The postcard weather has returned with very little rain despite this being the start to our rainy season and our deep sea fishing charters in Fort Lauderdale are producing some nice catches. As always we have included some photos of recent anglers who have joined us aboard.
Kingfish continue to be in our area in good numbers and today Captain Matt on our 53 footer caught and released a Sailfish that was in there on the reef with them on his morning charter in the very same depths. Those depths being from 90 to 120 feet of water with both our boats getting into the Kings and again the Bonito are pushing hard south right in there on the reef along with those Kings and that Sailfish. A loop out into slightly deeper water has yielded an occasional Tuna, but no big numbers there despite some bigger fish. Venturing further off is a bit like Russian Roulette as the Mahi continue to be on many days scarce and difficult. Not always, but less of them than we would like to see.
Big Amberjacks on wrecks. The ones pictured with this report were caught (and released) on structure in water of about 200 feet in depth. The Tuna with this article ate a live bait off the kite in beautiful blue water and although the Tunas go into all shades of water many good ones come from the bluer water and I think the affinity of Flying Fish, a favorite food fish of theirs, for the cleaner water and the clearer side of a color change sets the stage.
Good numbers of larger Sharks continue to move through. Notice the circle hook almost dead center in the Hammerheads hammer in the just prior to release photo with this article, a hook designed to hook a fish in the corner of the mouth. On rare occasions a Hammerhead gets pinned there by a circle hook such as this one. I think this happens when the hook doesn’t find purchase in the corner of the jaw, or was never really inside his mouth and is pulled forward, lodging on the hard edge of the hammer, and then turns toward the angle and is driven in as an angler comes tight. Quite unusual but we have seen it before.
Took a shot at the Golden Tilefish on a day of reasonable north current with good conditions and three spots netted no fish. Not even tentative bite. Go figure, but as we all should know by now that’s fishing and the fish do have the final word. There are other fish in our sea right now and that outer reef line and the wrecks are happening. See you there.
