Fishing on the Vera Marie Party Boat in Destin, Florida

I recently had the opportunity to go on my first fishing trip on the Vera Marie party boat with Pelican Adventures in Destin, Florida.

I’ve lived on the Gulf Coast of Florida my entire adult life yet somehow had never been fishing prior to this trip. Several of my friends are avid fishermen so there’s been no shortage of opportunities but I just didn’t think I would enjoy fishing.

The reason I finally decided to try a fishing excursion was the same reason I do most things these days–I wanted to write about it on my blog and share my first-timer experience with readers who might also be thinking about going on their first fishing trip in Destin.

Some of the things I was anxious about before going on this fishing trip:

► Waking up at 6:30am (they instructed us to check in at 8am). I am not a morning person. I’m a hard-wired night owl. 6:30am is not my friend. (update: I’m laughing at this now several years after writing it. I get up to stream sunrise at the beach for my Facebook fans now but it still hurts)

► Going stir-crazy on a boat ride for 6-7 hours, especially during a 1-2 hour ride to the fishing spots and back. It just sounded SO LONG

► That I wouldn’t catch any fish so my article would be boring.

► That I would catch some fish and feel really bad for them and cry and want to let them all go free.

My Fishing Trip on the Vera Marie Party Boat in Destin

I chose the Vera Marie boat because Pelican Adventures has been in business a long time and they have a good reputation in Destin for excursions.

I had also communicated with Pelican Adventures a lot on social media because the boats in their fishing fleet (Vera Marie, Good Times, Velocious, Just Right, Anticipation, Smile High…) end up in a lot  of my Destin photography that I post online.

Arrival and Check In at Pelican Adventures

I brought my friend, Jeff, with me on this fishing trip. He goes fishing regularly from boats, his paddle board, kayak and the shore but he still thought a party boat excursion sounded fun and agreed to join me.

We were instructed to check in at 8am on the day of our fishing charter. I arrived at 8:15 and found Jeff in the parking lot and we walked down to the Pelican Adventures office to check in.

We went into the Pelican Adventures office and waited in a short line to check in. They had sunblock, hats, drinks, snacks and other various items for sale.

The lady at the counter checked us in and advised us to go ahead and apply any sunblock and then wash our hands extremely well before getting on the boat. She said the fish would not bite if there were traces of sunblock on the bait.

After checking in, we waited at the tables on the docks until it was time to board the boat.

Deep Sea Fishing on the Vera Marie

The crew helped us board and gave us a few basic instructions. I would guess the boat was about 3/4 full. It was a Saturday in late August so just after a lot of kids go back to school and the busiest time of the summer season starts to die down.

The Vera Marie boat is really big and there were fishing poles all around it from the front and all along the sides and the back. We chose 2 fishing poles at the very back of the boat.

The middle area on either side of the boat had a bench with more shade but we wanted to have a bit more space away from other people. Each group was assigned a cooler with a number on it where their fish would go.

My anxiety had faded at this point and I felt good about everything. It was a beautiful day and I especially enjoyed the boat ride through Destin Harbor as we were heading out to the east pass. The seas were flat and calm that day so the boat ride was smooth.

It took almost 1.5 hours to get to the first fishing spot but the boat ride was not boring and the time went fast. We walked around taking pictures from different spots and also watched the crew cutting up the bait we would be using.

During the ride to the first spot, a crew member went around to give each group individual instruction on how to use the fishing poles. He showed me how to let the line out, how to flip the switch on the reel when it hit bottom, and how to reel the fish up when I caught one.

We were instructed to yell “Fish On” when we pulled up a fish so they could come around to get it off the line for us and identify the fish, measure it, remove it from the line, and put it in the cooler if it’s a keeper.

The crew gave each group a bucket with bait in it to use once we were a few minutes from the first fishing spot. The fishing pole had 2 hooks on it and a 16 ounce weight. When the boat stopped, I put bait on each hook and dropped my line down as instructed.

I thought I would be holding the fishing pole a long time before I caught anything but I felt a tug at it within 30 seconds and a few minutes later I reeled up my first two fish. I’m not sure what I was expecting but I definitely thought it would take a lot longer then that to catch a fish.

It was a trigger fish and a vermilion snapper for my first catch. I was told that the trigger fish was out of season so that one had to go back. The other one was large enough to keep but I still threw him back because he looked kind of small and I wanted to let him go with his friend.

This trend continued where every time I dropped my line down, there was a tug within a minute or less. Sometimes I pulled it up to find the bait gone but no fish and sometimes there were fish on there that had to be thrown back–usually trigger fish or red snapper. Aside from those, there were still a lot of keepers. Jeff caught a lot of fish too in-between helping me take pictures.

We fished the first spot for about 45 minutes before they blew the whistle to signal that we were moving to the next spot. There ended up being 3 total spots that we went to and each one we fished for about 45 minutes.

I took a lot of breaks to get out of the sun and walk around taking photos but still caught a lot of fish. In total we kept about 1/3 of what we caught. About 1/3 were thrown back because they were not legal to keep and the other 1/3 were thrown back because I made eye contact with them and felt bad.

I think the deckhands thought I was confused throwing back keepers but I just felt like it was too much fish for me. I live alone with my cats so I just wanted to keep what I needed for us. I know I could have kept a lot more and put them in the freezer but I enjoyed letting some of them go free for another chance at life.

Even though I wasn’t fishing the entire time, whenever my line went down at all three spots, the fish were biting at it. Everyone on the boat seemed to be also catching fish constantly. I’m not sure if that’s typical since this was my first time.

There were a few times when one of our lines got tangled with someone else’s and the crew had to come over and help us untangle it. I saw it happen to a few other people as well. I guess it’s to be expected on a boat with that many people fishing so close together.

The Crew did a good job of getting around the boat pretty fast when people yelled “Fish On” or had tangled line. I’m not really sure how they did it because there were a lot of people fishing compared to how many crew members there were.

Sometimes we had to wait a few minutes but they always came around to help. Everyone was nice and happy to help us.

After the 3rd fishing spot it was time to head back. The boat ride back was about 1.5 hours again and it was smooth and nice weather the whole way.

The boat had an interior area with restrooms, a TV, and a bar so that was a nice spot to take a break from the sun. We were surprised that the beers were only $3 so we bought a few of those.

Arriving Back at the Dock and Getting our Fresh Catch Filleted

Once we were back at the dock, the crew helped us off the boat and explained that we would be called by our cooler number when it was our turn to have them cut up our fish. We got back to the dock at 3:30 and it was 4:30 before our cooler was called.

Keep that in mind when you plan your day that even if it’s a 6-7 hour trip, it can take some time to get your fish afterward. Our cooler ended up on the bottom of the pile so we were towards the end.

The boat wasn’t completely full though so I’m not sure what the longest wait time could be for your fish. I would guess you should allow about an hour and a half for that part in case you are last.

I have to admit that waiting for the fish was slight torture on the docks in the 3:30pm August sun. There was no shade and you really couldn’t go anywhere in case they called your cooler.

I found myself wishing there was a pager system so I could be drinking at the Boathouse nearby while we waited. (update: Pelican Adventures has since moved to a new location at 600 Harbor Blvd where they have their own marina with plenty of shady spots while you wait)

Finally one of the crew called our cooler and he asked how we wanted the fish cut and whether we wanted the skin on or off. We told him take the skin off because we were going to a restaurant with them.

He arranged the fish so we could take a few photos before he started cutting them up. He was very nice and chatted with us the whole time answering all my questions.

Eating the Fresh Fish we Caught on the Vera Marie

Many of the restaurants on Destin Harbor will cook your fresh catch for you so it’s a nice way to enjoy it after a long day of fishing. The restaurant most known for doing a great job with this is Brotulas on Destin Harbor. Harbor Docks is also a great choice and conveniently right next to Pelican Adventures.

Jeff is a bartender at A.J’s Seafood and Oyster House so we decided to have some of our fish cooked there that day so I could eat at the bar while he was working.

They cooked it lightly blackened and it was so good and definitely such a neat experience to eat fish that we had just caught a few hours ago.

Whatever restaurant you choose to cook your fish, check with them ahead of time as some have time restrictions during peak times of when they can accommodate this.

The next evening we cooked the rest of the fish on the grill and made them into some amazing fish tacos and those were very good as well.

My cats, Stewie and Bella, very much enjoyed their fresh fish meal as well.

Additional Tips for going on a Fishing Trip in Destin

What to Wear on a Party Boat Fishing Trip

I wasn’t totally sure what to wear since it was my first time fishing but it was a hot and humid day in August so I chose shorts, a tank top and flip flops. Jeff ended up bringing me a lightweight, fishing shirt made out of a thin polyester and I put that on within an hour of the trip starting. I found it helpful in keeping the sun off me without getting too hot.

I also wore a baseball cap and sunglasses. In hindsight I probably would have chosen a more wide-brimmed hat like some of the people had because my face ended up getting more sun then I would have liked.

I brought a light sweater but I didn’t end up needing it. Any other time of the year maybe that would have been a good thing to have just in case it was chilly on the ride back. A light rain jacket also might be helpful if there is rain in the forecast.

What to Bring on a Party Boat Fishing Trip

We brought a backpack with a small cooler (Pelican Adventures told us in the confirmation email that they allow a 6-pack sized cooler). In the cooler I had bottled water and a small (plastic) bottle of wine.

I wasn’t planning to drink so early in the day but it was a party boat so I brought it just in case. There was something about being out on the water fishing that made a drink sound good.

Pelican Adventures also advised us to bring a small hand towel to wipe our hands clean as needed. This was a must-have item as the bait was really slimy.

They advised us in the confirmation email to take medication such as Dramamine or Bodine if we thought we might be prone to sea-sickness. I didn’t take anything because I’ve been on a lot of boats and never experienced sea sickness but definitely a good idea as a precaution if you are unsure.

Don’t forget to bring cash so you can tip the crew after your fishing trip. They work incredibly hard and rely on those tips. If you are unsure how much is appropriate, the signs on the boat recommend a 20% tip.

We had a great time on the Vera Marie and I hope this post is helpful for people new to fishing or looking for more information on the party boat experience. It’s a great way to get out on the water for a reasonable price.

In the future I might try the smaller shared fishing trip and see how the experience compares. The cost of a shared charter trip is about twice as much but with a lot less people. I imagine some of the downfalls of the more economical party boat experience (tangled lines, waiting awhile for your fish) would be alleviated with that.

Thank you so much to Pelican Adventures for a great day of Fishing! Pelican Adventures also offers parasailing and snorkeling tours. Call 850-650-3825 for more information or to book!

2022 UPDATE: My friend Jeff who I went on this fishing trip passed away in June of 2021 from Colon Cancer. He had just turned 49. We went on a lot of excursions like this together and I will write about more of them when I can.

AJ’s had a nice Celebration of Life service for him. He definitely wanted people to know to get your recommended routine colonoscopy at age 45 even if you are a super healthy person who feels great.

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My cat Bella, featured in this post eating the fresh fish we caught, also passed away in 2021. RIP Bella and Jeff ❤️❤️❤️

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I hope this post helps you plan the perfect fishing trip in Destin, Florida.

Be sure to comment below if you have any questions or feedback. I love hearing from you and prefer to answer questions on here so my answers can help others as well. Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list so you don’t miss any posts!

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Hi, I’m Sarah–the creator, writer and photographer behind this site. I sell prints, books, journals, and calendars all made from my Emerald Coast photography and I also manage a few vacation rentals on beautiful Holiday Isle in Destin if you want me to be your helpful, knowledgeable host when you visit.…..🌴😃🐬 I have a few rentals including a large house with a boat slip, a 2-bedroom condo, and a 1-bedroom apartment. All are directly on Destin Harbor with private gated access to the most beautiful beaches in Destin. If you enjoy my posts, please consider supporting my blog by shopping my products. I appreciate every sale, and it helps me continue to put out quality free content for you. Thank you SO much 🙂