Sailfish showing up in good numbers

Report Date: November 4, 2013

The past month has been very consistent with a mixed bag of fish to catch. There have been good inshore and offshore fishing. As we get into the colder months the fishing should continue to get better and better.

I started out the month of October doing three bahama trips for wahoo. Wahoo are targeted high speed trolling with artificial lures. The first voyage, the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Light and variable winds with plenty of sunshine. The ocean was like glass.We trolled half the day and only captured one wahoo. Wahoos like cooler temperatures. The weather that day was in the upper 80’s. I think we were a little to early.

The following week I decided to help a friend of mine out on the Double D. He called me last minute because his mate couldn’t make the trip. That day produced south winds and overcast conditions. Within the first hour of fishing we boated two nice wahoos. I had a feeling it was going to be a great day. Putting two wahoo in the boat within an hour is a great sign. Little did we know, the next six hours of trolling went dead. Not one bite.

Although my hopes were down, due to the lack of wahoo this October, I made one last try with a group of regular clients. The first two trips of the year we fished south. This time we decided to go north to Great Isaacs. We left the dock very early and started fishing before day break. While the sun was cracking we had our first fish on. It was a small fish but we boated it and got the skunk off the boat. We trolled for another hour or so without bites. I was starting to worry until the hi line got smoked. It was a nice 40 lb wahoo. We put the lines back out and with in minutes we had another big wahoo boat side. We chipped away ,catching fish left and righ,t until the clients arms were sore and the fish box was full. In four hours of fishing we landed 10 big wahoos. Myself and the crew were very excited. With plenty of steaks for everyone to eat it was the end to a successful voyage.

  Whether it be wahoo, sailfish, tarpon, bass or any other fishing you cannot give up. If at first you don’t succeed try try again and the results will show that hard work and effort will produce great results over time.

When I got back from the islands I did several inshore trips. Trolling the beach with drones spoons and pompano jigs have been very effective. It is a good method to locate the fish. Once you find the schools of fish we normally anchor the boat and chum with live bait. Some days are like an aquarium with hundreds of fish swimming around the boat waiting to pounce on the bait. Light tackle with artificials is very fun for beginners and experts. Trout, ladyfish, tarpon, jack crevelle, barracudas, and Spanish mackerel are the target choice this time of year. They are a blast to catch on 6 and 8 lb test.

  Heading back offshore, the ship wrecks have been producing gag grouper, black groupers, and good amounts of amber and almaco jacks. There are also big schools of vermillion snappers hanging on most all of the ship wrecks outside of 200 ft.

  Moving to the pelagics the blackfin tuna and skipjacks have been very good over the past month. Trolling small feathers and smalls strips have been the preferred method . If you can find something floating outside of 300 ft there is a good chance you will find mahi mahi under the debris. My best day on the troll was 25 tunas and 10 mahi mahi. When you can find the schools of tuna on the surface you can hook into 4 and 5 at one time.

Over the past week we have finally gotten our first hard northeast blow of the fall. Normally this blow comes in October but this year it was the first week in November. When you get a hard northeaster this time of year the sailfish take advantage of the seas and literally surf the waves to the south for thousands of the miles. They begin there journey in the north east region of the outer banks and cape may and end up south of Mexico in the latter part of the winter. Just yesterday while we were fishing we saw 6 sailfish and two white marlin doing just that. All there fins were tucked in and they were surfing down sea. What an incredible sight to see.

We are coming into the prime months for sailfish in South Florida. If you have never caught one of these incredible fish now would be the time. They make great trophies and are a blast to catch on light tackle.

As we come into the heart of the season the days are filling up quick. If you would like to go deep sea fishing in South Florida go ahead and book the dates before somebody else does.

 

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