Michele and Frank Bilotti chartered the Top Shot Sportfishing charter boat team to do some deep-sea charter boat sport fishing in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The Bilotti’s are repeat customers and old friends who are avid fishermen for the past 30 years. As I greeted my old friends, Frank and Michele, while they boarded the boat, Michele advised me that today was a special day since it was Frank’s birthday.
Fifteen to twenty minutes after leaving the dock, lines were in 120 ft. of water at the sea buoy in Fort Lauderdale, 1.8 miles from shore. As we venture off another ¼ of a mile you will find yourself in 500 ft. of water due Ft. Lauderdale’s extreme drop off. We started the charter trolling the reef using two planners, one using a 3 ½ blue reflector drone spoon and the other with a pink and blue sea witch in front of a double hooked Bonita strip. For surface baits, we had two Ballyhoos and two Bonito strips. As we trolled the reef line, the birthday boy was first in line as the angler, and he reeled in a 10 lb. Kingfish. We kept heading south of Fort Lauderdale – I could see some sargassum weeds forming east of Fort Lauderdale. As we got to the area, I could see some birds working there – we trolled the weed line for about a mile, with no luck.
I headed back inshore to the reef line. As we trolled north in Fort Lauderdale, the rigger came down. Frank was the angler, and he reeled in a nice Black Fin Tuna weighing 10 lbs. I continued trolling the reef line – right rigger! Left rigger! – double header Mahi Mahi. Frank had the cow and Michele had the bull. Both fish jumped out of the water as their yellow and green colors reflected in the sun light. Dave, our mate, gaffed Frank’s Mahi Mahi and put it in the fish box. Michele was still on the bull – after a twenty minute fight, the hooked was pulled on Michele’s fish.
With a total of 1 Mahi Mahi, two Black Fin Tunas, four Kingfish and three Bonitas, it was time to head back to the dock. The anglers retired into the a/c salon and enjoyed the relaxing trip back to the dock at Bahia Bar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33316. At the dock, Dave filet the fish out for Michele and Frank to take home and enjoy. Happy Birthday Frank!
