By 30A interns Caroline Giddis and Lindsey Rogers
Clear and deep sea or brackish and shallow, however you like your fishing conditions, South Walton offers almost too many options. Whether you’re an amateur or a passionate professional, you’ll quickly find that we have some of the best fishing in the world.
Although the bustling harbors of Destin and Panama City Beach are better known for deep-sea fishing excursions (mainly because their harbors have direct access to the Gulf), that certainly doesn’t mean that you need to drive to either place to get your fishing fix.
Book your fishing trip online.
South Walton is home to some of the most experienced and successful fishing guides, who host captivating charter trips. With a little help, they’ll have you saying, “I got one!” as soon as you’re out in the water.
The water in Choctawhatchee Bay and the connecting river runs from a few feet deep to over 40 feet. Out fishing, you can catch anything from redfish and speckled trout to jack crevalle and flounder. And of course, the dolphins will be out there to cheer you on as they do their own fishing.
The best part? You can take whatever you catch home with you to cook your very own “Bay-to-table” dinner.
A few fishing charters launch directly from the sand at Grayton Beach, returning a few hours later with grouper, cobia, wahoo, red snapper, king mackerel, flounder, pompano and more, depending on the season.
Pretty soon you’ll be fishing like a local. The next step is to get a vintage cast-net and have a good old-fashioned mullet-fry. (Hey, don’t knock it ’til you fried it, folks.)
