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.