Captain
Vinnie Sacks

Member since October 2017 Dania Beach, United States
Background
Captain Vinnie operates the YB Normal out of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and has worked aboard other boats in the area all his life. He loves being out on the water and getting groups on awesome fish. His favorite fish to catch is Black Grouper, but a huge part of what makes fishing so fun for him is never knowing what is going to bite next. This is what makes bottom fishing so fun for him - you can never tell what will take your bait!
Techniques
Here in south Florida there are so many different species of fish to catch, some of my favorite things to do include trolling, wreck fishing, and live baiting. All three of these techniques are well known and do produce big fish and plenty of fish as well as different types of fish too. Trolling is a good way to start your day off beacause you are able to cover ground and find where the fish are, live baiting is a good way to fish for lots of trophy sized fish like sailfish and and giant king mackerel as well as big bull dolphin. Wreck fishing is a good way to switch it up if your other techniques are not working and still be able to land some large fish like amberjack and grouper, sometimes you can also have a surprise catch like cobia as well.

Hey, I'm Captain Vinnie Sacks

Dania Beach, United States
Background
Captain Vinnie operates the YB Normal out of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and has worked aboard other boats in the area all his life. He loves being out on the water and getting groups on awesome fish. His favorite fish to catch is Black Grouper, but a huge part of what makes fishing so fun for him is never knowing what is going to bite next. This is what makes bottom fishing so fun for him - you can never tell what will take your bait!
Techniques
Here in south Florida there are so many different species of fish to catch, some of my favorite things to do include trolling, wreck fishing, and live baiting. All three of these techniques are well known and do produce big fish and plenty of fish as well as different types of fish too. Trolling is a good way to start your day off beacause you are able to cover ground and find where the fish are, live baiting is a good way to fish for lots of trophy sized fish like sailfish and and giant king mackerel as well as big bull dolphin. Wreck fishing is a good way to switch it up if your other techniques are not working and still be able to land some large fish like amberjack and grouper, sometimes you can also have a surprise catch like cobia as well.
Anglers Choice
444
Reviews
288
Fishing Reports
Verified

My Charter Listing

YB Normal

Federally permitted
Excellent
4.8 / 5
(444 reviews)
Angler's choice
Dania Beach
 Last booking: 2 days ago
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $600

Fishing Reports

Nice Catches In Fort Lauderdale
Nice Catches In Fort Lauderdale
Aug 20, 2025 Dania Beach
Hello everyone, Capt. Vinnie here, this week fishing has been on the up and up here in Fort Lauderdale. Even though the kids have went back to school and the business as been somewhat slow there still has been some very nice fish to catch right now. For the report this week on the inshore side of things there has been a good amount of sailfish being caught right now, the majority of the sailfish have been caught while trolling using surface baits unlike in the winter time when we are using kites with live baits to target sailfish. Most of the sailfish bites have been in depths around 100-300 feet of water and the average size fish has been around 70inches long. Other then sailfish there has been some false albacore on the reef in great numbers and some kingfish as well. All this action is taking place inside of 300 feet of water. Bottom fishing report this week has been very solid with some jumbo vermilion snappers. This time of year we seem to catch the biggest vermillion snappers due to the fact that they are spawning, most of the larger ones are females and have eggs. Vermillion snappers are a smaller snapper in size but what they lack in size they make up for it on the table. Depths around 200 feet have been seeing the best results and fresh cut pieces of false albacore has been our bait of choice. Average size on the snappers right now have been around 2-3lbs with a few close to the 5lb mark. Moving offshore the mahi mahi has been the hot topic of the week. There has been some great mahi action offshore in depths around 800 feet and some nice ones too, Lots of floating pieces of seaweed out there right now but the key is going to be the birds. If you can find birds your going to catch fish. The birds we are looking for are smaller in size we call them fluter birds because there typically just above the waters edge and there wings are flapping very fast, hence flutter birds. These birds are never solo if you see one there will be more close by. Right now going mahi fishing I still recommend and all day charter of 8 hours so you have plenty of time to find the birds and the fish, also its important to bring some live bait with you as well incase you run into a school of mahi. I have a great photo this week of a great mahi catch we had were we caught 25 keeper mahi. The average size of the mahi right now have been anywhere from 5 to 15lbs. This week please be sure to check out some of the great photos of some recent catches that were caught while out on our deep sea fishing charters and remember to give us a like and follow on social media platforms like facebook and instagram @Ybnormalsportfishing for daily fishing content. For the rest of the month of August we have plenty of availability if your coming down to fort Lauderdale and looking to do some deep sea fishing. The time is now for mahi as well as a bunch if other species too. Look us up and we will show you a great time on the water. More later..... Capt. Vinnie
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Back To School In Fort Lauderdale
Back To School In Fort Lauderdale
Aug 11, 2025 Dania Beach
Hello everyone, Capt. Vinnie here. This week the fishing has been just plain excellent off the coast of Fort Lauderdale right now. For the report this week we will start offshore. There has been a pretty consistent mahi mahi bite this week and some good size on them too. There has been a good amount of large weed patches and some birds offshore right now. Some days there is just to much seaweed to fish in 1 trip so the key is to look for the birds thats what is going to pay off. If you can get lucky enough to get in front of some there has been plenty of hungry mahis willing to take your baits. Average size on the mahi has been anywhere from 5-10lbs with a few larger fish around 15lbs in the mix. Moving inshore the reef has been hot right now on the troll. Plenty of action especially if you only have a half day trip. A lot of false albacore or bonito right now but mixed in with them is the other species like king mackeral and blackfin tuna, trolling with fresh strip baits and seawitches is our go to to get bites. Early mornings you tend to see more action with surface baits but as the day goes on the deeper baits fished under the surface using a planner get more bites. Also on the reef there has been a few sailfish around even though sailfish are more of a winter time species we have been catching a few on our trips. Last but not least bottom fishing for species like vermillion snappers has been excellent right now with some large ones close to 5lbs, most structure in depths around 200 feet has them pretty consistent right now, we did manage to get lucky this week and catch a beautiful red grouper, we dont catch many grouper in our area so everyone we do get is a treat for sure. This week please be sure to take a look at some of the great photos of some recent catches that were caught while out on our deep sea fishing charters and remember to give us a like and follow on social media platforms like facebook and instagram @Ybnormalsportfishing for daily fishing content. Like the title says "back to school" this week the kids return back to school and the fishing industry slows down a little bit buisness wise but that doesn't mean that the fishing slows down. The month of August in my opinion is one of the best time to chase fish like mahi in our area. As well as wahoo, kingfish, and tuna. If you have an opportunity to get down to south Florida and do some deep sea fishing right now it is one of the best times, it is off season so hotels are cheaper and the weather is excellent everyday, I can't find an excuse not to come fishing for a few days. Anyways for the rest of the month of august we do have a good amount of availability for deep sea fishing charters, so look us up we would love to show you a great time on the water. Capt. Vinnie
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Good Start To August Fishing In Fort Lau
Good Start To August Fishing In Fort Lau
Aug 4, 2025 Dania Beach
Hello everyone Capt. Vinnie here, It has for sure been a hot one this summer and August is just as hot, but the fishing has been pretty hot as well, so for the report this week fishing early and late has been the ticket or as we like to say beat the heat. The inshore report there has been a very action packed trolling bite for species like king mackerel and plenty of bonito or little tunny, although these guys are not the best to eat they are a great fight for beginner anglers and experienced ones too. There also has been a few sailfish around on the reef that have been eager to take our trolling baits which is a great surprise specially for summer time fishing, moving a little deeper there has been a few blackfin tuna around in the early mornings in depths around 200 feet. Offshore report for species like mahi has been some what tricky some days they are here and biting and other days they can be hard to find, there has been a lot of big patches of seaweed with lots of bait underneath so there are signs of life, in my opinion I still think birds are the number one thing to look for offshore they never lie! The mahi we have been catching have been decent size anywhere from 5-8lbs with a few bigger ones mixed in. The bottom fishing report this week has been very good with some nice catches of yellowtail snappers as well as a few mutton snapper also, all these species are being caught while on the anchor and chumming. In the deeper bottom fishing areas there has been some jumbo vermillion snappers and a few yellow eye snapper as well. When the conditions allow for it the bottom bite has been the go to for putting some fish in the box for a great dinner. This week please be sure to take a look at some fo the great photos of some catches that were caught while out deep sea fishing in Fort Lauderdale and remember to give us a like and follow on social media platforms like facebook and instagram @Ybnormalsportfishing for daily fishing content. On the horizon coming up we have a full moon approaching which in august is usually a great time for wahoo in our area so be on the lookout for that in future reports. One thing is for sure the heat is here to stay right now and I think to a point it does effect the fishing in certain ways just like to effect us a human beings. When the sun is at its highest like around 12 noon it seems that the fish take a little bit of a break due to the heat. This time of year I always recommend going early or late so keep that in mind if your looking to get out fishing. For the month of August we have a good amount of availability so if your coming down to south Florida especially Fort Lauderdale and looking to do some deep sea fishing we would love to show you a great time out there on the water... More Later Capt. Vinnie
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Seaweed Making It Tough In Fort Lauderda
Seaweed Making It Tough In Fort Lauderda
Jul 23, 2025 Dania Beach
Hello everyone, Capt. Vinnie here. This week in Fort Lauderdale the deep sea fishing has definitely been a true grinder and will test you mentally. The seaweed or "sagassum weed" has been a real pain in the you know what, it has been pretty much everywhere from the beach on out to our fishing grounds and it has been making it very difficult to fish on some days and other days there isn't any seaweed as far as the eye can see. There is no way to actually tell if it will be bad the day your charter is, its just a gamble. On days the seaweed is minimal our fishing has been good, on days where it is everywhere and virtually un fishable our catch is really reflecting it. For the most part we have been getting it done some days though it seems by the skin of our teeth, anyways for the report this week trolling has been somewhat productive but this week I would say the afternoon has been the best time to fish, plenty of bonitos still around along with some decent sized king mackerel too. Later afternoons have been producing some really nice blackfin tunas and the occasional wahoo is still in play. Heading offshore for mahi mahi really has been a crap shoot you could catch a few but they might be all undersize or you can spend all day and never find anything thats just the gamble you have to be willing to take if your searching for mahi. Bottom fishing report has been the most consistent thing going right now anchoring up on the reef and chumming has been producing some nice catches of yellowtail snapper as well as a few mangrove snappers mixed in, 60 feet seems to be the sweet spot, although anchoring up does require some current and specialized conditions I have been catching them most every time on the anchor wether there is current or not. This week we did catch one of the biggest trigger fish I think I have ever seen, so make sure to check out that photo. On the days that the seaweed has been everywhere it makes the first mates job 3 times harder due to all the work he has to do in order to keep the baits clean, hopefully in the next few weeks it passes through so we can fish like we normally do. This week please be sure to check out some of the great photos of some recent catches that were caught while out on our deep sea fishing charters in Dania beach fishing out of Fort Lauderdale and remember to give us a like and follow on social media platforms like facebook and instagram @Ybnormalsportfishing for daily fishing content. Coming up for the rest of the month of July we only have a few dates open with availability but the month of August has lots of availability and is one of the better months in my opinion to get out fishing in Fort Lauderdale so if your coming down and looking to do some deep sea fishing look us up we would love to show you a great time out on the water. Capt. Vinnie
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Quality Catches In Fort Lauderdale
Quality Catches In Fort Lauderdale
Jul 15, 2025 Dania Beach
Hello everyone, Capt. Vinnie here. Sorry for the delay in reports I've been super busy out there fishing so I haven't been as free to write a report, but fishing everyday is a good thing it means I am dialed in to exactly what is going on in Fort Lauderdale. This week for the report we will start on the reef where the fishing has been very good plenty of action to be had while trolling the reef. In depths around 100 feet there has been a good amount of bonitos as well as a few kingfish some have been on the larger side too. Trolling with fresh bonito strips and sea witches fished under the surface using a planer has been a great combination to get bites. Moving a little deeper to depths around 200 feet there has been a solid blackfin tuna bite, but early has been best. Getting an early start at 7am when the sun is low has been the key to catching blackfin tunas lately. Average size on the tunas has been 5-10lbs with some as big as 20lbs. This week we were able to thread the needle and catch a beautiful wahoo around 25lbs (pictured). The full moon we recently had is a great time to try and fish for wahoo, working the depths from 180-300 will give you the best chance for the unicorn fish. As far as a mahi report right now I heard of a few fish way offshore in about 1,000 feet of water but not enough to make you want to head out there and look for them I would imagine it will be a few weeks till that fishery picks up. There has been a few gaffer size mahis on the reef in around 300 feet, no rhyme or reason just completely random but if they bite we will take them. For a bottom fishing report this week yellowtail fishing on the anchor has been somewhat decent, anchoring up in 80 feet of water and chuming will give you an opportunity to catch snapper and possibly some nice kingfish as well. Keep in mind though the conditions have to be correct for this technique to be effective. Fishing deeper for species like vermillion snapper has been spotty this week we haven't had good conditions this week to target fish like that in the deep there has been no current on the surface and very strong south current on the bottom, but that should change soon with the backside of the full moon. This week please be sure to check out some of the great photos of some recent catches that were caught while out on our deep sea fishing charters and remember to give us a like and follow on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram @Ybnormalsportfishing for daily fishing content. For the rest of the month of July we do have some availability so if your coming down to fort Lauderdale and looking to do some deep sea fishing we would love to show you a great time on the water, on the contrary we did just move to a new location in Dania Beach which is right in between fort Lauderdale and Hollywood. We are closer to the inlet to get out to the fishing grounds and that means more fishing time and less travel time. All in all better for our customers, hope to get you out fishing with us soon. More later... Capt. Vinnie
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Great Start To July Deep Sea Fishing In
Great Start To July Deep Sea Fishing In
Jul 4, 2025 Dania Beach
Hello everyone Capt. Vinnie here. This week we had some pretty good fishing right here in Fort Lauderdale that I can't wait to tell you about. The report this week starting on the reefs edge in about 90 feet we have been doing well on bonitos. Trolling a small spoon in the blue color has been the best bait lately. Also there has been some kingfish around on the troll to, fishing with fresh bonito strips and sea witches. Moving a little deeper there has been a decent bite of blackfin tuna specially on the days the sun is overcast. 200-300 foot has been best on the tuna and most bites are coming on our baits fished below the surface. Offshore report there has been a few mahi mahi around in depths around 700 feet. Most of the mahi have been caught on birds and scattered weediness. Although the size of them has been smaller that I would like there has been some keeper size mixed in with the underside mahi. For a bottom fishing report it has been pretty good when the conditions are right. Anchoring up on the reef has been very productive for yellowtail snappers and a few red grouper. Fishing in the deep when the currents and winds are light for species like vermillion snapper has been good as well. Wreck fishing has been somewhat decent for species like amberjack. This week we did a slow pitch jigging trip and had a very productive day jigging all different depths catching a variety of species like blackfin tuna, bonito, snapper, and amberjack. Remember this week to check out some of the great photos of some recent catches that were caught while out on our deep sea fishing charters and remember to give us a like and follow on social media platforms like facebook and instagram @Ybnormalsportfishing for daily fishing content. For the month of July the fishing should remain very consistent with lots of days having very calm winds and seas, the bonitos should stay full force for a while and the tuna bite should stay pretty consistent as well, I would imagine for now the king mackeral bite will be spotty till the fall. Mahi has been consistent for now but from what I have seen in the past few years the months of August, September, and October are historically the best time for mahi mahi in our area so there is that to look forward to coming up. If your coming down to Fort Lauderdale and looking to do some deep sea fishing we have a good amount of availability for the rest of the month of July and would love for you to come out with us so we can show you great time out on the water. more later... Capt. Vinnie
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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
4.8 / 5
out of 5 stars from 444 reviews
See details
Boat
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Crew
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (761)
Great Fishing
Great Fishing
lots of mahi and even a juvi sailfish
+758
Angler rating
386
34
14
6
3
Anglers claimed
Good experience
94%
Friendly captain
95%
Recommend this charter
95%
Appropriate for children
94%
Satisfied with the boat
99%
Caught fish
92%
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Showing:
5 of 444 reviews
Paul P.
Winfield, IL
Good
2.7 / 5
Experience:
Good
3.0 / 5
Boat
Good
3.0 / 5
Crew
Bad
2.0 / 5
Overall

Half Day with Captain Vinny

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip โ€“ Private (PM) on April 4, 2021
The trip was ok, the captain is not too personable at all and seemed like he didnโ€™t want to be there. The first mate Elliot...
Paul P. does not recommend YB Normal
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Bilaal M.
Walpole, MA
Bad
1.7 / 5
Experience:
Good
3.0 / 5
Boat
Poor
1.0 / 5
Crew
Poor
1.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with Vinnie

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip โ€“ Private (AM) on October 27, 2021
First of all, our fishing trip was at 7AM.ย  We arrived at 6:30.ย  Vinnie arrived at 8AM. It went downhill from there.ย  We...
Bilaal M. does not recommend YB Normal
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1 person finds this review helpful
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Steven S.
Valhalla, NY
Very good
3.7 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Poor
1.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with Vinnie

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip (AM) on August 25, 2021
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1 person finds this review helpful
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Sebastian L.
North Hollywood, California
Very good
4.0 / 5
Experience:
Very good
4.0 / 5
Boat
Very good
4.0 / 5
Crew
Very good
4.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with Vinnie

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip - Shared (AM) on November 23, 2018
Sebastian L. recommends YB Normal
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GARY S.
Mineral Point, PA
Bad
1.3 / 5
Experience:
Bad
2.0 / 5
Boat
Poor
1.0 / 5
Crew
Poor
1.0 / 5
Overall

Full day trip with Captain Vinnie Sacks

VERIFIED   10 Hour Trip โ€“ Daytime Swordfish on July 22, 2021
The boat seemed to be navigated by a captain with limited experience. The captain operates the boat at trolling speed the entire...
GARY S. does not recommend YB Normal
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3 persons find this review helpful
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