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Wreck Fishing off Fort Lauderdale,
Florida
By Capt. Steve Souther,
Marlin My Darlin Sport Fishing
What was once accidental is
now purposely done to enhance Fort
Lauderdale fishing
opportunities. Ships of years ago, blown off course by
storms were grounded or sunk throughout the world’s seas.
The activity these wrecks created with fish accumulating
around the area gave modern environmentalists ideas on how
to create fish habitats and havens. The Artificial Reef
programs were started years ago down here with Fort
Lauderdale fishing in mind, and
have been going strong ever since.
A
few early mistakes were made with what kind of materials
would work. It was found that steel and concrete structures
worked best. Both hard and soft corals would attach and grow
to these types of structures, whether intact, or broken up
into pieces. Between 25 and 30 of these wrecks and reefs are
accessible on a 4 hour trip from Port Everglades inlet, our
departure point for our Fort
Lauderdale fishing charters.
Whether these wrecks and reefs are
situated in deep or shallow water, they do have some things
in common. They create habitat for small fish. Places to
hide become abundant and residence is taken up quite
rapidly. Bait fish accumulate around the areas as well,
using the structures to elude capture. Where bait and small
fish reside, you will find bigger fish, a successful working
example of our deep sea fishing food chain.
You will also find predators around both shallow and deep
structures. Barracudas and sharks are commonly found close
by. While bigger fish generally like the deeper wrecks and
reefs available here for Fort Lauderdale fishing, a shallow
spot can also produce large species from time to time. 
Here on the southeast coast of Florida our waters get
deep quickly. Within a few miles of shore, we reach depths
over 300’. At 6 miles from shore 800’ depths are attained.
Most of our wreck and artificial reef fishing is done inside
400’. The tackle we use is determined by the species we are
targeting. Mono leaders are used for Snapper, Grouper,
Amberjacks and Cobia. If you are lucky, a mono leader will
capture that Barracuda or Shark as well. But if the
predators are your targeted species, wire leaders are
recommended. The depth of the wreck will also determine how
much weight is used. Deeper drops in heavy current can
require up to a 5 lbs of lead to achieve the desired results .
Artificial, live, dead or
cut bait can be used. Any of these work well, but live bait
is usually our choice for Ft.
Lauderdale fishing wrecks.
Jigging an artificial lure or bait can be a thrill when you
hook up, but can also be tiring if the bite is slow. Cut and
dead baits also will produce good results providing the
little “chewers” don’t eat you up. Small, unwanted mouths
can be frustrating, but that activity can produce a larger
bite.
The surrounding area can
also be a great place to search for fish. Since these
habitats attract bait fish, almost every species available
we catch here can be found at times in the area. Kingfish,
Sailfish, Mahi Mahi, Bonita, Wahoo and Tuna will frequent
these spots on their migration through our area. The fact
is, you just never know what you will connect with while
fishing around these spots… but they do improve your
chances. 
We have fished these areas for years.
Almost every trip will find us on or around one or two of
these reefs or wrecks. Whether fishing the kite with live
bait, dropping a line to fish the wreck directly, or
trolling by a few times, these wrecks and reefs provide us
the opportunity to give you the best fishing experience we
can.
We are
always happy to discuss our methods, tackle and rigging in
regards to our Ft.
Lauderdale fishing wreck sites.
For more information or to arrange a trip, call us at (954)
761-8202.
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