Fort Lauderdale fishing yields Bronze Wh

December 16, 2015 Fort Lauderdale 2 photos
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
King Mackerel (Kingfish)
King Mackerel (Kingfish)
Sailfish
Sailfish
Tuna (Blackfin)
Tuna (Blackfin)

Trip Summary

Fort Lauderdale fishing yields Bronze Whaler Shark Our Fort Lauderdale fishing trips continue to pick away at the Sailfish and Mahi-Mahi and that occasional Wahoo we have been mentioning. Still a bit of wind chopping it up and the sails are inside of 200 and the Mahi-Mahi there and shallower, once again IF you can find them. We had a recent visiting angler who fishes primarily offshore of New York and he has one species in mind wherever he goes, that being Sharks. He takes the charter by himself and is very much with the program, and he'll be back aboard in about a week for another go at them here off South Florida. Mike has caught just about everything it seems and he has settled on Sharks as his favorite. Well we like fishing for them too and the bigger the better just like most everyone else when they are the main focus. If they aren't our focus on a charter then here is to the littler the better, and we'd rather deal with a pesky determined 3 footer over a bruiser any day. Captain Kopper, 1st mate Brian and Mike began the charter fishing in water ranging from 300 to 350 feet of depth, which is a popular depth here on many days when targeting Sharks. A 5 foot Brown Shark, a decent Hammerhead, and the special one, a Bronze Whaler. The Bronze Whaler took a fresh Bonito about 50 feet off the bottom as it was being free spooled to that bottom in 350 feet. Very strong fish approaching 300 pounds in weight. Short dorsal fin, lots of tail length and giant pectoral fins and that Bronze coloring. Captain Kopper fishing here for over 40 years was stumped. Brian and Mike drew a blank as well. So they sent two pictures of it to me of the fish at boat side. And with my 45 years of deep sea experience (and at least one facial wrinkle for each one)..... my conclusion: no idea what it was. Certainly not a regular species here in South Florida. Sent the pictures around to some other fishheads here and in Miami and we did some internet work and we are going with a Bronze Whaler. Beautiful husky Shark with plenty of horsepower. Now we are back to chasing the Sails, Mahi, Kings and Tunas and in about 5 days and 48 hours before Mike's next charter we will begin icing and stockpiling our favorite fresh big baits in hope of another big toothy one.
All-Inclusive Sportfishing
Fort-lauderdale, Florida, United States
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Marlin My Darlin Sportfishing is a company with an excellent reputation and almost half a century of local experience in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas. Offering all types of fishing, the crew specializes in catching big fish in a professional ...

Other reports from this charter

Summertime Sailfishing
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August fishing
August fishing
July 31, 2026
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Report Aboard the Marlin My Darlin Fleet This Week Highlights 8/1/26 This week, the Fort Lauderdale fishing scene aboard the Marlin My Darlin fleet has been outstanding. Over the past 10 days, fishing has been exceptional as seagrass begins to ease, opening up a wider range of techniques for all our charters. Bottom fishing is strong, trolling has been phenomenal, and live-bait fishing remains highly productive. The relief from seagrass has been tremendous and should only improve as we move deeper into fall. Reef Trolling Reef trolling has been exceptional with big schools of fish showing up. Bonita are around, along with a number of nice-sized Wahoos (Dorado). King mackerel are still a bit spread out, but several days have produced limits. We’re also seeing a good number of summertime Sailfish in the area. Reef trolling remains one of our premier techniques, and we expect it to stay a top option as we head into fall. Offshore Mahi Offshore Mahi fishing is heating up. Seagrass patches are starting to group into large paddies, drawing Mahi to shade and bait fish beneath. This seasonal pattern typically ramps up now and tends to be particularly strong in the coming months, often reaching a peak later in the year. Expect excellent offshore Mahi action as our charter season progresses. Bottom Fishing Summertime brings consistently strong bottom fishing, especially for snappers along the reef and in deeper waters. Yellowtails, mangrove snappers, and mutton snappers are perennial favorites, and over the past couple weeks the action has been steady and should continue through the fall. Bottom fishing remains one of our most reliable techniques. Swordfishing Offshore daytime and nighttime swordfishing has been fantastic. Reports from the fleet are outstanding, with some boats catching multiple bites in a single charter day. Summer typically offers favorable conditions for daytime swordfishing, often accompanied by mahi-mahi, blackfin tuna, tunas, and occasional Sailfish at night. While winter is traditionally best for swordfish, summer provides exciting daytime action as well. Conclusion This week’s Fort Lauderdale fishing report for the Marlin My Darlin fleet looks excellent. The weather forecast is favorable with no hurricanes in sight, and as we emerge from lobster mini-season, fishing typically stays strong through October. If you’re in the area, book a trip and get out on the water. For reservations, please call our landline. Marlin My Darlin Phone: **hidden content** Website: **hidden content**
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July 4 2026 Fishing
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