If you fish for big game like swordfish, marlin, tuna, or shark - a well-made wind-on leader is a critical component of your rig. Not only does the wind-on serve as a shock absorber for aggressive bites and blistering runs, it's the heart and soul of your leadering efforts once you get the fish to the boat. Having worked at several tackle shops through the years, mostly behind the rigging counter, I'm amazed by the number of anglers who come in looking to have a wind on spliced into their line. While it's a time intensive process to get it done right, with a little practice you can get good at rigging wind-on leaders quickly. I'm a fan of the "tie your own rope" approach to fishing and as any digitally inclined angler tends to do, I research how other sport fishermen around the world are building their rigs. While there are dozens of resources on youtube and google for making a wind-on leader, I thought i'd consolidate a few of my favorites here. As a starting point, be sure to build a wind-on leader that is specifically made for the type of fish you'll be chasing. A wind-on leader for swordfishing is very different than a wind on leader for shark. While you can get away with a heavier rig in most instances, I encourage you to rig specifically for the gamefish you will chase most often. Regardless of the wind on you plan to make, there are several critical ingredients you will need: Pack of Mamoi or LP leader line (I keep an inventory of 150#, 200#, 250#, and 300#) Stainless crimping sleeves (assorted sizes) Industrial crimping tool Splicing kit Heavy Dacron line Wax thread Rigging needles Zap a gap Bottle of Zacapa 23 (keeps the nerves calm)
If you fish for big game like swordfish, marlin, tuna, or shark – a well-made wind-on leader is a critical component of your rig. Not only does the wind-on serve as a shock absorber for aggressive bites and blistering runs, it’s the heart and soul of your leadering efforts once you get the fish to the boat.
Having worked at several tackle shops through the years, mostly behind the rigging counter, I’m amazed by the number of anglers who come in looking to have a wind on spliced into their line. While it’s a time intensive process to get it done right, with a little practice you can get good at rigging wind-on leaders quickly. I’m a fan of the “tie your own rope” approach to fishing and as any digitally inclined angler tends to do, I research how other sport fishermen around the world are building their rigs.
While there are dozens of resources on youtube and google for making a wind-on leader, I thought i’d consolidate a few of my favorites here. As a starting point, be sure to build a wind-on leader that is specifically made for the type of fish you’ll be chasing. A wind-on leader for swordfishing is very different than a wind on leader for shark. While you can get away with a heavier rig in most instances, I encourage you to rig specifically for the gamefish you will chase most often.
Regardless of the wind on you plan to make, there are several critical ingredients you will need:
Pack of Mamoi or LP leader line (I keep an inventory of 150#, 200#, 250#, and 300#)
Stainless crimping sleeves (assorted sizes)
Industrial crimping tool
Splicing kit
Heavy Dacron line
Wax thread
Rigging needles
Zap a gap
Bottle of Zacapa 23 (keeps the nerves calm)
Any decent tackle shop in your area should have these items in stock (less the Zacapa 23) but you can also order them online at Capt Harrys or tackletogo.com.
If you’re like me and prefer to read about the process before watching an instructional video, here’s some of the better “How to” editorials i’ve found:
…and once you’ve thoroughly confused yourself reading tutorials, here’s the official IGFA video tutorial for making a wind-on (this is my favorite style).
There are literally dozens of videos on youtube which highlight how to make a wind on leader, but i’ve found the IGFA video to be the best so far. It’s perfectly fine to be creative and modify the wind-on leader system to your specifications. In sportfishing, there is no “perfect” way to rig your gear…everyone has an opinion and everyone fishes differently. Ultimately, you should learn the basics and stick with what works for you. Just bear in mind that you may find yourself hooked up with the fish of a lifetime when you least expect it…so rig right the first time and make sure you trust your rigging 100% before sending it over the side!
The bite's been extremely consistent the last few days. With moderate amounts of pilchards available at bug light, we've been live lining and kite fishing off Key Biscayne and Miami Beach. The weather's been favorable with a steady breeze out of the south east, delivering sustained winds to keep our SFE's in the air without helium assist. Todd's new camera has an excellent rapid fire mechanism which has supercharged our documentation capability. We took it for a test run yesterday afternoon and hooked up with a brilliantly lit up sailfish which ate a pilchard in 160 ft of water. The fish made a blitz for deeper water, grey hounding across the surface and thrashing the entire way. We managed to capture some awesome GoPro underwater footage of the fish as well - which i'm working to edit. The fish circled the boat for some outstanding video footage before being released unharmed.
The bite’s been extremely consistent the last few days. With moderate amounts of pilchards available at bug light, we’ve been live lining and kite fishing off Key Biscayne and Miami Beach. The weather’s been favorable with a steady breeze out of the south east, delivering sustained winds to keep our SFE’s in the air without helium assist.
Todd’s new camera has an excellent rapid fire mechanism which has supercharged our documentation capability. We took it for a test run yesterday afternoon and hooked up with a brilliantly lit up sailfish which ate a pilchard in 160 ft of water.
The fish made a blitz for deeper water, grey hounding across the surface and thrashing the entire way.
We managed to capture some awesome GoPro underwater footage of the fish as well – which i’m working to edit. The fish circled the boat for some outstanding video footage before being released unharmed.
Its my favorite month of the year and what better way to spend it than wailing on fat blackfin tuna! There's so much good fishing in July its literally impossible to keep up with. The swordfish are chewing at night, the dolphin are biting at day, and the blackfin are on the prowl during sunset. How can you go wrong? We've had great luck each time the 3 Charlie's hit the water aboard the Marauder. Carlos Spencer, Carlos Defilippi, and Charlie Ellis are pretty much guaranteed to catch lots of fish. Not sure how it works out...but hey. If it's not broke don't fix it. With good friends and a cooler full of Harpoon IPA, we left the dock at 3p.m. and headed out to Bug light. When there aren't ten boats motoring all over the pilchards, it's much easier to catch them. Go figure. We loaded the stern and bow wells with hundreds of big frisky baits then motored down south to a few of our best tuna haunts off Elliott Key. There was a feeble current, no edge, and barely a breath of wind. We put a kite out with a helium balloon and set down a full spread at the bluewater transition. About 20 minutes passed before our first big bite of the day - a 22lb kingfish! After boating the beast, we pulled in the lines and reset at the bluewater transition again. All lines out, live chum in the water, BAM! Our first blackfin of the evening slammed a flat line. Todd made short work of him and put this 22lbr in the boat! Now that we had escaped the pressure of catching a target species, it became about quantity and quality. We knew the bigger fish were still around but had to gamble whether they were deep
Its my favorite month of the year and what better way to spend it than wailing on fat blackfin tuna! There’s so much good fishing in July its literally impossible to keep up with. The swordfish are chewing at night, the dolphin are biting at day, and the blackfin are on the prowl during sunset. How can you go wrong?
We’ve had great luck each time the 3 Charlie’s hit the water aboard the Marauder. Carlos Spencer, Carlos Defilippi, and Charlie Ellis are pretty much guaranteed to catch lots of fish. Not sure how it works out…but hey. If it’s not broke don’t fix it.
With good friends and a cooler full of Harpoon IPA, we left the dock at 3p.m. and headed out to Bug light. When there aren’t ten boats motoring all over the pilchards, it’s much easier to catch them. Go figure. We loaded the stern and bow wells with hundreds of big frisky baits then motored down south to a few of our best tuna haunts off Elliott Key. There was a feeble current, no edge, and barely a breath of wind. We put a kite out with a helium balloon and set down a full spread at the bluewater transition. About 20 minutes passed before our first big bite of the day – a 22lb kingfish!
After boating the beast, we pulled in the lines and reset at the bluewater transition again. All lines out, live chum in the water, BAM! Our first blackfin of the evening slammed a flat line. Todd made short work of him and put this 22lbr in the boat!
Now that we had escaped the pressure of catching a target species, it became about quantity and quality. We knew the bigger fish were still around but had to gamble whether they were deep or shallow. With the sun sinking low, we trotted out to bluewater once again and deployed the spread. This time, we went for all mid water and flat lines since the wind wasn’t strong enough for a helium assisted kite (glassed out surface). We chummed hard, but nothing. 30 minutes passed…still nothing. It was decision making time. Pull in the spread and head back out deep? Or ride the current in towards the reefs. In the spirit of “patience pays”, we decided to wait out the drift and began steadily pitching the rest of our bait. Just as our hope began to fade, the bow rod starts screaming. It was definitely Todd’s lucky day as he was right next to the rod when it started peeling line. A gentle pickup and the circle hook set. Todd was tight on a BIG fish.
The sun went down and the fight continued into the dark. After a grueling 24 minute struggle, this beast comes boatside and Carlos sinks the gaff! The thud of the fish hitting the deck was music to my ears – a fat 32lb blackfin hooked right in the corner of the mouth!
Todd Malicoat, Charlie Ellis, and Carlos Defilippi with a 32lb Blackfin Tuna
With two fat blackfins in the box and the light gone, we called it quits and headed home! An epic start to what will surely be a phenomenal month of miami fishing.
Summer's in full swing. The pilchards are thick, schoolie dolphin are rampant, and the windless doldrums have arrived. When the mid-day heat begins to melt, we don scuba gear and explore the reefs south of Fowey. I don't free dive much since I injured my ear two years ago, but descending/ascending slow and steady with SCUBA gear affords me an opportunity to spend quality time with reef inhabitants. I have to admit i'm dumbfounded by the quantity of lionfish I observed these past two days. They're literally everywhere. Under nearly every coral/rock overhang there were one to three holding ground, fins splayed wide waiting for a chance to crush whatever wanders their way. I made quick work of this fatty with an old pole spear. Since I rarely get to enjoy lionfish outside of the keys (lazy days in islamorada has exceptional whole fried lionfish), i figured my personal best lionfish would make a tasty appetizer. Since I didn't know all that much about how to clean and detoxify lionfish (other than trimming fins) I turned to google for answers. Turns out that lionfish venom quickly denatures when frozen. If you find yourself on a lionfish hunting expedition, the best thing to do is bring a cooler loaded with ice - dump an entire can of salt into the ice - then add a bucket of saltwater. This will create an icy brine which holds temperature below the normal freezing point of water. Submerge your freshly killed lionfish in the icy brine and let them sit for at least an hour. Then you're good to go! Not all the fins on lionfish contain poison - it's only the dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins. This handy diagram by lionfishhunters.org makes it super easy to know what you're looking at. Once you've
Summer’s in full swing. The pilchards are thick, schoolie dolphin are rampant, and the windless doldrums have arrived. When the mid-day heat begins to melt, we don scuba gear and explore the reefs south of Fowey.
I don’t free dive much since I injured my ear two years ago, but descending/ascending slow and steady with SCUBA gear affords me an opportunity to spend quality time with reef inhabitants. I have to admit i’m dumbfounded by the quantity of lionfish I observed these past two days. They’re literally everywhere. Under nearly every coral/rock overhang there were one to three holding ground, fins splayed wide waiting for a chance to crush whatever wanders their way.
I made quick work of this fatty with an old pole spear.
Capt Charlie Ellis with a nice Miami Lionfish
Since I rarely get to enjoy lionfish outside of the keys (lazy days in islamorada has exceptional whole fried lionfish), i figured my personal best lionfish would make a tasty appetizer. Since I didn’t know all that much about how to clean and detoxify lionfish (other than trimming fins) I turned to google for answers.
Turns out that lionfish venom quickly denatures when frozen. If you find yourself on a lionfish hunting expedition, the best thing to do is bring a cooler loaded with ice – dump an entire can of salt into the ice – then add a bucket of saltwater. This will create an icy brine which holds temperature below the normal freezing point of water. Submerge your freshly killed lionfish in the icy brine and let them sit for at least an hour. Then you’re good to go!
Not all the fins on lionfish contain poison – it’s only the dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins. This handy diagram by lionfishhunters.org makes it super easy to know what you’re looking at.
Once you’ve clipped the fins, it’s best to scale the fish since the skin is very delicate. Although you can make fillets, I’m a fan of the whole grilled or whole fried lionfish. It’s tasty with a similar texture to hogfish!
I also found a few solid lionfish recipes while perusing the interwebs. Here’s a couple of my favorites:
This mini season, Team Marauder will be entering the lionfish derby here in Miami! Be sure to stop by grove scuba for more information or to schedule a trip!
In case you missed my full writeup of the experience, here's the original post. Since then, i've been anxiously awaiting Nick's most recent rendition of monster shark fishing in the keys. It's hard to top the BnM for epic shark fishing, sword fishing, or any other fishing for that matter...but we do our best! I just can't believe how hard amberjacks pull. It always amazes me. Couple a half dozen amberjacks with two monster tiger sharks and you've got yourself a hell of a work out!
In case you missed my full writeup of the experience, here’s the original post. Since then, i’ve been anxiously awaiting Nick’s most recent rendition of monster shark fishing in the keys. It’s hard to top the BnM for epic shark fishing, sword fishing, or any other fishing for that matter…but we do our best!
I just can’t believe how hard amberjacks pull. It always amazes me. Couple a half dozen amberjacks with two monster tiger sharks and you’ve got yourself a hell of a work out!
When I first started experimenting with daytime swordfishing, I was literally overwhelmed by the volume of information on the topic that was just plain wrong. While the concept makes sense - use braided line, heavy weights, heavy wind ons, figure out a way to fish effectively at 1800ft without snagging bottom or tangling/wrecking a $300 rig - fishermen from the carolinas to the keys have constatnly worked to refine a process that gets you tight with fish instead of the ocean floor. Like most anglers when they discover a new form of fishing - I turned to the internet to compulsively research this topic. Personally - I prefer to fish breakaway systems for swordfish during the daytime. While I have tremendous respect for the electric reel fishermen who consistently boat fat broadbills, the whole point of daytime swordfishing is to go head to head with the gladiator of the sea. If you can't set up your own rig, fish effectively at 1800ft of water in current, get tight on a fish, and then hand crank that beast to the surface AND wrestle him into the boat - you've got no business in this sport. Swordfish are powerful adversaries unlike any other billfish - they deserve a fair fight...and no animal can win against a machine. So - for those of you out there who are learning the sport or have become frustrated with snagging bottom or misinformation about how to set up a leader, I thought i'd share two videos which I found extremely helpful in perfecting the rig I use today. Who better to look to than one of the true pioneers of day time swordfishing - Capt. Nick Stanczyk: Capt. Nick is now offering his famous swordfish rig for sale at Floridakeysswordfishing.com. You can purchase everything you need
Capt Charlie Ellis with a Daytime Swordfish Caught aboard Top Gun
When I first started experimenting with daytime swordfishing, I was literally overwhelmed by the volume of information on the topic that was just plain wrong. While the concept makes sense – use braided line, heavy weights, heavy wind ons, figure out a way to fish effectively at 1800ft without snagging bottom or tangling/wrecking a $300 rig – fishermen from the carolinas to the keys have constatnly worked to refine a process that gets you tight with fish instead of the ocean floor.
Like most anglers when they discover a new form of fishing – I turned to the internet to compulsively research this topic. Personally – I prefer to fish breakaway systems for swordfish during the daytime. While I have tremendous respect for the electric reel fishermen who consistently boat fat broadbills, the whole point of daytime swordfishing is to go head to head with the gladiator of the sea. If you can’t set up your own rig, fish effectively at 1800ft of water in current, get tight on a fish, and then hand crank that beast to the surface AND wrestle him into the boat – you’ve got no business in this sport. Swordfish are powerful adversaries unlike any other billfish – they deserve a fair fight…and no animal can win against a machine.
So – for those of you out there who are learning the sport or have become frustrated with snagging bottom or misinformation about how to set up a leader, I thought i’d share two videos which I found extremely helpful in perfecting the rig I use today. Who better to look to than one of the true pioneers of day time swordfishing – Capt. Nick Stanczyk:
The hardest part of really pulling this rig together is making “annotations” in the main line so you know how much line is out. The best way to do this is to literally measure the line (be creative – you’ll figure it out) and use sharpies to mark your fishing depth and surface depths. It takes time and patience to get it right – so put in the time to research or book a charter with Nick and he’ll point you in the right direction.
Another prolific daytime swordfishermen is Bouncer Smith – he won the hydraglow summer slam not too long ago using a rig similar to Nick’s – making use of a spreader bar. I’ve used the spreader bar method as well, successfully, but the breakaway system doesn’t always work quite as well. It’s tricky to deploy the rig and get tight on the bottom – but the spreader prevents tangling if you still haven’t mastered the art of making the drop.
Tracking down a swordfish spreader bar ain’t easy – take it from me. You’ll have to custom fabricate one yourself or find one online (good luck!). We’ve had trouble using the duct taped three brick technique as well – as the weight tends to flop on the way down. DO NOT use lead if you’re fishing a breakaway system – you’ll burn more money than you could ever imagine. Experienced day time swordfishermen make 5 to 7 drops in a day – and you have to plan on breaking a few rigs off here and there. Its best to make your own using concrete or buy clearance dumbbells from sports authority (12 – 15lbs).
The best advice I can pass along to do-it-yourself anglers considering an attempt at daytime swordfishing is to research, research, and research some more. Really think about the physics of this operation before you give it a go. Also – you can’t just go out in the middle of nowhere in 1600 ft and have at it. You need to find structure other wise you will waste your time and money.
Book a charter or fish with people more experienced than you. It’s literally the best way to get your feet wet with this very technical form of big game fishing.
Well, what can I say? Its that time of year when the seas lay down and the weather beckons a bahama run. We scrambled our gear and made a last minute run to Bimini on Sunday morning after spending a good chunk of Saturday morning loading up on pilchards near bug light. The bait was consistent - but not thick like we had hoped. Regardless, we blacked out our stern wells and filled the bow well to 2/3 capacity with bait. The run across was smooth and we made it to the Sea Crest hotel in just under two hours. We cleared customs in Bimini - mowed on some conch fritters and made a dash for the Gingerbreads on word that decent schools of yellowfins were moving through. After the ~ 25 mile run from north Bimini to the reefs, we took a much needed swim on some massive coral heads. Yellowtails were everywhere - and the reef mounts were nothing short of a submerged utopia of coral awesomeness. After a quick dive around the reefs, we piled back in the boat and headed offshore. Now, normally, we encounter large flocks of birds almost out of the gate - crashing and vortexing over schools of tuna. This was just not the case this time around. We traveled over 60 miles before we ran into a solid flock of birds working the surface in the evening hours. The first flock we came across was crashing the surface hard and we saw small pops blowing up all over. Our hearts sank as the realization came it was likely a school of skip jacks. We ran ahead of the school and pitched a bunch of live baits - and the fish started blowing up behind the boat. Lines in - chummers out -
Well, what can I say? Its that time of year when the seas lay down and the weather beckons a bahama run. We scrambled our gear and made a last minute run to Bimini on Sunday morning after spending a good chunk of Saturday morning loading up on pilchards near bug light. The bait was consistent – but not thick like we had hoped. Regardless, we blacked out our stern wells and filled the bow well to 2/3 capacity with bait.
The run across was smooth and we made it to the Sea Crest hotel in just under two hours. We cleared customs in Bimini – mowed on some conch fritters and made a dash for the Gingerbreads on word that decent schools of yellowfins were moving through. After the ~ 25 mile run from north Bimini to the reefs, we took a much needed swim on some massive coral heads. Yellowtails were everywhere – and the reef mounts were nothing short of a submerged utopia of coral awesomeness. After a quick dive around the reefs, we piled back in the boat and headed offshore.
Now, normally, we encounter large flocks of birds almost out of the gate – crashing and vortexing over schools of tuna. This was just not the case this time around. We traveled over 60 miles before we ran into a solid flock of birds working the surface in the evening hours. The first flock we came across was crashing the surface hard and we saw small pops blowing up all over. Our hearts sank as the realization came it was likely a school of skip jacks. We ran ahead of the school and pitched a bunch of live baits – and the fish started blowing up behind the boat. Lines in – chummers out – wait, wait…wait. Nothing. What gives? fish blowing up behind the boat and nothing doing? Another boat crashed the party and started working the school with vertical jigs…to no avail. As the birds moved off…so did we. The other boat tore off after the birds and we went our separate way. Not 15 minutes later, we slammed into another floc of vortexing birds…chummers out – lines in…vertical jig down…WHAM! Walt, Todd, and I all hooked up immediately. Walt’s fish was big and started sounding – fishing our new Key largo custom vertical jig rods with Penn battle 8000’s. I hooked up on a live bait attached to our Connely custom rods paired with a shimano bait runner. Todd fought his fish on a vertical jig and was the first to get his up – a football blackfin. Walt stayed at the back of the boat while I remained on the bow. My fish was deep but I was gaining – then all of a sudden the rod doubled over and started screaming! I called for a knife to cut the line before i got spooled but whatever took my tuna had peeled about 150 yards in just under twenty seconds. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ — POP! There goes my tuna in the mouth of a shark.
Walt was luckier and battled this beefy blackfin up to the surface
Although it wasn’t a yellowfin like we had hoped – it was still awesome to get the skunk off the boat after such a long run.
Walt with a big Bimini Blackfin Tuna
As the sun went down and the birds disappeared – we started the long haul back to Bimini. We ran well into the night, arriving back at the dock around 10p.m. I was so exhausted after being behind the wheel since 7a.m. I just couldn’t keep my head up. While the crew wanted to make a quick stop for Muttons before headed back to the Sea Crest, I passed out cold on the coffin box and let the mosquitos go to town.
We woke up early the next morning but had to refuel before headed to sea. Walt and I readied the boat while Todd, Nel, and Carlos went to breakfast. We stopped to marvel at the head of a ~680 bluefin that was laying in the water suspended by a rope. It was the largest tuna head i’ve ever seen up close – it looked fake – but the flies and stench made it very very real!
We headed out to sea once again, this time trolling our way north with the current past the Issac’s. No action on the troll but we did break into another massive school of blackfins which we bailed with vertical jigs. Another three footballs came in the boat and that was a wrap. Since it was the middle of the day, we made the call to head in towards Great Issac and stop for some reef touring. We anchored near the lighthouse and dove around some big rocks with the pole spear – missed a few groupers and relaxed while the seas kicked up. Within two hours, the seas were building to 2 to 4 – and I made the call to fight our way back to Miami directly into the headwind. The ride was rough and we got totally soaked the whole way back – fortunately we had a bottle of Johnnie Blue on Ice to make the ride a bit more comfortable, which Todd took the liberty of enjoying the entire way.
After three and a half hours slugging in out in rough seas, we made landfall at government cut – back in the ol’ USA. While the yellowfin fishing wasn’t so hot this year – at least we did boat a tuna. With fuel prices still pushing $5 a gallon and very scattered reports of yellowfin action from other Capts – I think our yellowfin dreams may be done for the year. But the blue giants are still lurking – and I won’t soon forget that tuna head (pics soon). Walt found this vintage footage from the IGFA to put a little perspective on the sport – enjoy!
There are literally dozens of ways to throw a cast net - and everyone who fishes professionally will tell you "their" way is the best. The truth is, the technique you use depends mostly on the size of the net you're throwing. Bait fishing legends like Jimmy Lewis of the Kite Hunter use 12ft - 15ft nets, but for the most part a 10ft net will do the trick. A quick search on youtube will bring up a dozen or so videos - most of them pretty sub par. While you might stumble over five or six throwing styles which look about right - of all the techniques i've tried, my favorite is the one used by Jose Wejebe in this excellent tutorial:
There are literally dozens of ways to throw a cast net – and everyone who fishes professionally will tell you “their” way is the best. The truth is, the technique you use depends mostly on the size of the net you’re throwing. Bait fishing legends like Jimmy Lewis of the Kite Hunter use 12ft – 15ft nets, but for the most part a 10ft net will do the trick.
A quick search on youtube will bring up a dozen or so videos – most of them pretty sub par. While you might stumble over five or six throwing styles which look about right – of all the techniques i’ve tried, my favorite is the one used by Jose Wejebe in this excellent tutorial:
We took a break from charter fishing today to join friend's Brian Prince, Mike Maizer, Noah Prince, and Justin Maizer on the Prince of Tides - a 37' Intrepid leaving out of Boca Inlet. My good friend Walter Shellabarger joined as well to celebrate Memorial Day. Walt served two tours in Iraq in the United States Marine Corps and fought valiantly during the invasion of Fallujah and countless other skirmishes during the war. With bait being scarce in Boca Inlet since the dredging last year - we made the run south to Lighthouse Point to scrounge up some Goggle Eyes - the absolute go to bait for sailfish, wahoo, and big blackfins off Boca Raton. The wind was kicking hard from the south east and we had no trouble getting both kites up in the air. The first drift didn't provide much action - so we picked up and headed north in search of bluewater. We found a nice edge just to the south of Boca Inlet and quickly deployed the spread - not 15 minutes later a big bonita slammed the left long line while a nice bull mahi grabbed the starboard long. The battle ensued and ened with some tasty dinner in the boat! The wind picked up the rest of the afternoon - turning 1 to 3 ft waves insto a steady 3 to 5. We fished hard and hooked up on a big wahoo which ate a large goggle eye off the kite line. Brian battled the hoo for about 25 minutes before bringing him up. Although we couldn't get a good glimpse of the fish, we knew he was big from the vicious head shakes and stalemate battle. Tragically, the hook pulled just four feet before we could grab the leader - a heart breaker
We took a break from charter fishing today to join friend’s Brian Prince, Mike Maizer, Noah Prince, and Justin Maizer on the Prince of Tides – a 37′ Intrepid leaving out of Boca Inlet. My good friend Walter Shellabarger joined as well to celebrate Memorial Day. Walt served two tours in Iraq in the United States Marine Corps and fought valiantly during the invasion of Fallujah and countless other skirmishes during the war.
With bait being scarce in Boca Inlet since the dredging last year – we made the run south to Lighthouse Point to scrounge up some Goggle Eyes – the absolute go to bait for sailfish, wahoo, and big blackfins off Boca Raton. The wind was kicking hard from the south east and we had no trouble getting both kites up in the air. The first drift didn’t provide much action – so we picked up and headed north in search of bluewater. We found a nice edge just to the south of Boca Inlet and quickly deployed the spread – not 15 minutes later a big bonita slammed the left long line while a nice bull mahi grabbed the starboard long. The battle ensued and ened with some tasty dinner in the boat!
Walt, Todd, Noah, and Justin pose with dinner!
The wind picked up the rest of the afternoon – turning 1 to 3 ft waves insto a steady 3 to 5. We fished hard and hooked up on a big wahoo which ate a large goggle eye off the kite line. Brian battled the hoo for about 25 minutes before bringing him up. Although we couldn’t get a good glimpse of the fish, we knew he was big from the vicious head shakes and stalemate battle. Tragically, the hook pulled just four feet before we could grab the leader – a heart breaker of a loss but an epic battle nonetheless.
We deployed the spread once more in hopes of hooking up once more. After 30 minutes battling the waves, a nice sailfish blasted out of the water on the long bait! We stayed tight for about 30 seconds before the line snapped! Frustrating…a big hoo gone at boat side and a sailfish breakoff??? We started wondering if someone had bananas on the boat or ate bananas for breakfast.
Either way – we took it as time to leave as the waves continued to build, although we did manage one more small mahi mahi on the short bait just before pulling in the kites! All in all, a solid day fishing off Boca Raton!
Total: 1 bonita, 1 bull dolphin, 1 schoolie dolphin, 1 escaped wahoo, and 0/1 on sailfish.
We were privileged today to have the Tounjian family join us for a 1/2 day fishing charter. Alfie, Tommie, and Devon were joined by family friend Jon in search of some dolphin, blackfin tuna, and sailfish. We departed the dock at 2:30p.m. to catch the afternoon bite and headed offshore in search of dolphin. Crossing into the bluewater off Fowey rocks was especially beautiful - a super clean edge had formed around 130' - providing a stunning color contrast against the afternoon sky. In favor of dolphin, we headed offshore to about 900' and spotted a frigate circling pretty low to the surface. We approached cautiously and deployed live baits along with a few chummers - sadly no takers. Although I always get excited when I see a frigate circling around, you can never be too sure what it's circling. Could be a giant bull dolphin, could be a school of skipjacks. Hard to tell. We came up empty and deployed the feathers - trolling back towards the edge. The ride back was uneventful, but we spotted the L&H and Bouncer's Dusky working the edge south of Ledbury reef. We set up to the north where the current seemed strong and consistent. Normally, we deploy two kites - in low wind conditions we only fly one suspended by a helium balloon and fish flat lines. With hardly a breath of air from the south east - we lofted a kite and deployed three baits. Todd set the flat lines down and we waited patiently. A sail erupted behind Bouncer's dusky to the south and then another beneath the L&H's spread. Both fish seemed to come unglued after a short battle. Just 15 minutes later, both deep lines went off screaming and we were on! Devon and Alfie stepped up the
We were privileged today to have the Tounjian family join us for a 1/2 day fishing charter. Alfie, Tommie, and Devon were joined by family friend Jon in search of some dolphin, blackfin tuna, and sailfish. We departed the dock at 2:30p.m. to catch the afternoon bite and headed offshore in search of dolphin. Crossing into the bluewater off Fowey rocks was especially beautiful – a super clean edge had formed around 130′ – providing a stunning color contrast against the afternoon sky. In favor of dolphin, we headed offshore to about 900′ and spotted a frigate circling pretty low to the surface. We approached cautiously and deployed live baits along with a few chummers – sadly no takers. Although I always get excited when I see a frigate circling around, you can never be too sure what it’s circling. Could be a giant bull dolphin, could be a school of skipjacks. Hard to tell. We came up empty and deployed the feathers – trolling back towards the edge.
The ride back was uneventful, but we spotted the L&H and Bouncer’s Dusky working the edge south of Ledbury reef. We set up to the north where the current seemed strong and consistent. Normally, we deploy two kites – in low wind conditions we only fly one suspended by a helium balloon and fish flat lines. With hardly a breath of air from the south east – we lofted a kite and deployed three baits. Todd set the flat lines down and we waited patiently. A sail erupted behind Bouncer’s dusky to the south and then another beneath the L&H’s spread. Both fish seemed to come unglued after a short battle. Just 15 minutes later, both deep lines went off screaming and we were on! Devon and Alfie stepped up the rods first and the battle commenced. Alfie fought his sail from the bow while Devon stayed near the stern. Double header sailfish action speaks for itself!
During the fight, our kite line mysteriously snapped and began floating away. We were extremely lucky that Capt Jimmy on the L&H was able to grab the kite line as it floated past his tower and wrap it up for us while we finished our battle. His generosity was much appreciated as SFE kites are expensive! The L&H runs fishing charters out of Key Biscayne and is a legendary charter boat in Miami – we are fortunate to fish among such a tremendously impressive fleet!
Todd was quick with the camera and grabbed some amazing photos of the sailfish acrobatics:
Once the aerial mayhem wound down on the first two fish, we gently brought the fish to the boat for a quick picture. The ONLY time we take a sail out of the water is when it’s the angler’s first ever sailfish.
Devon Tounjian's First Sailfish
Alfie’s fish was leadered at the boat and made one final flip which snapped the leader. Alfie’s fish is featured in the tailwalking shot above.
High fives all around and then back to work! With our kite reel out of commission, we went back to flat lining since the sail bite seemed to be slightly deeper than usual. We redeployed the spread and drifted for another 30 minutes when another frisky sail grabbed the port flat line! Fish on! This time Tommie was up for the challenge and after a 30 minute fight, she wrestled the sail to the boat to earn her first Miami Sailfish release!
Tommie Tounjian's First Sailfish
We quickly revived and released Tommie’s sailfish to fight another day. As the sun began to get low, we deployed the spread once more and began chumming the rest of our live pilchards in hopes of drawing a tuna bite off Brewster reef. We drifted all the way north to Fowey rocks where the edge began to break up – without a bite. As the light began to fade, we called it quits and headed back to the marina.
Although we didn’t catch anything to eat for the Tounjian family, we had a few whole dolphin left over from the day before. We gave everyone a few bags of fresh dolphin and called it a day!
The dog days of summer are upon us – and as the sailfish begin to thin out…the swordfishing and dolphin fishing is picking up. Give us a call to see what we’re catching or visit our what’s biting page for more information.
