Our Sailfish fishing in Fort Lauderdale is best in the winter months and this fishing report is about one trip the other day. Our family came from Saskatchewan, Canada, quite a ways to come for an all-day fishing trip. Roger brought his wife Patty and their two boys, Cooper and Kyan, in the hopes of catching a Sailfish. Even though their GPS steered them wrong, they arrived shortly after 9 and we were on our way.
The day was a typical winter day here in sunny south Florida. Partly cloudy skies with lots of sunshine, east winds about 10 mph and some chop on the water. Perfect Sailfish weather and also perfect for flying the fishing kites, one of the most productive ways to catch their prize.
Our day started slowly, with our first set in shallow water. No visitors came to the buffet we had placed for them and after about an hour, we decided to pick up and move into deeper and much bluer waters. Sometimes patience is the key to these trips. Roger has done some extensive hunting and knows the game is about waiting them out.
While our move didn't produce immediate results, we did see our first fish of the day. Some small Mahi-mahi's came by for a visit, so small they were unable to eat the Goggle Eye baits we had out. But our next visitor had plenty of mouth for the bait and Roger finally reeled in our first fish of the day, a gaffer sized Mahi.
As we floated along the edge of the blue/ green color change, our prize finally made his appearance. A 7' Sailfish swam up, ate one of our baits and began jumping right away. Justin set the hook, which isn't easy to do when the fish is spending most his time in the air, and Patty got the call to the chair.
With Justin coaching her, Patty did an excellent job of bringing the fish to the boat. While she mentioned her arms burning, she never wavered and got fish boatside where we were able to boat, measure and snap a few shots before releasing the fish back into the sea.
The boys were very excited to be that close to such a large fish and we set back up and caught another Mahi. But the boys really got going when an Atlantic Sharpnose Shark came up. It took the 2 of them to land this fish. At over 5', this shark was quite impressive and the boys were all smiles.
The current was strong today and we had drifted almost 8 miles from the port so it was time to head back. Some high speed trolling and a Tuna capped our day. The Sailfish and Shark made the day here in Fort Lauderdale for this fishing report.
Capt. Steve Souther
Fort Lauderdale Off Shore Fishing Charters
www.fanntasticfishing.com
(954) 728-9880
