Destin, Florida May Inshore Fishing Report
The inshore trolling bite during May is typically very good. You may have an occasional slow day trolling since it is fishing, but most days those trolling lines will be going off non stop. Trolling lures at “high speeds” should produce Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, and bonito most days.
During this month you always have the possibility of catching a black fin tuna as well. The water is still cool enough to find them here and there. Occasionally if you troll over a wreck with lures you can also catch the more aggressive amberjack which have just opened up for the year.
Live bait trolling can also be very productive during. Drop down a sabiki rig around the pass and you’ll often find cigar minnow and herring. Trolling either of those two live baits at slow speed around bait balls or structures should produce a good number of king and Spanish mackerel.
Bottom fishing in May is typically very productive. Vermillion snapper are found very often around natural bottom such as limestone reefs. They are most often caught on cut squid and bonito with a two hook rig and 6-8 ounce weight. See more with our Bottom Rigs for Snapper Fishing post.
While fishing two hook rigs you can often find other harvestable fish such as white snapper, mangrove snapper, and lane snapper. Fishing with larger live baits such as hard tails, ruby lips, and squirrel fish can produce good sized amberjack which is open during the month of May.
Fishing live or dead bait on slip leads can also occasionally produce scamp grouper. Most often than not when you fish slip leads you will always see red snapper, which open up next month!
