Before the 4- to 6-foot seas started to roll in Thursday, a few of Destin's charter boats made it out for some pretty good fishing.
Anglers from the Buckeye State fishing aboard the Sure Lure with Capt. Donnie Dineen pulled a good catch of triggerfish, mingo and white snapper Wednesday afternoon.
The First Light with Capt. Steve Haeusler at the helm backed in with a couple of amberjack, 10 triggerfish and several mingo and white snapper.
Alabama anglers on the Outta Line with Capt. Trey Windes had a big time on a four-hour trip. Not only did they pull in enough to fill the racks with triggerfish, mingo and white snapper, but they tangled with a tiger — a tiger shark that is.
"That was my first time to hook anything like that," said Lucas Johnson of Falkville, Ala. Johnson said the shark pulled so hard they had to strap a harness on him in order to handle the rod and reel.
"The best way I can describe it … it was like having a weight on the end all the time that never let up," Johnson said.
After about a 15-minute fight, they got the tiger shark up close enough to take a few photographs and then they released it.
Capt. Windes said the shark was about 150 pounds and about 6 to 7 feet long.
The tiger shark is prohibited from all harvest, possession, landing, purchase, sale or exchange, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Tennessee anglers on the Vengeance with Capt. Jason Hallmark came in from an afternoon trip with a good catch of triggerfish, mingo, white snapper and a Key West porgy.
Capt. Robert Hill and his Missouri anglers on the Twilight came in from a 10-hour trip with a huge haul. They had seven amberjack, one that weighed about 40 pounds, plus some big triggerfish and white snapper.
Ohio anglers here on spring break pulled in their share of sheepshead, redfish and black drum while fishing on the Inshore Angler with Capt. Robert Michelson. Captain said they released almost as many as they caught.
Fishing is good; we just need the seas to calm down.
See you on the docks.