Bonita Bite Building; Sharks & Snapper A

Fort Lauderdale Fishing Report | Don’t Tell Mom Sportfishing Fall fishing is really coming together here in Fort Lauderdale, and despite some challenging weather over the past week, the fishing has been excellent! We didn't get out as often as we would have liked due to some rough seas, but the trips we did run produced some fantastic action. Mahi-Mahi have been the highlight, with some great catches on even our shorter four- and five-hour charters. Fall Mahi-Mahi Fishing Is on Fire! If people ask me when the best time to come fishing in Fort Lauderdale is, September, October, and November are always at the top of my list. Fall is one of our favorite seasons for fishing, and it's also a quieter time for tourism, which can make it a great opportunity to enjoy a trip and find better hotel rates. The Mahi fishing lately has been outstanding. We've been catching them on most of our trips, including shorter charters, which is especially exciting because Mahi can sometimes require a longer run during the summer months. Right now, we're finding them primarily in 400–500 feet of water, just two to three miles offshore and well within our state waters. We're also seeing some excellent quality fish. Fall typically brings larger Mahi than we see during the summer, when smaller fish tend to be more prevalent. As always, finding that beautiful blue water is key. We've been locating small weed lines that hold bait and attract all kinds of life. Along with the Mahi, we've been seeing small Bar Jacks and other activity around these areas. Our go-to Mahi presentation has been Sea Witches rigged with Bonito strips, trolled on the surface. We also get bites on our planer rods, and when we find a school of fish, the action can really heat up. It's exciting fishing and a great opportunity to put some delicious Mahi in the cooler! Sailfish Are Starting to Show Up We've also been seeing some Sailfish closer to the reef, generally around 120 feet of water, depending on the conditions and where the blue water begins. As we move toward winter, we expect to see more of these beautiful fish showing up. Sailfish absolutely love Sea Witches with Bonito strips, especially when trolled farther back in our spread. One of the most important things when targeting Sailfish is keeping your eyes on the spread and watching for the fish. Sailfish often approach the bait and strike it with their bill before committing. If you see one following your bait, reeling it away can trigger a reaction bite. If the bait doesn't appear to be moving naturally, the fish may lose interest and disappear. It's a really exciting visual style of fishing, and paying attention can make all the difference! Blackfin Tuna and King Mackerel Blackfin Tuna have also been making appearances. They're not an everyday catch right now, but we've been seeing them during the early morning hours when the light is low, particularly around wrecks in approximately 200 feet of water. The best approach for these Tuna has been smaller presentations, including squid dinks and smaller spoons. When they're feeding, these smaller baits can make all the difference. We've also seen a few King Mackerel around, generally in depths ranging from 130 to 190 feet. It's always nice to have these excellent game fish in the mix! Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, and Crevalle Jacks In shallower water, especially along the reef and even closer to shore, we've been seeing plenty of Mackerel. Most have been Spanish Mackerel, along with some juvenile King Mackerel. Spanish Mackerel are a lot of fun on light tackle, and they're excellent eating. They're fantastic for smoked fish dip, and I personally enjoy them fresh as well. While they're not the biggest fish we catch, they're great fighters and a fun way to put plenty of fish in the cooler. We've also caught several Bluefish trolling in shallower water, both on the surface and on the planer rods. Growing up on Long Island, I used to catch tons of Bluefish, so it's always fun to run into them down here in South Florida. They're incredibly hard fighters with razor-sharp teeth, so you definitely have to be careful handling them! Crevalle Jacks have also made an appearance, adding even more variety to an already exciting week of fishing. A Birthday Trip and a Massive Amberjack One of the other highlights this week was a six-hour birthday charter booked by Felipe, birthday boy's brother at the last minute. We were able to put together an excellent trip with plenty of Mahi-Mahi for everyone to take home. We also headed out to a deep wreck in more than 300 feet of water and hooked into a massive Amberjack! This was quite a thrill for everyone aboard. We safely released the fish, and the group went home with plenty of fresh fish and some fantastic memories. They were absolutely thrilled with the trip! Looking Ahead Small Bonitas, Ballyhoo, and other baitfish have been showing up, and the fall fishing is really starting to come together. Between the Mahi-Mahi, Sail

Weekly Fishing Report | Don’t Tell Mom Sportfishing Fall fishing is heating up, and this past week delivered some absolutely outstanding action! We had a little bit of everything, from massive Amberjacks and our first Sailfish catches to Wahoo weighing up to 45 pounds, plenty of Mahi-Mahi, and some excellent Blackfin Tuna action. Not every trip was a home run, as you’d expect this time of year, but we had several trips that ranked among the best of the year. One of the biggest changes we’ve seen lately is the amount of baitfish in the water. The large Mullet schools have mostly moved on, although we’re still seeing some along the beaches. In their place, small Bullet-Bonitas and tons of flying fish have started showing up. This is exciting because these baitfish attract larger predators like Mahi-Mahi, Sailfish, Wahoo, and other hard-fighting pelagic species. Here’s a look at some of the highlights from an incredible week on the water! Massive Amberjacks and a Seven-Foot Nurse Shark We kicked off the week with a five-hour trip for a family hoping to catch something big. We headed to a deep wreck in 300 feet of water and dropped down a live Bonita. It didn’t take long before we hooked into a massive Amberjack measuring nearly five feet long! These fish are incredibly powerful fighters, and this one gave our anglers quite a battle. That wasn’t the only highlight of the trip. We also hooked and landed a seven-foot Nurse Shark, along with a smaller Amberjack. While larger Amberjacks can be prone to parasites, the smaller fish can make excellent table fare. We were happy to send the family home with some fresh fish for dinner! A Sailfish, Tuna, and Seven Mahi-Mahi One of the weekend’s five-hour trips was truly special. We had five friends visiting from Ohio who were hoping to catch Sailfish and Mahi-Mahi, and we were fortunate enough to deliver on both! We started by catching a few small Bullet-Bonitas to keep in the live well for later. While trolling for something bigger, our high line started bending and twitching. I reeled into it, and a beautiful Sailfish piled on! John did an outstanding job fighting the fish and bringing it to the boat. We got some great pictures before safely releasing it and watching it swim away. What an incredible first Sailfish experience! After catching a nice Skipjack Tuna, we worked some deep wrecks in more than 400 feet of water and picked up a solid Amberjack. We then spotted signs of life farther out and headed toward 700–750 feet of water, roughly five miles from shore. At first, we weren't seeing much. But as we worked south, we started finding more flying fish and scattered weeds. We adjusted our trolling pattern to work the area in slightly shallower water, around 650 feet, and the action really turned on. We ended up catching seven keeper Mahi-Mahi, most of them good-sized gaffer fish! Earlier in the trip, we had also caught a couple of Barracuda, but the fishing really came together as a weather front moved in and the current lined up beautifully. It was an outstanding day and a great example of how quickly things can change when you find the right conditions. Two Wahoo, Including a 45-Pound Monster! Saturday afternoon brought another trip we won't soon forget. We started by trolling and putting a few fish in the box before heading north toward the wrecks to try our luck with live bait. Then our short planer went off and started screaming! We had a Sea Witch rigged with a Bonito strip, and the result was a beautiful 20-pound Wahoo. We were thrilled to see that fish come aboard. After getting everything squared away, we switched our spread over to live Bonitas. Slow-trolling these baits is one of my favorite ways to fish because you have a real shot at something special. You may not get a bite every time, but when a big predator finds one of these baits, you know you're in for an exciting fight. We worked past a couple of wrecks north of the inlet in about 130 feet of water when a downrigger line suddenly started dumping. The fish put up an incredible fight on light tackle, and after about 20 minutes, we finally brought another Wahoo to the boat. This one was a monster, weighing in at 45 pounds! It was the biggest Wahoo my mate Zach has ever seen. These fish are incredibly fast and elusive, with powerful, torpedo-shaped bodies and razor-sharp teeth designed to slice through their prey. Landing one takes the right equipment, proper rigging, and a crew that knows how to handle them. We were thrilled to get this beautiful fish aboard and straight onto ice. And the day wasn't over yet! After using up our live Bonitas, we switched back to trolling and finished the trip with three Blackfin Tuna and a King Mackerel. What an incredible day of fishing! Rough Weather, Beautiful Blue Water, and Seven More Fish Our final trip of the week was yesterday, and conditions were rough and windy. After checking in with the guests beforehand to make sure they were still comfort

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