Fresh Fort Lauderdale Fishing Reports

On this charter we took out a nice family and had a great trip. Started off the day trolling with little luck bug manged a bonita and a nice tuna. We dropped some bigger baits for an amberjack with no luck. Resorted to some bottom fishing for snapper and were able to find some vermillion snapper, and lane snapper. This time of year is great for live baiting for pelagic species such as sailfish, kingfish, tuna, wahoo and many other species.

The blackfin tuna are starting to show up! Blackfin tuna are caught all year long however we see a larger number of turn during early spring months. They range in depths between 100-350' and are caught trolling or with the use of live bait from a kite. Typically, they are eating very small minnows that we call "crack minnows" due to their appearance resembling shards of glass. They are as small as a fingernail clipping and we often use a small spoon to blend in or "match the hatch". Blackfin tuna are not as large as yellow or blue fin however they are fantastic eating and are a great sport fish! As summer months approach and the days grow longer, we will start to see the afternoon bites offering the most action for tuna however they can still show up earlier as well. Book now and fire up the grill!

Cooler months in South Florida, while everyone else in the country freezes their tail off. We in South Florida get the opportunity to continue to go fishing, some recent cold fronts have turned the sailfish on, along with other species including, shark fishing, king fishing, and snapper fishing. Sailfishing in january is often peak season for sailfishing in warmer waters. Look for them in deeper offshore waters, commonly around structure like reefs or drop-offs. Trolling with bointa strips or using live bait like goggle eyes, pilchards, or cigar minows can be effective. Shark Fishing-This time of year can yield great shark fishing opportunities, especially for species like bullsharks, sandbar sharls, tiger sharka and hammerhead sharks. They can be found nearshore or offshore. Chumming the waters with cut bait can attract sharks to your fishing spot. Goliath Grouper- while they can be targeted year-round, . It’s essential to look for specific spots where they're known to hang out, often around reefs or wrecks. We typlically hook golaith groupers while taegting sharks, and they are very aggressive. King Fishing-King mackerel are usually active in the winter months. They often gather near structures such as wrecks and reefs. Trolling with live bait or artificial lures can lead to successful catches. Snapper Fishing-Snapper, particularly species like red snapper, can be caught in deeper waters during January. They tend to be plentiful around reefs and rocky bottoms. Using squid or fish fillets as bait typically works well. Make sure to prepare for colder weather when heading out. If you have any specific interests or need tips on techniques, feel free to ask!

Cold fronts = sailfish! We've been steadily watching the cold fronts as the Florida State saw snow once again. An occurrence of once a decade. These cold fronts are important for game fisherman such as myself but only one cold front is not enough. We need a few back to back to really see the advantage. Now we've received just that. We're just kicking off the season and are within the 4th cold front and the fish seem to be showing up. This morning (jan 25,2025) we managed to hook 2 sailfish within an hour apart meanwhile a few other boats saw similar success! Kite fishing in windy days will be the go to method so anticipate using live bait. Some live baits are caught on the trip, others are purchased to save time! As sailfish and other highly migratory fish travel south, they enter into narrowing depths and they begin to concentrate. Finding the perfect depth can be pivotal in setting up the kites on the drop. Color changes in the water can also provide variance in water temps, a sensitive element to fishing for billfish. I anticipate a strong season as we have weather reports that will push temperatures into the low 40s this month into feb. The colder the weather, the further south the fish will travel and in greater numbers! Capt Matt.

Sorry guys been busy fishing everyday haven’t been able to sit down and do a report. We been fishing deeper waters and catching some tunas on top while trolling. Bigger ones been eating live bait 200-300ft. Couple sailfish around they really haven’t shown up in numbers mayb with colder weather they will start to show up. Bottom fishing for snapper has been successful, grouper season is closed till May 1st so catch and release only. Give us a shout if your in Fort Lauderdale let’s get you on some fish. Family kid friendly dogs are also welcomed. Tight lines

A slight warm up in the Florida weather brought on some strong bites from some good fish. With a total of 25 bass caught in a matter of a few hours, I was happy to see some bigger fish for this time of year. My best 5 fish came in at 16.71 pounds.