Mahi, Tuna, Bonita, and more!

Weekly Fishing Report | Don’t Tell Mom Sportfishing It’s been a little while since our last fishing report! We took a short vacation during what can sometimes be a quieter time of year, but we’re back and looking forward to getting out on the water. The good news is that the fishing has actually been really good lately, and we’ve had some great catches to share. Massive Amberjacks on Deep Wrecks The deep wrecks have really come alive! We’ve been dropping live baits down to deeper wrecks and hooking into some massive Amberjacks. These fish put up an incredible fight, making for some serious battles and a great experience for everyone aboard. Sailfish Action and an Exciting First We’ve also had several Sailfish around, and trolling has been producing some exciting opportunities. On one memorable trip, our guest Eric caught his very first Sailfish! Captain Dave was running the boat in my absence when his high line went off and started peeling drag. He handed the rod down to Zach, cleared the other lines, and got ready for an exciting battle. Eric was thrilled to catch his first Sailfish, making it a trip to remember! We also landed a beautiful Wahoo recently, adding another great catch to the mix. King Mackerel Are Showing Up The King Mackerel bite has really picked up, and we’ve been seeing some excellent action. Cero Mackerel and Spanish Mackerel have been active in shallower water, while moving deeper has been producing King Mackerel. One of our most effective techniques has been trolling planer baits rigged with Bonito or Mullet strips. Mullet strips are especially productive this time of year as large schools of Mullet migrate along the beach and out toward the reef. If you spot a big school of Mullet, it’s worth paying attention. Mackerel often follow these baitfish, and finding an active school can lead to some excellent fishing. Mahi-Mahi and Blackfin Tuna Mahi-Mahi have also been around, particularly on days when the wind picks up and conditions get a little choppier. Fall can be a fantastic time for Mahi fishing, so keep an eye out for birds, baitfish, and areas of beautiful water. You don’t always have to run far to find them. In fact, during the fall, Mahi-Mahi, Sailfish, and Mackerel can all be found feeding on Ballyhoo in as little as 30 feet of water. Sometimes, your best bet is to work along the beach, looking for baitfish skipping across the surface, schools of bait getting attacked, or birds diving into the action. The Blackfin Tuna bite has also made a welcome comeback. After being relatively quiet, we’re seeing plenty more Blackfin Tuna, with some Skipjack Tuna mixed in. It’s great news for anglers hoping to bring home fresh Tuna for dinner. The best approach has been using smaller presentations, such as squid spoons and small trolling lures known as dinks. The bite often picks up early in the morning or later in the afternoon, but when the Tuna are feeding aggressively, it’s not uncommon to limit out. For the best action, try depths between 200 and 450 feet. Work the wrecks, and keep an eye out for baitfish, birds, and Tuna feeding on the surface. Bottom Fishing and Live Bait Bottom fishing has slowed slightly, but Snapper are still around, and we expect Mutton Snapper to remain a good option. We’re also seeing fewer of the larger Bonitas, while tons of smaller Bonitas are starting to show up. These make excellent live bait, and our huge live well allows us to keep them healthy and ready to fish. Larger predators love eating these smaller Bonitas, including King Mackerel, Barracuda, Wahoo, and Sailfish. We’re looking forward to doing more slow-trolling with live Bonitas as they become increasingly available. Looking Ahead The weather has been beautiful overall, and the fishing is giving us plenty to be excited about. As we move further into fall, we expect things to continue heating up. While fall can be a quieter time for tourism, it’s one of the best times of year to get out fishing. Whether you’re looking to battle a massive Amberjack on a deep wreck, catch your first Sailfish, or bring home some fresh Mackerel or Tuna, we’d love to have you aboard. Call or text us at **hidden content**, or book online at **hidden content**’s get you out on the water and make some memories! Tight lines, Capt. Will Daley

Weekly Fishing Report | Don’t Tell Mom Sportfishing – South Florida We had another action-packed week aboard the Don't Tell Mom, with some excellent fishing as we head into the full moon. The last several days have produced a great variety of fish, including Wahoo, Mahi-Mahi, Barracudas, Bonitas, Snapper, Amberjacks, King Mackerel, Jack Crevalle, and several species of Sharks. Wahoo and Mahi-Mahi Steal the Show The full moon is right around the corner, and as is often the case this time of year, the Wahoo bite has been heating up. We caught two really nice Wahoo this week, including one around 18 pounds and another impressive fish weighing approximately 30 pounds. The 30-pound Wahoo came on a 6-hour morning trip with Sean and his son. We found a beautiful blue-water edge in roughly 400 feet and started trolling the area. After catching a few smaller fish, we put some larger baits deeper in the water on our big planers. It didn't take long before one of those baits was crushed by a big Wahoo. The action didn't stop there. We also caught 10 Mahi-Mahi on that same trip, providing an incredible combination of quality fish and nonstop action. It was a great example of why having enough time to search for productive water can really pay off on longer trips. Barracudas, Bonitas and Live Bait Barracuda action has really started to heat up around the reef, with some very nice fish being caught both trolling and on live bait. We're also beginning to see the first wave of smaller Bonitas showing up. As fall progresses, we typically start seeing larger schools of Bonitas, and these smaller fish make excellent live bait for bigger predators. They're not always easy to keep happy, but with the large live well aboard the Don't Tell Mom, we're able to keep them swimming and put them to work when the opportunity arises. Once we had live bait in the water, we saw some exciting action from Barracudas, King Mackerel, Blackfin Tuna, and even some big Rainbow Runners. We also caught a nice Jack Crevalle, and the reef continues to hold plenty of life. An Incredible Shark Battle Shark fishing was another major highlight this week. We caught a big 8’ Nurse Shark along with a 98” Lemon Shark. The charter we caught the Nurse Shark on was an especially memorable trip because one of our young anglers got the opportunity to battle a big sea monster. The fish picked up a bait after playing with it a few times and then took off on a powerful run. Our 11-year-old angler did an amazing job staying with the fish for over 30 minutes and eventually wore it out and brought it boatside with some help from his dad and coaching from my mate Zach. We were able to measure the Shark, take a few photos, tag it, and safely release it. Watching a young angler successfully battle a big Shark is exactly the kind of moment that reminds us why we love charter fishing. These are the experiences families remember long after the trip is over. Snapper and Wreck Fishing- Bottom fishing has also remained productive. We've been catching Yellowtail Snapper along with some other good Snapper opportunities, and we have started seeing more Amberjacks around the wrecks. As always, we're constantly watching the conditions and changing techniques when necessary. If the troll isn't producing, we'll switch gears and move to live bait, wreck fishing, or bottom fishing. Some of the most productive days this week came from mixing things up and staying flexible. Fall Fishing Is Here Conditions were fairly stable for most of the week, with generally nice mornings, light winds, and some cloud cover. We did have a few days with unusual current, including situations where the surface current and deeper current were moving in different directions, which made things a little more challenging. Rain also played a role on some days. This time of year, we can get substantial afternoon storms, and when fresh rainwater sits on top of the saltwater, fishing can temporarily become more difficult. Fortunately, the water has been clearing up and the overall trend has remained positive. Fall is one of our favorite times of year to fish. The days are getting shorter, water temperatures will gradually begin to cool, and bait movement starts to increase. We're already seeing more Flying Fish and Mullet around, and that migration should continue to bring more predators into the area. Looking ahead, we're excited to see more Mahi-Mahi, increasing numbers of King Mackerel, and more Wahoo opportunities around the full moon. Sailfish should also begin showing up more consistently as we move farther into fall. Whether you're looking for fresh fish for the dinner table, fast-paced action with Bonitas and Mahi-Mahi, or a chance to battle a trophy Wahoo or Shark, there are plenty of great opportunities right now. Fall is one of my favorite times of year to fish, and we'd love to have you aboard the Don't Tell Mom. Don't wait to book your trip. Visit **hidden content** o

Weekly Fishing Report | Don't Tell Mom Sportfishing The past week and a half has produced some really exciting fishing aboard the Don't Tell Mom, but the biggest highlight by far was an incredible 98-inch Lemon Shark that put on one of the most memorable battles we've had in a long time. We were wreck fishing with a large dead bait on the bottom when the big female Lemon Shark picked it up and took off. The fish immediately started peeling line and putting the tackle to the test. Our angler, Sean, was quickly in the fight, and he battled this massive Shark for roughly 40 minutes before finally getting it boatside. The fish was an absolute giant. Lemon Sharks are powerful predators and can be incredibly impressive up close, and this large female was a fish we don't get to see very often. After getting some photos, we tagged the Shark and safely released her to continue swimming. It was a true trophy catch and an experience Sean won't soon forget. King Mackerel Are Showing Up- One of the other really encouraging developments over the past week or so has been the increased presence of King Mackerel. We've been seeing more fish around and, importantly, we've been catching them ourselves. The Kingfish bite has been noticeably better, and we're excited to see what happens as we continue into the fall. There are also still opportunities for Blackfin Tuna, along with some Barracudas and other hard-fighting reef predators. Live bait has continued to be an excellent option when targeting bigger fish around the wrecks and structure. We've also been catching some nice Amberjacks and more Barracudas on live bait, giving our anglers plenty of opportunities for a serious battle even when we're not specifically targeting Sharks. Fall Fishing Is Starting to Take Shape- Conditions have been fairly stable, with generally light winds and comfortable seas. We've had the usual South Florida afternoon showers and thunderstorms, but overall the weather has been very cooperative. Current has been relatively light recently, although we're beginning to see some of the stronger tidal movements that come with this time of year. You can definitely feel the seasonal transition beginning. The days are getting shorter, temperatures are gradually becoming more comfortable, and bait movement is increasing. Flying Fish and Ballyhoo are around, and the Mullet Run is getting closer. That bait migration is one of the things that makes September and October such exciting months to fish. As the bait moves, the predators follow, creating opportunities for King Mackerel, Mahi-Mahi, Wahoo, Sailfish, Sharks, and plenty of other species. We expect the King Mackerel bite to continue improving, while Mahi-Mahi and Wahoo should become increasingly important as fall progresses. Blackfin Tuna should also become more consistent as water temperatures begin to drop. A Great Time to Get on the Water- September is typically one of our quieter months from a business standpoint, which means there is often more availability for anglers looking to get out on the water. We're taking advantage of that by spending plenty of time on the water and making the most of every opportunity. Whether you're looking to catch fresh fish for the dinner table, battle a hard-fighting Amberjack or King Mackerel, or chase a true trophy like the 98-inch Lemon Shark we caught this week, there are plenty of exciting possibilities right now. Fishing is never guaranteed, but we'll continue to use our experience, knowledge of the local waters, and whatever techniques are producing to give our guests the best opportunity possible. The fall bite is just getting started, and there is a lot to look forward to. Don't wait—come fishing with us! Visit **hidden content** or call or text **hidden content** to book your charter. Tight lines, Capt. Will Daley