Headed to Destin for 7 days and I'd like to do some bay fishing with the kids. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

I can't help with a guide name, never fished in Destin.

But I can say...if there's a Destin guide out there who reads TexAgs or is an Aggie - you could be booked out through TexAgs all year round. This question comes up every other week in the summer, and monthly in the spring/fall.

PFG said:

---

I can't help with a guide name, never fished in Destin.

But I can say...if there's a Destin guide out there who reads TexAgs or is an Aggie - you could be booked out through TexAgs all year round. This question comes up every other week in the summer, and monthly in the spring/fall.

---

So if a guide was booked year round what kind of $$$ could be made?

There ain't a whole lot of rich guides out there.

Lots of divorced, broke and drunk ones, though.

Makes sense

We are on our way back from a week in Santa Rosa. My brother and I took our boys bay fishing with Captain Blake. His number is 850-499-3811. He was flexible with weather and was great with boys. He's out of the Legacy Marina in Destin.

We go to destin every year

I've never used them but the people who own the condo next my parents condo use these people. They say they do a great job
http://www.destininshoreguides.com

Captain Blake is the best for kids and redfish

Is it still customary that Florida guides don't fish with clients aboard?

As opposed to Texas guides who usually do.

About an hour east of Destin, but this is who we used when we went

http://www.showtimefishingcharters.com

We used Santa Rosa Charters in the past, would highly recommend. The brothers that run it are awesome, really great atmosphere especially with kids.

I am in Rosemary Beach right now. We fished with Captain Blake Nelson yesterday. I took my 6 year old with me and he was very nice. We only booked a half day trip and he was off the water at 4 hours on the dot. The first 35 minutes are spent catching bait, so I might opt for a later time because he will already have bait from the morning trip. We caught a limit of reds which is only one a person in FL. I wanted to try it out, but having fished in Texas my whole life, I was rather disappointed with their bay fishing.

I fished with Capt Kyle Pitts out of Shallow Water Expeditions in Panama City Beach. So worth the experience! Wife and I caught Ambers, gag and red snapper within sight of the beach. Hooked multiple red snapper on the fly but couldn't land them on a 9wt.

http://www.shallowwaterexpeditions.com/

airboatag said:

---

MI fished with Capt Kyle Pitts out of Shallow Water Expeditions in Panama City Beach. So worth the experience! Wife and I caught Ambers, gag and red snapper within sight of the beach. Hooked multiple red snapper on the fly but couldn't land them on a 9wt.

http://www.shallowwaterexpeditions.com/

---

I booked with SWE but they subbed me out to another guide and didn't mention it to me, just said meet your guide at said time and location. Turns out it was a captain of another charter luckily it turned out real well but I was kinda erked that they did that. He told me just to call him next time. I'm not sure how he'd be with kids fishing but I know he had a little one on the way and has had kids out in his pictures.

Phil Wilde I believe with anchored charters

Shameless brag

SWE did the same to me. What pissed me off is that they charge a premium for their services then book you with a random guy you've never heard of.

FirefightAg said:

---

airboatag said:

---

MI fished with Capt Kyle Pitts out of Shallow Water Expeditions in Panama City Beach. So worth the experience! Wife and I caught Ambers, gag and red snapper within sight of the beach. Hooked multiple red snapper on the fly but couldn't land them on a 9wt.

http://www.shallowwaterexpeditions.com/

---

I booked with SWE but they subbed me out to another guide and didn't mention it to me, just said meet your guide at said time and location. Turns out it was a captain of another charter luckily it turned out real well but I was kinda erked that they did that. He told me just to call him next time. I'm not sure how he'd be with kids fishing but I know he had a little one on the way and has had kids out in his pictures.

Phil Wilde I believe with anchored charters

Shameless brag

---

Just for the record Phil is shown as one of the guides on the SWE website: SWE Guides

I'm not sure how they work all the relationships, perhaps the different guides pay SWE a booking fee to be affiliated with a bigger name outfitter and maybe take advantage of the Orvis endorsement too but a lot of the guides have their own websites and booking info.

Here's just a few of them who have their own sites/services but also book through SWE:

Capt. Kyle Pitts - High Tide Guide

Capt. Jason Giles- Fishbones Guide

Capt. Jason Stacy - Southern Flyworks

Capt. Andy Lee- Grassroots Guiding

Capt. Brett Martina- Apalach Inshore

Capt. Cleve Evans- Forgotten Coast on the Fly

Booked with Jason Stacy in a couple weeks. Can't get here soon enough.