Spend a Day Aboard the Destin Princess and You’ll Be Hooked
By Chris Manson July 14, 2005 Issue

My day as a tourist begins with a short wait in line at the Destin Fishing Fleet Marina behind Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant, Around 8 a.m. we file into the cabin of the Destin Princess anticipating a fun-packed half-day of deep-sea fishing. One of the mates informs us the boat will not be sitting perfectly still and briefs us on the location of life jackets and handrails. We are told that the boat will go out 19 miles before our first stop to fish in 110-foot water.

At first we appear to be following another party boat, the Sweet Jody. But then we pick up speed and all others are left far behind. Capt. Phillip Blackburn tells me there really isn’t any ferocious competition among the half-dozen or so party boats in Destin. “Everyone helps each other out really,” he says from his cozy command post on the upper deck. “A lot of people come on this boat because it is a little faster than some of them. And they like the more stable catamaran hull.”

About nine o’clock, everyone assembles in the cabin again. Nobody appears to be seasick, but the water is not choppy today. In fact, we couldn’t have asked for nicer weather. Each passenger gets his or her own heavy-duty rod with a two-pound lead weight. The line has two hooks, and we are instructed to attach a small piece of bait on them. We are told the herring is in short supply and to use it sparingly. No problem, since the fish seem to really go for the squid—as well as the several dolphins we spot around our boat.

Jason, the port side mate, appears very knowledgeable about different types of fish, although today it can be narrowed down to two varieties—throwbacks and keepers. During the first stopover, I snagged a few small throwbacks as well as my neighbor’s line.

“That’s a lot of throwbacks,” one of the passengers says.

“That’s why they call it fishing, not catching,” Jason remarks.

I decide to sit out the second stop in order to meet some passengers and grab a few photos. I learn that there are quite a few father-daughter teams here today. Misty and her dad are from Oklahoma, and today marks her third trip aboard the Princess. She snags a white snapper. It’s a keeper.

“She caught a 50-pound grouper off this boat before,” Misty’s father says.

Misty corrects him, “25 pounds,” she says.

“Does fishing make liars out of men or liars out of fish?” her father wonders. Misty does a lot of fishing in Oklahoma, and so do Terry and his son-in-law Jason, visiting from Louisville, Ky.

Joe Kazmar, a sportswriter from Orange, Texas, has landed four or five good-sized fish already. His daughter Denise is happy to be with him today—she’s been coming to the Emerald Coast since she was seven years old. Some nice folks from Dayton, Ohio offer me a can of Mountain Dew after I go through my supply of bottled water sooner than I expected. No food or drink is provided on board the Princess, and I was told when I booked the trip to bring enough provisions as well as towels to wipe the bait residue from my hands. (Getting the smell out is a bit more complicated.) A few people drink beer, though nobody gets out of control—probably the wisest course of action to take when you’re out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.

I finally chalk up a keeper on the fourth stop, which finds us about 23 miles out, some 12 miles south of Navarre. It’s a mingo snapper, and I feel pretty good about my catch until I notice my neighbor has landed a huge trigger fish along with a rock salmon.

The Destin Princess crew consists of four mates and the captain. They hit the water every day—sometimes twice a day—all year long. “We make 300-400 trips a year,” the 27-year-old captain says. “During the winter it slows down, but we still run two or three trips a week. And when it’s slow, we catch up on maintenance, painting…there’s always something to do on a boat.”

For the captain, those somethings include more than just driving the boat. “My job includes putting people on the fish, knowing where the fish are. There are lots of other responsibilities. I’m responsible for all the people I take out,” Blackburn says.

Blackburn spent roughly four years as a deckhand for another captain perfecting his craft. This is his second year guiding the Destin Princess, although he’s been living in the area for 15 years. “Believe it or not, I like to go fishing on my days off,” he says.

“This is not really expensive compared to private charters,” Blackburn says. The six-hour trip costs $60 including sales tax, and guests are encouraged to tip the hardworking crewmembers. “It’s kind of an introduction to fishing where we let everyone catch some fish and have a good time. It’s great for the kids.”