was no free breakfast other than some sugary donuts that we did not touch. Well, you can’t have everything, right? After all, we were here for fishing. On day 2, we headed to Russell-Field City Pier. We read somewhere that the pier was fairly new. One thing we noticed about the pier was that it was quite a bit longer than the Okaloosa Island Pier, at 1500 feet. I think Okaloosa was about 1200 feet. The pier was made mostly of concrete with wooden rails. The fish cleaning stations were large and clean, there were plenty of benches, end of the pier was very wide, and the pier itself was very wide. Overall, I liked the Russell-Field pier better than the Okaloosa. Well, but that doesn’t mean much if we can’t catch fish right? So with our eager hands, we tried our luck with some shiny lures. After about 30 minutes, my husband caught a keeper-size Spanish mackerel. I had to admit that I was a little bit jealous. We finished for a few more hours but decided to wrap it up and try again the next day. We were still tired from driving and could use a good night’s sleep.

The following morning, we were in luck. The fish started to bite, and eagerly so. My husband landed a few more Spanish mackerels, and I did too. It was a lot of fun, especially since Spanish mackerel fights very hard. But all the casting and retrieving made our arms sore, so we decided to do “lazy” fishing for a while and took out our shrimp bait. We continued to do very well, landing a nice sized flounder, about half a dozen small porgy-type fish, a spadefish, and a stingray. We were glad that we had brought some salt with us along with the ice cooler, because we could make sure all our precious catch would not spoil in the hot weather. We fished well into the night because we were having so much fun. This was the most productive fishing trip ever for us.