Isaias Stopped the Destin Fishing Rodeo for Three Days. What's Left of October on the Harbor?

Capt. Cliff Atwell had the Reel Grace tied up safely at St. Andrews Marina in Panama City when Hurricane Isaias came through, and he came back to Destin to ride out the night with family. The next morning he was at the docks, but he wasn't ready to bring the boat home. "When you have something like this, all the debris and logs wash off the banks. It's kind of dangerous to drive in it," he told The Destin Log. His plan was to leave early Sunday and come back by way of the Gulf.

Isaias made landfall in Okaloosa County at about 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, according to the governor's office. The Destin Log reported it came through Destin as a Category 2. The City of Destin calls it the city's first hurricane in about 20 years. The storm also arrived in the middle of the 78th Destin Fishing Rodeo, which runs every day from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31.

Now, in the Rodeo's final week, it's clear the recovery has run from the harbor outward. The working harbor came back first, and quickly. Curbside cleanup is moving through the city one area at a time. The Gulf water and the bay-side marinas are taking longest. For anyone planning the last few days of the Rodeo, it helps to know which of those schedules a given plan depends on.

The Scales Were Back Within Three Days

The Rodeo was shut down for three days. By 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12, the scales were set up again behind AJ's Seafood & Oyster Bar and ready to weigh fish, according to The Destin Log's photo gallery of the restart. On the Rodeo's own calendar, Oct. 12 was the Kids Fall Movie Festival, a free Columbus Day movie on the AJ's JumboTron. Instead it became the first day of weigh-ins after the storm.

The boats that day brought in big fish. These catches are from the same gallery:

Two days after captains were talking about debris and logs washed off the banks, four amberjack over 54 pounds came across the scales. The charter fleet that had scattered to St. Andrews Marina, Bay Point and anchorages in the intracoastal and bayous was fishing the Gulf again within about 72 hours of landfall.

That speed depended on the harbor businesses around the scales getting back up just as fast.

The Harbor Reopened on a Faster Clock Than the Bay

The Destin Log described HarborWalk Marina as "getting back to normal" on Oct. 10, the day after the storm. By the time that story ran on Monday, Oct. 12, Boathouse Oyster Bar had boarded up, stayed dry and reopened that Sunday.

Jackacuda's Seafood and Sushi reopened within 24 hours of landfall. Owner Tyler Jarvis, who was born and raised in Destin, told Get The Coast the restaurant served more than 300 people that Saturday night, many of whom didn't have power at home and wanted somewhere to watch football. On Oct. 19, Jackacuda's hosted a recovery press conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis and Destin Chamber of Commerce President Shane Moody. DeSantis said the homeowners he spoke with on his tour "were relieved 'cause they thought it was actually going to be worse than it was."

The bay side is moving more slowly. The Destin Log reported severe storm damage at Destin Marina, on Choctawhatchee Bay overlooking Crab Island, and gave no repair date. As of Oct. 20, Dewey Destin's original bayside location was still closed for repairs.

The harbor strip between AJ's and HarborWalk was serving dinner and weighing fish within days. Anyone who keeps a boat on the bay, or has a regular spot near Crab Island, should check with that specific business before heading out.

What the Rodeo's Posted Calendar Still Holds

As of Thursday, Oct. 29, the Rodeo has three days of fishing left. Its official events page was published Sept. 24, before the storm. It lists free public weigh-ins every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the AJ's docks, and these dates are still posted:

1. Saturday, Oct. 31: Halloween on the Harbor. This is the Rodeo's last day. The page bills it as the largest Halloween party on the Destin Harbor and invites people in costume to join captains, anglers, judges, Miss Destin and volunteers.
2. Thursday, Nov. 5, 5:30 p.m.: 78th Annual Destin Fishing Rodeo Awards. Anglers, captains and mates receive their awards and prizes at a casual gathering in the downstairs restaurant at AJ's Seafood & Oyster Bar.

The 4th Annual Miss Destin Mingle was on the calendar for last Saturday, Oct. 24. Because the schedule was posted before Isaias, it's worth checking the Rodeo's events page or calling the Rodeo office at 850-837-6734 before making a weekend out of either remaining date.

The Rodeo's closing days fall at the same time as the city's first round of curbside cleanup, so a Saturday on the harbor may mean driving past debris piles to get there.

Away From the Harbor, the Slower Schedules

Curbside debris. City debris collection started Thursday, Oct. 15. Crews work sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. They started in West Destin, with one truck assigned to the Crystal Beach area. The city's collection plan estimated the first pass at about 17 days, which puts its finish around the Rodeo's last weekend, and said a second pass will follow later. Vegetative debris and construction and demolition debris are picked up separately, sometimes at different times, so a cleared yard pile next to an untouched lumber pile is expected. Piles belong in the public right-of-way without blocking roads, sidewalks, drainage structures or utility equipment. The city's Oct. 14 notice also asks residents not to park on city streets while trucks work. The contractor is T.F.R. Enterprises, and Volkert is monitoring the work. Public Works answers questions at 850-837-6869.

The water. On Oct. 13, the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County advised against swimming in coastal waters until bacteria testing meets state guidelines. It also advised against using pools until they've been cleaned and are working properly, Get The Coast reported. The story described this as guidance rather than a formal health advisory. The state's Healthy Beaches program posts sampling results and advisories on county pages. Check the Okaloosa page before a swim or a paddle.

The parks. The Florida State Parks storm-closure list effective Oct. 20 named Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Blackwater Heritage State Trail. Henderson Beach State Park was not on it. As of the same day, most beach access points had reopened.

Jarvis has already pointed visitors beyond October, to Thanksgiving, golf and the early-November fishing that follows the Rodeo. On the harbor, the last two dates on the Rodeo calendar are Saturday's final weigh-ins and the Nov. 5 awards downstairs at AJ's.

At Enslen Coastal Group, we've been following Destin's recovery one block at a time, from the docks behind AJ's to the debris routes in West Destin. If you're a Destin owner wondering how the storm affects your property's timing or value, Get in Touch With Our Team. We're happy to talk it through.