Calming Down Quick in South Walton

After a week of big surf and a pretty good surge from Issac, the gulf has calmed down quickly. While we did get some beach erosion and my dock here on Eastern Lake is under water by a couple inches from the trapped surge, Hurricane Issac was not that big a deal here.

The wind never got past "breezy" and we had very little rain. With everything calming down, the forecast for is for calm water. I have trips booked and can't wait to get out and see how the fishing is. As most folks who have fished off the beach know, the best fishing can be the two weeks or so following a big storm.

The surge and seas will "pile up" the groupers on the inshore spots. Not only are these fish hungry from not eating for a week or so they are on unfamiliar reefs and don't know every hole and ledge to dive into when hooked. It is nice to have the advantage every now and then!

In the meantime here are a few pics from my stay at Indian Pass last week. I'm afraid that Issac probably was the end to tarpon over there this year but the Tripletails will still be around and the Scallops at St Joe, while not thick, are as big as I have ever seen.

Battling a Big One.

Happy with a smaller one! 
 

The birthday crew had a blast with a big school of Jacks in West Pass.

Scallopin' has to be the least serious way to catch a seafood dinner. My crew did good getting about eight gallons of the tasty critters in an afternoon.