Category Archives: Charter Boat Destination

Fall In Destin Is Festival Season

It’s Fall in Destin! As the cooler weather arrives, it’s time to prepare for the Fall festivals in Destin!

It's Fall Festival Season In Destin

October 1st marks the beginning of Destin’s premiere fishing event of the year, The Destin Fishing Rodeo.

Throughout the month of October, the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village will play host to over 30,000 great fisherman as they compete to reel in the biggest game fish. Over $100,000 will be awarded in cash and prizes, and practically every game fish will be recognized. Wether you’re trolling inshore for king mackerel, offshore for marlin, or going deep for grouper, you will be eligible to win. Plus, every Saturday in October is Shark Saturday, and the largest shark will win a cash prize!

You don’t want to miss out on the rodeo action and weigh-in fun! The rodeo is free for all anglers fishing aboard a registered vessel, like the Destination, so make your reservations now to participate in the most popular tournament on the Gulf Coast! The weigh-ins are open to the public, and held every day in October, from 10AM to 7PM, on the harbor boardwalk near AJs.

Fall in Destin always begins with the Destin Seafood Festival. It’s a local tradition.

This year, the 37th Annual Destin Seafood Festival will officially begin on Friday, October 4th at four o’clock, and will run throughout the weekend, showcasing some of the best seafood Destin has to offer.

Destin’s seafood festival tradition began in 1978, founded by the Charter Boat Association’s Women’s Auxiliary as a fundraiser for the local fisherman, and a way to attract visitors to the area. Thirty-seven years later the Destin Charter Boat Association carries on the tradition, and the festival has grown into a huge celebration of Destin’s rich marine heritage.

Over sixty-thousand people are expected to attend this year, for the most amazing local seafood, live music, fireworks, arts, crafts, and all around family fun.

The weekend of October 16-19, is one of the South’s most celebrated festivals, The 39th Annual Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival, in the neighboring town of Niceville.

Back in the days when the small town of Niceville was a nice little fishing village known as Boggy Bayou, local fisherman relied substantially on mullet, and poled flat-bottomed skiffs on the bay at night, listened for the jumping fish, and cast their nets. The mullet was then salted and preserved in fish barrels, and sold or traded to farmers from Florida and Alabama for vegetables.

This family friendly festival celebrating the mullet, and old Boggy Bayou traditions, was named one of the top 12 food festivals in the nation, and boasts three days of jam-packed fun with a large selection of food, including mullet, unique handmade arts and crafts, fun amusement rides and games, and top-notch musical entertainment.

Kick back and relax in between bites, and watch your favorite college football team aboard the Destination, via Direct TV!

Destin Florida Red Snapper Season

Destin Florida Red Snapper Season

Red Snapper Season in Destin, Florida is forty-four days Long This Summer!

The big news in Destin, Florida this summer is our Federal Red Snapper Season, which will begin June 1st, and run through July 14th, will be forty-four days long this year, compared to just nine days long last year.

That should make for some incredible fishing trips, with great catches!

Red snapper is a popular, early-maturing, long-lived reef fish that are broadly distributed in the Gulf of Mexico. They can live to be fifty-seven, and are typically found in deep waters. The average Red Snapper grows to be about twenty-five pounds, with the largest Red Snapper caught in Destin, Florida, weighing in at 46 pounds.

Snapper season has a strong economic impact for many coastal communities throughout Florida, including Destin.

Destin, Florida offers some of the world’s best deep sea fishing. Anglers of all skill levels travel to the Emerald Coast hoping to snag a prized catch. For Destin, Florida Anglers, the most prized catch is the coveted Red Snapper. These fish are fun to catch, wonderful to eat, and have become the focus of many of the Charter Boat Destination’s fishing trips.

We offer a variety of family friendly private charters, ranging from as few as four hours to as many as twenty-four hours, and we can carry up to twenty-three passengers.

If you plan to be in Destin, Florida this summer, give us a call (850) 259-3778, to reserve your spot or click here to book online with us today.

Spring Fishing In Destin Florida!

It is definitely spring in Destin, Florida, and it’s the best time to be fishing.

As April rolls in, and the weather warms in Destin, Florida, families flock to the Gulf coast for spring break, and to take advantage of one of the best times of the year to catch a wide variety of fish on the Gulf coast, especially aboard the Charter Boat Destination.

Currently, this spring here in Destin, Florida, cobia, kings and blackfin tuna are running just offshore, and we are catching vermilion and white snapper, and A LOT of amberjack!
Spring Fishing Destin Florida

Spring is one of the best times to visit Destin, Florida. In April the water is warm, the sun is shining, the temperature is comfortable, and the bite is strong.

“The best time to go fishing is when you can get away.” -Robert Traver

We can arrange the fishing experience of a lifetime for you and your family, your clients, employees, or just a group of friends. Call us at (850) 259-3778, or click here, to book your spring fishing charter today.

The experience of a lifetime is just a phone call away.

Cheers,

Capt. Stan

Destin Florida Cobia Tournament

Anglers get ready, the 18th Annual Destin Florida Cobia Tournament  kicks off in March!

Destin Florida Cobia Tournament

This year the Destin Florida Cobia Tournament is full of GREAT cash prizes and SUPER prize packs on Super Saturdays!

The charter boat fishing in Destin, Florida really picks up in March with the Destin Florida Cobia Tournament, and the beginning of the annual spring run of Cobia. Each year these big fish migrate through Destin, Florida’s coastal waters towards their spawning areas near the Mississippi Delta.

And every year the Cobia migration is highly anticipated by Destin Florida’s Anglers because Cobia can weigh up to one hundred forty pounds, with many fish weighing-in between fifty and ninety pounds! In fact, it’s not uncommon to fight a Cobia for 45 minutes to an hour!

In Destin, Cobia fishing is done by sight. From a tower aboard the Charter Boat Destination. From the tower we can spot an individual Cobia, or small schools of Cobia, swimming just under the surface of the emerald green Gulf waters, off the Destin, Florida coast. After we spot the Cobia, we maneuver the Destination so our Anglers can cast a bait in front of the slow moving fish.

Participating in the Destin Florida Cobia Tournament aboard the Charter Boat Destination, watching the surface action, and angling Cobia, is one of the most exciting fishing charters that Destin, Florida has to offer.

The 18th Annual Destin Florida Cobia Tournament is right around the corner, and we are booking charters 7 days a week. Give us a call today at (850) 259-3778, or fill out our contact form, to book your charter fishing trip for your Destin, Florida vacation.

Destin Florida Cobia Fishing

Destin Florida Charter Boat Destination

January Fishing Report

January Fishing Report

It’s time for the January Deep Sea Fishing Report from Destin, Florida!

Destin Florida Charter Boat Destination Fishing Report

The month of January has been kind to Destin. We can happily report, we experienced mostly mild sixty-degree days, and plenty of sunshine…which means we had some great fishing days!

Amberjack and triggerfish seasons are now open, and we have been catching an ample supply. Also biting are red grouper, vermilion snapper, black snapper and white snapper.
Destin Fishing in January

Destin and Harborwalk Village are bustling with Snowbirds, Super Bowl XLIX talk, and the excitement of Mardi Gras, as everyone prepares for the 2015 season.

And we’re gearing up for the season too!

The Destination just returned from dry dock, the bottom is nice and clean, and the topside has been repainted.

Isn’t she pretty?

Crisp and clean, and waiting for you.

Because we know how you miss the sunshine, the cool Gulf breeze, the salty air, the crystal clear emerald green water, the sand between your toes…and that unmistakable tug on your fishin’ line….

We hope to see you soon. Until then…tight lines!

Cheers,
Capt. Stan

The December Fishing Report

The December Fishing Report

Destination December Blog Cover
Hello Anglers, it’s time for our December fishing Report!

The end of the year is a laid-back quiet time here in Destin. Life slows down just a little as the tourist crowds drift away, the hustle and bustle of the holidays subside, and the Snowbirds arrive.

“The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.” -John Buchan

As you probably know, our December weather can be unpredictable. Fortunately, this month we were graced with mild weather, for the most part. A couple of cold fronts rolled through and churned up the water, which kept us from fishing…but only for a few days.

This month aboard the Charter Boat Destination, Anglers of all ages brought in good drops of Triggerfish, vermilion snapper, red snapper, amberjack and grouper. We had many laughs, and we made a lot of memories.<

As 2014 comes to a close, and we reflect on another fun (and productive) year of fishing the Gulf waters, we are very thankful to each one of you for your loyalty and support. We hope you had an amazing experience aboard the Charter Boat Destination in 2014, and we hope to see you again (or for the first time) in the new year.

Warm wishes for a happy and healthy 2015.

Edging forward,

Capt. Stan

A Thankful November

A Thankful November

King Mackerel

King Mackerel

As we celebrate this November week of thankfulness, we are mindful of so much. We are thankful for our loved ones, a measure of health, and the liberties we possess as Americans, among other things. Here in Destin, we are also thankful for several mild, sixty-degree-sunny weather days sprinkled throughout our winter months, despite the unseasonably cold temperatures gripping the rest of our country.

During November we were catching amberjack, grouper, king mackerel, mahi, amberines, and black and vermillion snapper. Catching an amberjack is quite a satisfying feeling, because they always put up a big fight.

An Amberjack Angler

An Amberjack Angler

As Thanksgiving gives way to the Christmas Season, you don’t want to miss Santa’s grand entrance to the Destin Harbor, the Holiday on the Harbor ARTwalk, and of course, my favorite, the 28th Annual Destin Boat Parade through the Harbor, on December 14th.

Remember, we run charters during the winter months in Destin, so be sure to give us a call when you get tired of Turkey leftovers.

May this Thanksgiving be a great blessing to you all.

Cheers,

Capt. Stan


Destin Florida Charter Boat Destination

To contact Capt. Stan, call 850.259.3778 or click here to fill out our contact form.
210 Highway 98 East, Destin FL
The Destination is 1/2 mile east of the Destin bridge, behind Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant.

Charter Boat Destination:  https://www.charterboatdestination.com/
2014 Article: A Thankful November


October Fishing Report

October Fishing Report

Destin Fishing Rodeo kids

October was a great month of fishing!

Halloween marks the end of the Destin Fishing Rodeo, bringing with it cooler weather and shorter days here in Destin.

The kings, scamp, trigger fish, amberjack, and vermillion snapper were biting like crazy, and we experienced abundant catches all month long.

We also enjoyed sharing in the Rodeo fun and excitement over the last few weeks, as some of Destination’s anglers weighed-in their catch.

Destination Fishing Rodeo Collage

If you’re visiting our area in November, make some time to fish with us! Deep sea fishing is one of the most unique activities Destin has to offer, and the cooler weather brings with it exciting new species of fish, and bountiful catches.

Cheers,
Capt. Stan

About the Charter Boat Destination

About the Charter Boat Destination

The Charter Boat Destination is owned and operated by Captain Stan Phillips. Captain Stan Phillips is a established boat captain that has been professionally fishing the waters of Destin, FL for over 25 years. 

Destin Charter Boat - Destination

The Charter Boat Destination is ready to take you deep see fishing.  Big, safe, and comfortable…. we are ready to take you fishing!  Call us today at 850.259.3778.

  • 55′ deep sea fishing boat with a 19′ beam built by Bonner Yachts
  • USCG approved for up to 23 passengers
  • Sleeps up to 11 passengers
  • A spacious interior with plenty of seating, a 30,000 btu marine air conditioning system, 2 sinks, great sound system, XM radio, Satellite TV, and microwave
  • A huge back deck that is clean and uncluttered that allows you to move about easily and safely
  • Large center livewell and 4 custom fish boxes that provides shaded seating
  • Located in the Destin Harbor

Mechanical

  • Twin Detroit Diesel main engines
  • 21kw Kubota generator
  • Electronics
  • Futuro Navnet color radar/chart plotter/gps
  • Furuno FCV1100 fathometer
  • Furuno GP32 gps
  • Icom VHF radio
  • Icom SSB radio
  • Life Raft
  • Life Jackets

Safety Gear

  • High water alarms in all compartments
  • Automatic fire suppression system in engine room

Fishing Tackle

  • We use a combination of Penn and Shimano reels that are matched to custom built rods for specific applications. Whether we are live bait fishing inshore, bottom fishing or trolling big lures offshore, we have tackle designed to get the job done.