Nice size mahi-mahi are showing up in good numbers offshore of Fort Lauderdale. Yesterday afternoon, we had a dolphin fishing charter and went trolling offshore. About 6 miles off, we found a floating suitcase loaded with dolphin. There were dolphin all over this thing and we spent an hour and a half just bailing them in with spinning rods. Some of the dolphin were 20 pounds and we unfortunately missed the biggest one, probably a 30 pounder when he shook the hook next to the boat.
Dolphin fishing has been excellent for us lately, especially in the afternoon trips. The afternoon has been so important because by that time, we've already been fishing all morning and listening to the radio hearing what everyone else is catching. By the afternoon, we know if there are good numbers of dolphin biting offshore and at what depths they are biting. Also, we'll know by that time how far offshore the weedlines are formed up and which weedlines are holding fish or floating debris. It's usually a better bet for mahi-mahi later in the day, so you don't have to spend all your time trolling around and looking for spots to fish. You can go right to it and hopefully start catching fish right away.
Sailfish too are biting great in Fort Lauderdale, on both the morning and afternoon trips. November and December are our top months for sailfish and with the stiff winds we're having these days, the sailfish are snapping. We're catching our sailfish either trolling or live baiting with the kites. I expect the sailfish action to be steady for the next 2 months, with peaks in the bite anytime the temperature drops to the 70′s or cooler.
A few big wahoo, some nice tunas and a few kingfish are also biting. It's been a tough year on kingfish for the Fort Lauderdale charter boats, but a few are starting to show up for us now. Wahoo are around and we've caught a few really nice ones over the past couple weeks. Wahoo range from 15 pound up to 35-40 pounds and bite best on a fast trolled lure. Skipjack tuna and blackfin tuna are biting decent on the reef and inside edge of the Gulfstream. Natural feathers or small streamline lures work well for them. All in all, it's been great action for us fishing Fort Lauderdale this week. Good luck to everyone fishing over the next few days. I'll sea ya on the water.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Andy Roydhouse
754-214-7863
www.FishHeadquarters.com
