Breezy conditions this past week here in Fort Lauderdale FL with winds out of the east, northeast gusting up to 25 mph – sea conditions 5-8 ft. Sailfish season arrived a little bit earlier this year here in Fort Lauderdale FL due to the northeast winds pushing blue waters into the second reef. Strong winds have caused the migration of Sailfish, along with Mahi Mahi and Wahoos, all of which are enjoyable to catch.
This past week numerous Sailfish have been seen and caught from 110 ft out to 220 ft. of water off of Fort Lauderdale, FL. The migration is heading to the south off of Fort Lauderdale and will continue through April/May.
One of the favorite deep sea fishing live baiting techniques for Sailfish, Barracudas, King Fish and Tunas to name a few, in Fort Lauderdale FL is live Ballyhoo fishing. To catch Ballyhoos, you have to look for grassy areas where they feed or, if you are as fortunate as we are here in Ft. Lauderdale FL, dive buoys. There are dive buoys set up in 20 ft. of water to the north and south of Fort Lauderdale's inlet. By tying off to the dive buoys serves two purposes – first and most important is that you are not damaging the ecological system by dropping an anchor in the water. Second, it is very simple to grab the line from the dive buoy and secure it to your boat. A chum bag over the side, fish oil and a handful of Ritz crackers will do the trick. It usually takes 10-15 minutes for the Ballyhoo to pick up the scent of the chum slick and swim to the boat. With long shank #10 hair hooks and a small piece of squid for bait on six lb. test line is one way to catch the Ballyhoo. Another way is with the cast net. By crushing the Ritz cracker with your hand and sprinkling it on the surface of the water the Ballyhoo will rise to feed on it and at this point is when we cast on them. With a dozen or two live Ballyhoos in your live bait well, it is time to do some deep sea fishing in Fort Lauderdale FL. Five live Ballyhoos on the surface and a teaser consisting of a half a dozen live bait will attract a variety of fish. The tell tale sign of a predator coming up on a live Ballyhoo is watching the Ballyhoo jump out of the water and yell for help. Seeing a dorsal fin chase a live Ballyhoo or a Mahi Mahi, Tuna or Bonita crashing the bait is very exciting.
For more information about techniques on live bait deep sea fishing or for a successful and adventurous Fort Lauderdale FL deep sea fishing charter on the Happy Day Today, Topshot Fishing, contact Captain Zsak. - 954-439-8106 – www.topshotfishing.com