My family rented a house on a canal in Destin at the end of July. I'm not much of a saltwater guy but definitely want to fish as much as possible while we are there. Any suggestions on baits or techniques to catch some fish on the canals?

I used to live in Florida and in the canals your best choice would be to probably grab some live bait. It really differs in canals, but you have a chance of seeing barracudas, snook, redfish, sheephead, trout, and jacks.

Awesome! Thanks for the info!

I'd try out the navarre pier or the Okaloosa Island pier one day and set up on the end with cigar minnows and wire leaders with a treble hook on the end. You can catch a lot of Kings during the summer like that.

Ok I will check it out!

Just came back from there. Tarpon were good at the Okaloosa pier on berkley swim shad. Also, you might have some luck at the east jetties for some Spanish mackerel with a chrome and red gotcha lure. I personally enjoyed fishing the jetties more because it was less of a crowd.

Hey Jtexan 76 - Where is the East Jetties and how do you get there starting from OIP and where do you park. Thanks,

The EJ are, as one would think, on the east side of the harbor entrance. I've fished there a couple of times and had a blast. We parked on Gulf Shore drive near the middle of the road between Durango and the dead end at the marina or whatever it is. There's a trail that goes south to the beach, it initially goes alongside a tennis court.

Looks like you can also park along Sunflower Ct between Melrose and Rosalie NE of jetty. That's a shorter walk than Gulf Shore Dr. The sand is soft and it takes some effort to slog thru it.

I've also done well walking the beach and fishing the bridge pillars on the west side of the 98 bridge. Parking on south side of the road.

As for the canals, I fish 'em just like I was bass fishing. Super flukes and road runners with twin tail trailer. I never subject myself to the hassle and expense of live bait but still do well fishing my confidence baits.

Directions and info on the East & West Jetties.

http://fishingdestinguide.com/JETTYFISHING.html