We have had some good catches as we enter the weekend but our Ft. Lauderdale fishing charters have come to a screeching halt with Hurricane Irma filling the radar. We have been very fortunate here in South Florida in recent years regarding these systems passing us by. We are going to get it this time and hopefully be spared of her full and considerable fury. I’m sure you have seen updates wherever you are. It’s the news here 24/7, and here we go. Thank you for the calls and texts and be assured we are battened down to the max. Thanks as well to our landlord Bahia Mar Marina, Head Dockmaster Charles, and his staff for allowing us to move our dockage during the storm to the highly rated safer floating docks in the interior of the complex, and away from our regular fixed docks out on the perimeter (great exposure to traffic and customers out there, but big exposure to Irma).
She is interrupting some good fishing as we said. A couple of slow days early on since our last report but that changed, but everything is on hold now. Please enjoy the included photos of anglers who have recently joined us here aboard the Marlin My Darlin. Kingfish, Blackfin Tunas and Bonito on the reefs. Mahi continue to be available offshore but the overall size and numbers are down as we say good-bye to summer. A nice Sailfish on an afternoon trip yesterday. Swordfish have certainly been a viable option.
These storms usually bring a good spike in the catch rate for bottom fish. Mutton Snappers for one have often gotten aggressive. Irma will also bring a very large amount of floatsam our way via the northern current flow and we will be looking offshore too for whatever she sends our way whether it be a tree, tree limb, or even a boat or part of a structure. This debris will begin showing up offshore fairly soon and will continue for some time. The debris can be a virtual hotel for bait and predators alike with Mahi-Mahi, Wahoo and Trippletails most common. But Billfish like the show too. To be honest I don’t know how the Swordfish will react as they don’t seem to often regard floatsam (at least in daytime hours) as a draw compared to other species of Billfish. Find the floatsam holding bait and things can happen quickly. This storm packs a huge punch and she has left a wide swath of destruction despite thankfully only brushing many islands on her way here, and as we all too fully aware it’s not over yet. As dearly missed and far too soon departed Captain Lindsley Ford liked to seriously say “ Don’t ever, ever trust Mother Nature, she’s a bitch”. Ringing so true right now, and here she comes. We’re looking forward to the return of those blue Florida skies and wetting the lines. Be safe. 
