Easy access to the Gulf Stream and some of the closest blue water fishing on the East Coast make deep sea fishing Pompano Beach a truly special experience. Sailfish, Wahoo, and Mahi Mahi can all be targeted on a half day trip, and even Marlin are found around 15 miles out. At their deepest, the surrounding waters plummet 2,000 feet and host anything from Snappers and Tilefish to the ultimate kings of the deep — Swordfish.
What can I expect from a deep sea fishing charter?
On a four-hour trip, you basically get to choose between deep-water bottom fish and big game pelagics like Mahi Mahi and Sailfish. Marlin are usually reserved for full day trips, but if you jump aboard one of the faster center consoles out there you can hit the Gulf Stream on a half or Âľ day with plenty of time to take on these awesome predators.
Book in for eight hours, and the world’s your oyster! You can spend the whole day wrestling Marlin or pulling up monster Tilefish from the heart of the ocean. Our advice is to combine the two, though, trolling on your way to and from the deepest waters to head home with the a selection of fish almost as wide as your smile.
Swordfish live, quite literally, in a world of their own, and as such require specialist trips to target them. At night, you may be able to find these guys hunting in “only” 100 feet of water but in the day you will be hard-pressed to find them in less than 1,000. This is not a family fishing trip and is suggested for only the most seasoned of anglers.
Top Techniques and Local Twists
Most of the deep sea fishing Pompano Beach has to offer comes in the form of trolling. Whole Ballyhoo are the go-to bait, as is so often the case, with a chugger head attached to let you troll quickly without turning it into very expensive chum. It also adds a dash of color to really billboard the bait. More elaborate rigs are often made up of combinations of cut and live bait, with Bonito belly, whole Mullet, and a Ballyhoo or two thrown in for good measure.
For Sailfish, most charters ditch the trolling gear and crack out the kites. Not only is this the most productive way to lure in Sailfish, it also allows you to see them a few seconds before they strike, giving you time to prepare for the bite. You will be sailing into the wind in order to lift your kites, too, which can be a blessed relief on blustery days offshore.
At its most basic, Swordfishing is a matter of dropping the bait far enough to get their attention, then getting the line back in before they shake the hook. Squid and Bonito make the best bait, attached to 15lb of lead at the end of a long leader, with a blinking light 10 feet or so down the leader to draw in these large-eyed hunters. Once hooked, they will instinctively swim up to try and escape the weight and you will need electric reels or some serious muscles to get the line in quick enough.
How much will it cost?
Center consoles usually run around $400-$450 for a half day and $650-$800 for a full day. Switch up to a small sportfishing boat and you will only paying an extra hundred bucks, or $1,000 for a daytime swordfishing trip. This is well worth paying for outriggers, a fighting chair and, dare we say it, a proper head.
If you’re planning on going all-out, you will find plenty of awesome cruisers in the 45’ range, complete with tournament-winning crew, the latest tackle, tuna tubes - the works. Trips on these boats average around $700 for a half day and $1200 for a full day, which is still a steal for the amount of tech you get. Their size does equal a high fuel burn, though, and daytime Swordfish trips can cost $1,500 or more.
