David Ide

We’ve been unwrapping offshore “presents” every day here at Lady Pamela Sportfishing as Santa’s arrival is not too far off!

Before we get into our December Fishing Report, I and the entire Lady Pamela Sportfishing Family would like to wish you and your Family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope that you can enjoy all of life’s blessings in this wonderful time of giving and gathering together.

We would also like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to every single one of our incredible clients who fished with us aboard the Lady Pamela Sportfishing Fleet in 2018! You are the “reason for the season” all year long and we very much look forward to fishing with you in 2019.

Sportfishing Report: Holiday Sails!

We’ve enjoyed a few cold fronts this month – for us, a “cold front” is when the mercury dips below 60 degrees – and they have triggered the winter bite. The Sailfish are in town and tearing up the baits. Our clients have been putting up big numbers of Sailfish catches and releases as our Fleet focuses almost exclusively on fishing live baits underneath our fishing kites. 

Kite-fishing is a truly amazing and engaging experience as you get to see the Sailfish AS THEY EAT the bait. Nothing gets the blood pumping like watching a double- or triple-header Sailfish bite up on the surface.We can fish up to three (3) live baits per kite, with at least two (2) kites up at any one time. We’re fishing between 90 and 250 feet of water. We’ve also had luck shallower than 90 feet as we watch Sailfish cartwheel in the midst of Ballyhoo schools up on the reef. 

When there is not enough wind to keep the kites in the air, we can also slow troll live baits such as Ballyhoo and Goggle Eyes as well as troll our specially-crafted mullet strips. Watch this video to see how we make them:

Big Wahoos are Around Too!

The recent moon phases caused another winter Wahoo bonanza! One of the fastest fish in the sea, Wahoos can melt drags and break hearts if you’re not ready for them. Fortunately, the Lady Pamela Sportfishing Team is ready, willing and able to tame these shiny, striped bait burglars. The December Wahoos have been crushing our strip baits trolled below the surface on planer along with as Islanders with ballyhoo in both the blue/white and red/black color combinations. We’ve been finding the Wahoos in between 150 and 350 feet of water. We’ve also hooked a few Wahoo fishing live bullet Bonitos over the wrecks for Amberjacks and Black Grouper. Few things make an angler weak in the knees like watching a Wahoo empty your spool on one of their patented runs! After a long fight and bringing a Wahoo aboard, you’ll enjoy the fact that you get to invite a tasty fish home for dinner.

Huge Hammerheads Showed Up!

The shark fishing continues to be hot despite the chilly conditions, especially the big Hammerhead Sharks that have shown up! Check out this 7+ foot Hammerhead that we caught this week!

Hammerheads are known as sluggers and are not afraid to pop up to eat a bait intended for species such as Sailfish, Kingfish or Amberjacks. Our clients love to tell their friends and family how they battled one of the most recognizable and renowned shark species the world over. 

As for the rest of our shark fishing trips, we continue to put clients on big sharks, with each trip landing at least one shark, with most trips catching several. Caribbean Reef Sharks, Blacktips and Silky Sharks have been active. The best shark baits continue to be either a live Bonito or dead Bonito or Kingfish dropped down in 300 feet of water.

We’ve also been putting our clients on huge Amberjacks with live bait when shark fishing. Amberjacks will certainly test the stamina of both tackle and angler! Check out the Amberjack and big Black Grouper below!

Drift Fishing Report:

The Lois Ann just returned from her refit and hit the fishing grounds with a vengeance! She has been guiding our clients to catches of Yellowtail Snappers, Mangrove Snappers, Mutton Snappers as well as Kingfish and Amberjacks – and she’s doing it in style and comfort!

Don’t forget about giving the Gift of Fishing to the angler in your family! Lady Pamela Sportfishing Gift Certificates make for the perfect Christmas Gift, especially for you last-minute shoppers out there! Give us a call and we’ll take care of everything. Just tell us the denomination of the Gift Certificate. Keep in mind that our Gift Certificates can be honored when booking any of the vessels in the Lady Pamela Sportfishing Fleet!

May you and your family enjoy the Merriest and Safest of Christmases and may you enjoy health and happiness in the New Year!

Tight Lines and Merry Christmas,
Captain David

Fish Species: Sailfish, Wahoo, Tuna, Bonita, Mahi
Bait Used: Mullet Strips, Bonita Strips, Goggle Eyes
Tackle Used: Medium
Method Used: Trolling, Kite Fishing, Deep Dropping
Water Depth: 80-600ft
Water Temperature: 77
Wind Direction: NW
Wind Speed: 10-15



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David Ide

About The Author: Captain David Ide

Company: Lady Pamela Sportfishing

Area Reporting: Fort Lauderdale, FL

Bio: My name is Captain David and I run the largest fishing fleet of professional sportfishing captains in the state. I always say we have the best crew in the industry because of our hard work ethic and passion for fishing including conservation of our oceans. Join me or one of our crew as we chase trophy Mahi, Sailfish, Tuna, Sharks, Wahoo and much more!

(954) 761-8045
Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain David Ide