Tuna and Sailfish on fishing charters in Fort Lauderdale, and it’ true, but don’t expect to see fish such as those every day as it continues to be erratic fishing offshore. Captain Matt just called and happily reported a nice Sail catch and release after a 10 minute fight that took a trolled bait in 85 feet of water just above our inlet. That fish is a good fish producing big smiles as others have this week, but chances are as the day continues it is going to be a serious hunt and search tin an effort to keep them coming.
Late in the day has been the best for the Blackfin Tuna as they have become much more active on and near the surface beginning around 3:30 to 4 PM. Up until then they majority of them seem to prefer to hang out down 250 to 300 feet below the surface and have lock jaw, awaiting the sinking sun.
When they do pop up they generally bite well.
Sailfish have been a mix of strikes from both the live baits and trolled baits with those maddening lulls in between bites either presentation you choose. A few Bonito filling in some of the gaps in the action with an occasional Mahi-Mahi but we all would certainly like to see much more activity. Hammer Head Sharks continue to somewhat oddly regularly show in the live bait spreads regardless of the depth. Many inside of 100 feet and then others in the deeper water beyond the reefs. They are a 12 months of the year fish here with most expected in a couple of months, not so many this early in the year.
So we will continue to mix it up trying to draw bites as it would be much easier to just fire out there and put the live baits out as in a typical February, but the erratic fishing continues. Good fish to be had, but certainly some bumps in the road.
And the weather? 84 today with an almost cloudless sky and very slight winds. Low 80s predicted through the entire weekend. Postcard perfect weather day for sure. Saw two separate pairs of Manatees this afternoon, both pairs swimming north in the Intracoastal Waterway, which is be an almost straight shot out of and beyond south Florida. Wondering if our winter is essentially over if these Southern Groundhogs are heading up the line. 
