Islamorada Florida Sea Horse Sport Fishing Report Whale Harbor 83.5
The sport fishing capitol of the world is living up to its reputation every day. The whale Harbor charter boats have been catching lots of Mahi, Black fin Tuna, Wahoo, and occasional bill fish. The Mahi have been migrating through on a very consistent basis. Every day the Mahi have been found in different depths of water and distances from the edge of the reef. Some days have been easier than others to locate the best area of the Gulf Stream to catch them. For most fishing days we have had great success finding quality fish by locating the correct type of birds. The frigate Bird, also known as a Man of War, or Black bird is the first choice of bird to look for. When this bird is noticed flying low, diving, and flying franticly it is more than likely flying over a predator fish like Mahi feeding on flying fish.
Most of the smaller birds like Petrol's and Turns are not flying over schools of Mahi. Some birds are picking at weeds attempting capture food living in and around it. Other birds are following schools of fish like Tunas. Birds that are following schools of Mahi generally do not move along quickly for long distances. The best birds to look for are usually flying in a westerly direction slowly and low to the water. It is common to see birds working on smaller Mahi swimming east quickly with the current. Sometimes there are big fish with the small ones. However; most of the time your best birds are flying in the direction following Mahi swimming against the Gulf Stream current. The birds fly this direction because larger Mahi tend to swim into the Gulf Stream current. The bait fish that the Mahi try to eat and injure are the food the birds are after. Identifying the correct birds can save you a lot of time and increase your productivity. After a few trips of chasing the wrong birds, most anglers learn what to look for. It is common for experienced Captains to discriminate which birds are worth the time and effort.