Water Sports for Guests of Fort Walton Beach Vacation Rentals

The Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier (850-244-1023), situated on Okaloosa Island adjacent to the Boardwalk, stretches nearly a quarter of a mile into the Gulf of Mexico and offers guests of Fort Walton Beach vacation rentals spectacular fishing and dolphin watching opportunities along with unparalleled views of the coast and the area's incredible sunsets.

An octagonal platform at the end of the pier offers plenty of room for reeling in big fish such as tarpon, king mackerel, cobia, tuna, dolphin, bonito, redfish, and jack cravelle. Other popular catches for vacationers renting Fort Walton Beach houses include Spanish mackerel, whiting, bluefish, pompano, ladyfish, and blue runners.

Fishing licenses are not required on the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier. Fishing fees are $7 for adults, $6 for seniors age 65 and older, and $4 for children ages 6-12. The pier entrance fee for visitors who are not fishing is $1 for everyone age six and up. The pier is lighted for night fishing and the fee covers fishing or entrance to the pier until midnight of the same day. Pole rentals and bait are available for an additional charge.

The Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier is open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily from mid-October through mid-March, and the remainder of the year it is open 24 hours a day. A shop on the pier sells ice, sodas, beer, snacks, ice cream, and sandwiches. A restaurant is located at the base of the pier, and the Gulfarium marine park is next door.

The Fort Walton Beach and Destin area boasts one of the country's largest charter fishing fleets, and guests of Fort Walton Beach condo rentals will find more than 100 boats to choose from. The cost for private Fort Walton Beach fishing charters is about $140 to $160 per hour for up to six anglers, which includes everything except food and beverages. If your party is small, a group charter, which involves sharing the boat with others, may be more economical because the cost of the charter is divided among everyone on the boat. However, group charters usually don't take reservations more than a day in advance and there's no guarantee that others will sign up for the trip.

The lowest cost deep-sea fishing option for vacationers renting vacation rentals in Fort Walton Beach Florida is a party boat, which accommodates 18 to 40 people for bottom fishing. Party boats usually charge around $40 for a half-day trip and $70 for a full day. Party boats in Destin include the Sweet Jody (850-650 2500), the Swoop (850-337-8250), and the New Florida Girl (850-837-6422).

Fishing licenses are not required if you're fishing from a charter or party boat. Anglers age 16 and up who fish from privately owned boats will need to have a saltwater or freshwater fishing license. A one week non-resident license costs about $15. Call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-FISH-FLORIDA for more information.

Several local outfitters offer rentals of fishing boats, power boats, and wave runners, including Adventure Pontoon (850-837-3041), Boogies Watersports (850-654-4497), and Gilligan's Watersports (850-650-9000). For pontoon boat rentals, try Mango Maddie's Pontoons (850-650-7352) or Sunshine Pontoon Rentals (850-837-2299). Sky Pirates Parasail (850-837-5797), Just Chute Me! (850-200-2260), and Sun Dogs Parasailing (850-244-3647) offer parasailing fun for guests of Fort Walton Beach house rentals.

For an up-close look at the dolphins frolicking in their breeding grounds just offshore, guests of Fort Walton Beach condominiums can take a dolphin watching cruise. Southern Star Dolphin & Sunset Cruises in Destin (888-424 -7217) offers dolphin cruises for $27 for adults and $13.50 for children ages 4-12.

Guests of Fort Walton Beach and Destin vacation rentals can enjoy great snorkeling and diving in this area since the close-in deep water attracts a wide variety of marine life. Divers can explore sunken boats, railroad cars, airplanes, and Timber Hole, a submerged petrified forest. The underwater shelling in the area is also fabulous.

Visitors who stay in a Fort Walton Beach Florida vacation rental can also enjoy boating, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, and fishing on Choctawhatchee Bay, the Blackwater River, and other area rivers and streams. Adventures Unlimited (800-239-6864), Action on Blackwater River (850-537-2997), and Blackwater Canoe Rental (800-967-6789) offer canoeing, tubing, and kayaking on the Blackwater River.