Category: Miami Fishing Reports – What’s Biting in South Florida

I happened upon a quote yesterday which certainly put the last two weeks into perspective: “When you feel like quitting, remember why you started”.

May has always been, by far, the best month to fish in Miami waters.  Nearly every big game species is in a spawning or migration pattern, the bait is plentiful, and the weather is nothing short of divine. Despite the most amazing fishing conditions of the year, i’ll be honest that we’ve faced mechanical challenges which almost put us out of business. The reality of owning a charter boat is a battle of controlling costs – managing fuel spend, marina bills, and an endless onslaught of mechanical repairs. Our business has survived at the hands of a few dedicated and loyal people who support us tirelessly – who share the same vision.  These are the people who remind me why I do this.

Yesterday was one of those days when I remembered what it’s all about.

The weather was ominous to say the least – one of the last cold fronts of the season was bearing down with untempered ferocity. The buoy report showed a solid NW wind at 18knts, which began to feel a whole lot like 22knts once we came around the Cape Florida lighthouse.  There were no storms, but dark clouds hung low above the horizon.

Bait has been solid the past few weeks, although we’ve had a few days where clear water prevented us from catching pilchards in the net.  We recently acquired a 14ft custom made net which is one of the best investments we’ve made in a long time – having blacked out wells is the key to fishing in the month of May.  Yesterday was no exception – Stefano (aka Carlos) made short work of the pilchard schools with just two tosses.

We charged out towards the yellow sea can hoping to find current in shallow (as it was last Sunday when the sailfish bite was red hot). To our dismay, pea green water stretched as far as we could see after crossing into 130′.  We kept pushing, out to 150′, 170′, 190′, then 200′.  By the time we hit 220′, the water began to turn blue and the waves began to roll. The gulf stream was clearly farther out then we had anticipated, which meant the bite was going to be very good…or very bad.  We’ve had many hit or miss days when the blue-water starts out deep, although it does help to keep the bonitas at bay (this time of year, it’s common to get blitzed by bonitas which will consume every bait you have in the water).  We deployed the kites and set into our first drift, being a bit overzealous with the live chum.  The radio was quiet as we got pummeled by NW waves, which at times were reaching into the 3 to 4 ft category.  At 1.6knts of northerly drift, our ride towards the county wrecks was slow.  The first set only produced two bonitas.  We removed wire tips from our leaders and changed over to flourocarbon on our second set while crossing into 210′.  With a fresh spread of baits beneath the kites, we turned our attention to rigging the bottom gear.  Stefano worked the kites while Scott and I began prepping mid-waters and our bottom rod, when just out of the corner of my eye I see the left mid cork go flying – Stefano was quick on the rod and we’re tight with our first sail of the day.  The fish rocketed inshore then made a slow steady north turn and began making his way with the current.  The fish turned towards the deep as it worked its way off our bow, and then suddenly, about faced and began gray-hounding directly for us!  The run was unbelievable – a full on snake walk directly at us.  For a second we all braced as it appeared the fish was inbound to ram the boat!

The run ended in a half spiral out of the water which turned out to be a bit too aggressive – the fish wrapped himself up in the line and SNAP! Our first sail of the day is on his way back to the blue.  At least we had some idea where the bite may be.  A report crackled over the radio that someone released a sailfish in shallow – about 100′ – an entire water column away from our 210′ drift.  We made the call to stay put and re-deployed the spread now drifting in to 190′.

With six fresh pilchards soaking beneath the kites, a mid water rod deployed, and a light tackle trick up our sleeves – we felt confident going into the next set. The clouds were growing darker as the waves began to kick up into the 3 to 5 range.  Gusts of 25 knots were definitely starting to push through – our Lewis heavy wind kites strained  once and a while as the gusts hit their peak, then faded back to a steady 18 to 20knts. The left long gets hammered and we’re tight – Maritza, still tired and mildly seasick from her first sailfish battle, grabs the rod and goes to town on the fish. I can’t imagine where that extra bit of strength came from, but she  put the heat to that blackfin and brought it boatside in about 10 minutes.  We sink the gaff and put the first blackfin in the boat.

Not long after, the right middle gets plowed with a nice splash, but the fish didn’t make the long deep run characteristic of a tuna.  I fought the fish for a few minutes and up pops a 20lb blackfin – likely the laziest tuna i’ve fought to date.

No matter, the fish goes in the box.  With two blackfins in the hold, we’re now drifting into 140′ of water when the right long starts sneaking away into shallow water. The drag starts screaming, we lock up, and a sailfish goes dancing towards the Miami skyline. On our second sailfish of the day, Maritza begrudgingly agrees to another battle.  This fish is making a long run, and with most of our kite baits out of the water, we decide to bring the kite’s in a bit closer and chase the fish.  After following the sail int shallower water, it suddenly stops running and begins to hold position. We back down systematically, and manage to sneak up on the fish, but he’s wrapped in the leader and drifting sideways.  Todd makes the grab and quickly rights the fish before it starts to go black – exhausted, but still alive, we are careful to revive the fish before a healthy release.

We’ve now wandered into 110′ and it’s time to reset.

The run back to the southern edge of the county wrecks was a bit of a rollercoaster ride – the swells had built into the 4 to 6′ range.  We surfed our way south east through the waves, setting up at the southern most wrecks.  The blue water we enjoyed in 210′ was gone, so we drop the sea anchor in 185′ and deploy the spread.

Now, this is a good time to mention that Scott’s been on a light tackle kick recently.  Maybe it’s that we don’t get to use light tackle offshore all that often, or maybe it was the month of May which drives us all to reminisce about catching snook, redfish, and trout on the flats, Scott made the executive decision to bring his new 7′ spinning outfit onboard.  A new Quantum Cabo with 15lb braid paired with a Shimano Tallus.  We get the kite baits out, bobbing along in unison, and Scott pitches a pilchard on 30lb flouro off the bow.  We stay focused on the kite baits for a few minutes when Scott starts hollering.  He’s on!  Not more then 10 minutes into free lining a pilchard on his light tackle outfit, the cabo is sizzling! Line is ripping and a nice 15lb cow starts hopping along between the waves.  We’re all stoked, but keep our attention fixed on the kites. Todd, who was in the middle of deploying the right short kite bait, got a bit distracted by the commotion and left it hanging right by the boat. I turned my attention from Scott battling the cow dolphin on the bow to grabbing a pitch bait in case other fish were there when a HUGE bull comes swimming by the boat.  I could not believe my eyes!  This enormous neon blue Bull – all of 50lbs – comes cruising less than 6 ft from me.  Slightly stunned and paralyzed by the site, I manage a few grunts and shouts.  The fish makes a hard right turn at the back of the boat, going right behind the engines – and then ROCKETS forward to crush the kite bait that Todd left hanging in the water! It was controlled chaos – Todd grabs the short and the fish is on! The Bull goes bounding towards the skyline crossing directly under Scott, still hooked up on the cow! We are losing our minds as this giant dolphin goes leaping into the distance.  Scott has his fish closer to the boat now and begins working it towards the stern.  I go for the gaff and get ready – on 30lb flouro with 15lb braid there isn’t much room for error.  The fish comes right to the hook and WHAM!  I slam the gaff and drag the fish into the boat.  The cow starts flipping out on the deck when I hear Todd hollering from the bow: “Here he is! Here he is!”.  I don’t believe it – the bull swam right to the boat and was just paddling along.  In less than 10 minutes!  <*edit by capt. todd – it was less than TWO minutes… just felt like eternity…see the video.>

That’s what it’s all about.

With two nice blackfins, the cow, the bull, and a sailfish release after just three hours of fishing – we couldn’t give up quite yet.  We deployed the kite spread once again and Scott, looking for more pain, pitches another pilchard off the bow on his light tackle outfit.  Not five minutes later – he is tight – AGAIN.  This time the fish is sounding hard – it’s fighting like a nice blackfin.

We start pitching chummers and 10 t0 20lb blackfin start erupting around the boat. It was just, stupid. Our kite baits are dangling in the middle of the frenzy but not getting hit – we’re stunned.  Footballs leaping all around us – we pitch flat lines, jigs – nothing.  Scott remains locked in battle as the school of tunas goes bounding off into the distance. Dismayed, we turn our attention back to the kites and ANOTHER sailfish grabs the left middle. Todd is right on it – gets tight, and sets into the battle.  What a sight to behold – todd fighting a tail walking sailfish while Scott is putting the hurt on a tuna with 15lb braid on an inshore outfit.  After about ten minutes, Todd brings the sail to the boat for a quick release while Scott is STILL working the fish.  We’re thinking it’s a 30lb tuna at this point – slowly, steadily, Scott works the fish up from the depths.  And there it is.  27 minutes later.  A fat blackfin tuna, all of 25lbs.  I sink the hook and over the rail it comes.  We are overjoyed.

We call it quits at 6:40 and dash back to the dock.  Stunned from the absurdly amazing fishing which just unfolded.

What stands out to me the most from this trip – is that everything worked out perfectly.  No mechanical issues.  No pressure to catch fish for our customers.  No angling errors.  No failed rigs. No missed gaff shots.  Everything just unfolded in a seamless chain events. Those experiences are few and far between, but in the end, these are the times which keep me motivated – the times when I remember why I started.

And we still have two more weeks of this amazing fishing to enjoy.

That’s what it’s all about.

The video…

It’s been a busy few weeks for us here at Team Marauder.  We celebrated another successful year this April, looking back on some amazing experiences.  We started off the month strong by joining Capt. Hunter Caballero of Paradise Outfitters in Venice, LA for another round of tuna fishing.  We were joined by Capt. Nick, and Capt. Scott and manged to boat a few nice 40-70lb class yellowfin (as well as a bunch of bonito and blackfin used as bait).    A wonderful tuna / crawfish fiesta ensued.

I can definitely say that in the few years i’ve been sportfishing in Miami, my game has improved exponentially thanks to the help of some great folks who I’ve enjoyed fishing with.  You really do learn something new every trip if you want to.  Here’s a few of my favorite photos from the trip.

It was actually a bit difficult to run off to Louisiana while the bite in Miami was so good.  The sailfish have been through in droves, large schools of bonitas, schools of gaffer mahi, and smaller blackfin tunas have been showing up as well.  We’ve had a lot of solid 3 and 4 sailfish half days flying kites while pitching live chum.  It never get old hearing someone tell us they caught their first billfish, or their largest fish ever while fishing aboard the Marauder.  We love catching big fish as well, and seeing a lit up sailfish tailwalk across the surface of the sea will always be an awesome experience.  Nothing beats watching those big billfish give our anglers the fight of a lifetime.  After watching a sailfish destroy a kite bait…the adrenaline of reeling against the fastest fish in the ocean is really hard to beat!

We’ve had a lot of fun in the last few weeks, putting people on their first sailfish, big amberjacks, and mahi-mahi.

The bait has been thick and plentiful in Miami waters, which can make for a great day of throwing pilchards as live chum.  We always aim to get a few livewells full of bait daily for our trips, and sometimes sabiki the larger threadfin herring before heading offshore to fly kites for the larger pelagic fish.

We’ve been having good luck with our new bottom sounder (courtesy of Capt. Scott cutting a hole in the Contender hull.) on the shipwrecks – landing large amberjacks and cobias.

We’ve also put some new shoes (and legs) on our outboards – adding some new propellers (thanks to Frank & Jimmies), and some lower unit repairs which Capt. Scott pulled together.  The boat is running faster and more efficiently than ever before!

Lastly, in Marauder news, we’ve designed some T-shirts for our customers who have asked – you can finally order a t-shirt, long-sleeve, or hoodie through our cafe press store.

If you get a chance – we would love to have you come  out and fish with us.  The spring fishery in Miami is really incredible and an amazing time to enjoy a well deserved day on the water.  Give us a call or drop us a line, and join us for a beautiful day on the crystal clear blue waters of south florida!

Bottom fishing can be a hit or miss game – a test of patience, ingenuity, and skill. While finding bottom fish requires knowledge of the area you’re fishing in addition to tactical drifting and/or anchoring, keeping fish on the line is a whole other story should you manage to get a bite. When you’re fishing deep water reefs, wrecks, or ledges for relentlessly strong bottom species, your tackle will be pushed to it’s limits. You can have the best rods and reels on the market, but if you’re not using a steadfast bottom rig – you’re wasting your time.

As basic as bottom fishing may appear, the quality of the rig you drop into the depths has everything to do with your success. Flawless knots, quality terminal tackle, and premium leader material maximize your chances of boating big bottom fish, while anything less will leave you headed home empty handed.

Buying bottom fishing rigging materials

If you’re fishing in South Florida waters, a full arsenal of bottom fishing equipment is a must. You need to equip yourself with enough rigging material to quickly produce up to a dozen rigs during the course of a full day offshore (sometimes more depending on the structure you’re fishing). The basic components of a bottom rig are hooks, leaders, swivels, and weights – but there’s a few other nuances you shouldn’t neglect like spacer beads, rigging bands, floss, crimps, and lights.

When you set out to purchase rigging materials for bottom fishing – focus on securing the best quality hooks, leaders, and swivels first. When it comes to hooks, wide gap 2X strong circle hooks are the way to go. I recommend you purchase a selection of 7/0 – 10/0 extra strong circle hooks (VMC, Owner, Mustad) as well as light wire Mustad demon circles in 5/0 and 6/0. When it comes to leader material, spare no expense and invest in high quality flourocarbon.  In addition to being more durable than monofilament, flourocarbon is also stiff – which translates to fewer tangles while dropping baits down. Pick up spools of Yo-Zuri pink in 40, 60, and 80lb test.  Definitely keep a few spools of monofilament leader in stock as well – 20lb, 40lb, 50lb, and 60lb.

When it comes to swivels – spare no expense.  Swivels are the heart of the rig and often the component which gives way under extreme pressure. Over the years, we’ve lost a regrettable quantity of fish to worn out or poor quality swivels, which is frustrating.  I tend to reiterate this point to all my customers who ask about rigging/terminal tackle: There are hundreds of things offshore you can’t control, the quality of your terminal tackle is not one of them.  Purchase high quality swivels – barrel, clasp, and three way in 60lb, 80lb and 130lb class.  Get the best quality you can afford, preferably SAMPO or Spro.

Buying lead “is what it is”.  The cost of lead isn’t going down anytime soon, so it’s best to bite the bullet and stock up on an assortment of bank sinkers, egg sinkers, and swivel weights. You should keep a stock of bank sinkers in the 12, 16, 20, and 24 oz variety.  Keep one or two 32 oz bank sinkers as well with maybe one or two stick leads as a backup. Buy a variety of egg sinkers – avoiding the smallest of the bunch and the absolute largest of the bunch (2, 3, 4, 8 oz varieties are typically enough).  Swivel weights also come in handy as they don’t spin the line while being dropped or retrieved.  If we can find these in heavy assortments, we use them up to 12 ounces on occasion.

Do not attempt to reinvent the wheel when it comes to bottom fishing rigs. The rigs presented here are tried and true – all of which can be adjusted to suit the species you’re targeting. It’s always better to be overprepared for a big fish fight, so don’t attempt to use lightweight bottom fishing rigs for big species.  The key to bottom fishing effectively is to utilize a rig that can get a bait to the bottom without tangling and survive the strain of an aggressive strike and fight to the surface.

The Classic Three Way Swivel Bottom Rig

This rig is a must if you’re dropping big live baits on wrecks or reefs. In order to make this rig effectively, you will need a strong three way swivel (80b to 130lb), about 15′ to 20′ of flourocarbon, a strong circle hook, a 12″ piece of 20lb monofilament, and a bank sinker of 16 oz to 24 oz. Tie a bimini in your main line (if you’re dropping on wrecks and reefs in deep water – you should be fishing 60 to 80b braid) and tie it with a uni knot to the top eye of the three way swivel.  On the mid-eye of the swivel, tie one end of the flourocarbon leader with a uni knot.  Tie a hook (also with a uni kot or tuna knot) to the other end of the flourocarbon. On the free end of the swivel, make a double ended loop knot with the 20lb mono and tie one end off, leaving one loop of about 8″ trailing (you can use this to quickly attach or remove weights by passing the loop through the eye and going around the entire body of the weight). It should look something like this by the time you’re done.

If you’re dropping a big bait, be sure to bridle it to the hook so it doesn’t wiggle off on the way down.  While you can drop this rig straight down with no resistance, it’s better to let this rig out slowly so the bait trails behind the entire rig and doesn’t spin.  If the bait is spinning on the way down, you’re either dropping too fast or your leader line wasn’t long enough.  Once you’ve found the bottom, pick up the entire rig a few cranks so it’s suspended off the bottom – you don’t want a big bank sinker sliding across the bottom stirring things up. When you get a bite, crank till you are tight with the fish and stay tight – the circle hook will set, but maintaining pressure is key – the dangling weight can occasionally get wrapped in the line and might act as a counter balance dehooker.  If you stay tight, you’ll win the fight.

Because flourocarbon is expensive, some captains will use a 10′ piece of 6olb mono and a 10′ piece of flourocarbon – joined by a double uni knot. While this is effective, an entire leader of flourocarbon seems to perform better during the drop. You can experiment with shortening or lengthing the line which connects the weight to the swivel, but don’t go overboard.  Too short and the rig won’ drop properly (the weight will spin and the leader line will wrap the main line), too long and the weight will snag the bottom regularly. Longer leader lines seem to perform better when the current is strong – as it keeps the bait away from the weight.  Some mutton snapper fishermen swear by longer leaders on the bottom – the theory being that a weight dragging/rolling on the bottom scares fish away.

The “knocker” Rig

This classic bottom rig is used the world over for all kinds of bottom species.  Lighter versions of the rig can be used for yellowtail, gray, and red snappers while  heavier variations are ideal for big groupers and muttons.  The rig is very basic, composed of a barrel swivel, 5′ to 10′ leader and a hook. The main line attaches to one end of the barrel swivel while the leader is tied to the other. A small bead is placed on the leader line followed by an egg sinker. The hook is then tied on to finish the rig.  By the time you’re done tying, the rig should look like this:

The advantage here is that leader can slide as the fish takes the bait, allowing for the circle hook to set more effectively.  When you feel the strike, you have to get tight quick in order to prevent the fish from diving into structure or dragging the weight into structure. The strike is very distinct when fishing a knocker rig, because you feel the bite and the fish swimming away. The key, as with most bottom fishing, is to get tight quick and keep constant pressure on the fish once its hooked. Knocker rigs can be fished effectively on spinning or conventional tackle, but whatever gear you’re using – make sure the reel has a fast retrieve ratio.  The faster you pick up the line, the more likely it is to keep the fish on the hook.

The Florida Rig – AKA The In-Line Rig or The Fish Finder Rig

Similar to the knocker rig – this setup keeps the weight a few feet from the hook at all times. The weight is added to the main line, followed by a small bead, before being tied to one end of the barrel swivel.  This allows the main line to pass through the egg sinker, so the fish can run once hooked. This is rig is effective for grouper fishing, but is ideal for snapper – as the fish can grab the bait and run without the resistance of the weight.  A circle hook matched to the size of the bait is perfect for this bottom rig.  A segment of 15′ to 25′ of leader material separates the hook from the swivel – allowing plenty of line for the bait to move with the current.  The trick with this rig is to let the bait feed out with the current – away from the weight which is rolling around on the bottom.  Once tied, the rig should look something like this:

It’s ok to let the fish grab the bait and run for just a bit before getting tight.  This rig allows you to feel the bite immediately, but it’s important to “go with the fish” for just a second before getting tight and picking  up the slack. It takes  bit of practice, but once you get used to fishing the in-line rig – it can be devastatingly effective on snappers who are wary of short leaders.

Deep Drop & Chicken Rigs

Deep dropping can be an absolute day saver when the current is weak (or slack) and the wind is dead.  If you’re able to score quality deep drop numbers or put in the time to find muddy bottom in 600′ to 700′ off Miami – catching tilefish, rose snapper, and the occasional snowy grouper is a solid bet.

Deep drop rigs come in many forms, but the most common variation is called “the chicken rig”.  This is a straight forward, no frills deep dropping rig – essentially a “top and bottom” rig on steroids. While you can purchase these pre-made, it’s simple to make them out of heavy mono leader, a few swivels, and some strategically placed crimps.  Circle hooks are a must for deep dropping, because setting a hook in hundreds of feet of water is easier said than done!  A basic deep drop chicken rig looks something like this:

There are quite a few outstanding resources on making your own deep drop rigs, one of my favorites can be found at fishingunited.com. One of the most important attributes of a successful deep drop rig is rigidity – a rig has to be sturdy enough to withstand the powerful strikes of bottom fish and then withstand the pressure of being retrieved hundreds of feet to the surface. Using glow beads or small glowsticks can also help improve the bites you get at depth – afterall, it’s dark down there!

Essential Bottom Fishing Rigs – Bonus Segment – Capt. Charlie’s Lessons Learned

Because you’re awesome, i’m going to share a few lessons i’ve learned, the hard way, through the years. My goal here is to save you money, time,and to help put more fish in the boat!  Remember – bottom fishing takes patience and dedication to perfect.  Invest in a high quality bottom sounder, GPS, and durable terminal tackle – you won’t regret it!

• Lesson Learned #1 – Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight
  • If you’re aiming to catch big fish, rig for it. While you may get more bites using lighter leader, smaller hooks, and lighter leads – stubborn deep water fish will rip you off time after time.  When it comes to bottom rigs, it’s better to rig a bit heavier under any circumstance (withing moderation)
• Lesson Learned #2 – Know your drift
  • If you’re fishing wrecks in deep water, plan accordingly for the current.  Deploying your rig before you hit the target position is critical so your bait is at depth as you pass by the structure. Plan accordingly for the rise of the wreck, so you don’t snag!
• Lesson Learned #3 – Don’t use cheap hooks or swivels
  • I’m perpetually mad at myself for not learning this lesson the first time I straightened hooks and broke swivels on big fish. Good quality hooks and swivels are expensive for a reason.  Don’t skimp when it comes to your terminal tackle, particularly your hooks and swivels.  While it may sting at the tackle store – it will sting a whole lot more when that cheap-o discount swivel breaks a few yards from the boat with a monster grouper on the end of the line.
• Lesson Learned #4 – Short leaders suck.
  • Using long leaders makes a world of difference.  While it requires a bit more skill and practice to fish a rig with a long leader between the weight and the hook – you will increase your hookup ratio dramatically with lengthy leaders.  There is a hazard of getting spun up while dropping or retrieving in heavy current, but it’s worth the risk.
• Lesson Learned #5 – Don’t underestimate Flourocarbon
  • I’ve always been a fan of Yo-Zuri pink flourocarbon, but many does it sting to buy several $40 spools of it on a bi-weekly basis.  If you fish in pressured areas, flourocarbon leaders is a must.  If you don’t want to burn lengthy amounts  of flourocarbon, you can successfully add a flourocarbon “tippet”  – a 2ft to 5ft piece – at the end of a monofilament segment.  This often achieves the same effect, but does add a knot into the equation.  A double uniknot is strong, but not as strong as a single piece of flourocarbon leader. If you can afford it – fish flourocarbon as much as possible.

Fishing in the fall off the coast of Miami, FL isn’t normally this good. We’ve been fortunate that our last few trips aboard the Marauder have been excellent – big mahi mahi, kingfish, and an early arrival of sailfish have kept our anglers busy the last few trips.

The cigar minnows have been THICK at the bug light and we’ve been catching eight to nine dozen on every trip with flourocarbon sabiki rigs and tournament master double ground fine chum.  Amidst the swarms of cigars and blue runners, we’ve even managed a few sardines which are always an excellent addition to the mix. With bait plentiful, we’re able to live bait effectively on the edges of reefs, current rips, and floating debris.

Fall is typically a slower time of year for fishing in Miami, which has forced us to push farther offshore in search of dolphin and farther North in search of current. The conditions during our last few trips haven’t been ideal – weak or non existent current and dirty water out to several hundred feet deep.  To keep the rods bent, we’ve been focusing on fishing the edge – covering the entire water column.  We’ve been flying Bob Lewis ultra light kites while flat lining and bottom fishing.  The bottom rod has produced some decent muttons, yellowtails, and the occasional red grouper, while the mid water rods have produced a steady kingfish bite, mixed with a few bonitas.

On Saturday the 12th, we had Dale and Zak join us for a full day trip in search of “the big one”.  Dale got in touch with us about a month ago with one request- to catch a fish so big he could hardly hold it up for a photo, preferably something edible so he could frustrate two friends who backed out on the trip. We knew going into the trip that our best bet at a big edible fish would be pushing offshore in search of a big school of Mahi. After the edge produced a few kingfish (one of which actually JUMPED in the boat while evading a larger king), we pushed offshore to 1050′ and started trolling with our all time favorite lures – the R&R mahi magnet. We trolled out to 1100′ then back to 1000′, slowly working our way south.  After 30 minutes of criss crossing decent current, our Penn 30 on the starboard gets CRUSHED and the line starts flying off the reel.  A BIG cow goes leaping into the distance, furious from the sting of the mahi magnet.  Zak was quick to pick up the rod and went to work subduing the fish.  After a 23 minute battle, we had the big 47″ cow in the boat.

Now that we had won the battle with “the big one” we trolled our way back inshore looking for a few gaffers and schoolies to add to the list. We found decent grass in 600ft but only this little dorado came out to play.

Needless to say, Dale and Zak went home happy. Turns out the fresh fish dinner was successful!

Our crew on Sunday were some of the most energetic anglers we’ve had in a while – genuine Australians who came to see what fishing in Miami, FL was all about. We started off the day right – catching  a few kingfish, bonitas, and snappers before headed offshore in search of mahi mahi.  Our friend’s from Australia had some tough luck fishing down there and had yet to catch a mahi mahi in any ocean!  We just couldn’t let that stand and had to make it happen.  In between kingfish cutoffs and triple bonita hookups, the radio squawked that a few charter boats found their way into some schoolies around 800′, so we made our way offshore looking for anything floating.  After an hour, we found a single grass line which held a small school of throwbacks, but it was enough to break the curse and put the Aussie boys on their first mahi mahi!

The bite on the kite was slow for the remainder of the afternoon, until a lonely sailfish plowed into the spread and began going ballistic behind the boat.  Having never caught an Atlantic Sailfish, our Aussie’s got all fired up  and the energy came roaring back after two hours of slow fishing.  The fight went smooth and we boated the fish for a quick “Huey” pic after a 27 minute battle.

Monday was one of those 1/2 day trips where everything came together just right.  I was joined by Ryan and Jessie from NYC who came down to Miami in hopes of catching their first sailfish. We made our way our to the bug light early and had the place entirely to ourselves.  We loaded up on FAT cigar minnows until the well was brimming with bait, then trotted out to the can.  We were greeted by a stiff 12 knot wind right out of the NE, perfect kite fishing conditions. I’d been touting how awesome the sailfishing can be in Miami when the weather cools off and the current is strong, doing my best to prepare Ryan and Jessie for what was to be an epic morning. Our first drift produced a double header sailfish hookup.  A third fish came up, but the pandemonium spooked him before he could reach the bait.

Ryan’s fish made a dash south while Jessie’s fish pushed offshore. With plenty of fresh 20lb suffix on our 12v internationals, we had enough leeway to catch the southbound fish first. The fish made a few dashes around the boat once we caught up with him, but we were able to grab the leader and snag a quick shot before reviving him for the first release of the day.

We pushed onwards to chase down Jessie’s fish which was a “classic” size Miami Sailfish.  The fish was frisky at the boat,  so we made a quick gentle landing for a photo op then turned him free for the second healthy release of the day.

After a quick water break, we set up again in 135′ directly off the yellow can and the short bait gets slammed by another sailfish.  This time it was a pee wee sized sailfish which Jessie fought for 13 minutes before bringing him boatside for  a quick release. The little sail tailwalked away from the boat after I pulled the 6/0 demon circle from his mouth. We pulled in the lines and reset on the same drift, hoping another sail would make an appearance.

We deployed a fresh spread and within 15 minutes a huge school of flying fish starts blowing up just off the starboard side. Not two minutes later a gaffer slams the long bait, then plows for the short.  Jessie and I went to work fighting the mahi with two hooks in its mouth, while another fish grabbed Ryan’s short bait and went bounding to the east.  After the frenzy, we gaffed the “double baiter” …followed shortly by Ryan’s fish.

Today we had one of our favorite  customers come down from NYC to get in on some Miami fishing before headed back up the road for Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach.  Greg fished with us a little over a year ago and caught some BIG blackfins.  He was stoked by the report of some early sailfish action and was amped up to land his first Miami sailfish. We got a late start from the dock, but fortunately I had saved all the extra bait from three previous days of fishing so we bypassed our normal bug light routine and went straight for the fishing grounds.  We set up just north of the yellow can but the current was dead.  With a 12knt wind from the NE, we just weren’t covering the area effectively.  The water was dirty green, which didn’t bode well for the early sailfish bite.  We pushed north in search of better current and found a few frigate birds circling like maniacs just off fisher island. We stopped and deployed our baits but couldn’t get a bite. Instead of waiting around for the frigates to guide us to what was likely a large school of skipjacks or bonitas, we set up just south of Government Cut with another fresh spread of fat cigar minnows. George was watching the starboard kite lines while I was deploying a mid water rod when just out of the corner of my eye I saw a bill slashing the surface!  A sail erupted on the long bait and made two nice jumps before spitting the hook.  That was just enough excitement to get our hearts racing and morale back on track. We set up again, this time in slightly deeper water, with a full spread of cigar minnows.  Patience paid off 25 minutes later when a sneaky sail ate the port side long bait and then erupted in a frenzy.  George was ecstatic and went to work on the fish. We pulled in the kites and chased the fish, just to increase our odds of catching George’s first Miami sail.  After a bit of maneuvering, we were able to get the fish boatside and up for a quick glory shot which will hang in George’s custom bike shop for years to come:

After releasing George’s fish, we set up again just off the cut. Next up it was Tom’s turn to test his strength against a Miami sailfish. On our second set of baits, another sneaky sailfish gulps the starboard short bait, but went deep.  It wasn’t until an entire minute later that Tom’s fish erupts in a tailwalking fury.  It was an awesome sight hearing the reel scream while a sailfish was leaping into the air with Miami Beach as the backdrop. Tom’s fish went into “shark mode” and circled the boat all the way to the leader.

 We ended the day with two first time sailfish catches and i’m sure we could’ve picked off another few if time had allowed.  It’s an awesome feeling to see people come from all over the U.S and abroad go head to head with the fastest fish in the sea. While it’s still way too early in the year for the sailfish to start showing up in large numbers, there’s definitely a decent push of fish moving through the area right now. As long as the NE winds continue to blow and the temperature keeps cooling, these fish should stick close to the edge and continue to feed throughout the day.  If the current picks back up, i’m sure an early sailfish season hot bite will take place.

If anything, the past few days were a reminder that Miami fishing is always spectacular.  Seeing sailfish leap and thrash in the spread – three days in a row – gets me fired up and even more anxious for the impending sailfish season.

I can’t wait.

There are few destinations in the U.S where the fishing is so unbelievably epic that it puts nearly every other coastal state to shame.  Fishing in Venice, LA is one of those experiences, where returning to reality afterwards is more painful than sore legs, arms, and backs. This was our second voyage with Paradise Outfitters – the absolute best fishing charter in Venice, LA. Our last yellowfin tuna trip with Capt. Hunter produced so many yellowfins that we lost count, but the goal of this expedition was not quantity – it was quality. This time of year in Venice, LA is a unique season, when 200lb class yellowfins begin to appear in droves to feed on the cull produced by the shrimp fleet.  Todd also highly recommends Capt. Josh for tuna Fishing in Venice, LA.

Arriving to New Orleans from Miami, FL is like stepping into another dimension. The heat, traffic, intensity, and hustle of Miami hardens you to the point where confrontation and hassle becomes routine.  One step into the big easy and everything slows down. Venice, LA is about 90 miles from MSY, which means lunch was in order before heading south. On a quick tip from Yelp, we stopped into Harbor Seafood and Oyster bar for a Swamp Platter.  That’s right, a swamp platter:

Fried crawfish, frog legs, alligator chunks, alligator sausage, crawfish etouffe, and turtle soup for $18.50!?  How can you go wrong.  They certainly did not disappoint as the waitress carried out two monster plates brimming with food. We caught a few stares from other restaurant patrons as we were definitely a bit too excited for a plate of fried goodness.

One of the critical things you need to do before heading to Venice, LA is to stock up on groceries.  While there are a few restaurants down there, your best bet is to hit the local Wal-Mart super store to load up on all the provisions you’ll need for a few days in the swamp lands. Besides, where else can you load up on the motherload of Zapps VooDoo chips?

The ride to Venice, LA is a tour through the countryside, a refreshing glimpse into the deep south.  Perhaps its my bitterness with Miami traffic, but it felt damn good to drive without another car in sight for an entire hour.

We bunked down at Paradise Lodge, the official accommodations for guests of Paradise Outfitters.  The lodge is adorned in trophy photos from over two decades of legendary fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Gashed wahoo lures, bill whacked skirts, and tuna munched rubber flying fish hang with pride amidst photos of Paradise Outfitters most prized catches.  The lodge is clean, comfortable, and fully equipped with laundry, kitchen, and first class grilling patio.

The plan for day 1 was to target a myriad of pelagics on the rigs, then push onwards to explore new areas for daytime swordfishing in Louisiana. On the way to the floating rig, we stopped over at a pumping station to load up on what the Louisiana fishermen call “hard tails” (blue runners here in Miami). The bait was so thick around the cavernous pipes that every drop on the sabiki produced stringer after stringer of healthy baits.  In about 20 minutes, we had loaded the well with hundreds of palm sized hard tails – enough bait to permit live chumming.

We arrived to the floating rig under clear skies, just in time for the early tuna bite.

The first two baits in the water got crushed, producing two blackfin – one of which popped off at the boat.  Hunter setup to the North of the rig and the port rigger gets crushed – thinking it was a small blackfin I was aggressive with the fish, hauling it to the boat only to discover it was a nice cow dolphin accompanied by a big slammer!  A bit of mild panic ensues as the cow snagged a bottom rod and the pressure sent the hook flying right back at me – the bull promptly took off after the commotion, but that was the wake up call we needed to know the bite was definitely picking up.  We reset once again, but this time we see a big fin roll on the starboard hardtail.  Todd grabs the rod and up comes mr Marlin snaking his way across the surface!  The bite was a bit too ferocious and the snake walk was too fast to catch up – he spit the hook but sent everyone’s heart racing.  Lines back in and the yellowfins begin to wreak havoc.  Todd’s up first and pulls a nice 30lbr in the boat.

Another big slam on the port side rigger and i’m locked in for a fight with a 40lbr which was an awesome fight on the new Penn’s.

The bite shut down soon after releasing a smaller yellowfin and we decided to make the run to test our luck with some daytime swordfishing.  There aren’t many crews with the capability or experience to target broad bills during the daytime out of Venice, LA, but Paradise Outfitters has had a fair bit of experience.  Capt. Woody has fished with Capt. Nick on several occasions and has scored one nice daytimer to his credit so far. We made a few drops over some decent ledges with weak current and marked a bit of bait deep on the bottom.  A strike came on the second drop but it wasn’t acting very swordy – we all took turns hand cranking 1600 ft of line back onto the reel and up pops one of the stranger deep sea critters i’ve encountered to date – a Big Eye Six Gill Shark. With bright green eyes and a chocolate colored slimy skin, this was certainly a nightmarish site.

Another drop, and yet again, another sixgill! Hard to believe but it appears they are in significant abundance down there!

We decided the Bigeye sixgill sharks were likely to keep chewing up the bottom baits before the swordies made an appearance so  we called it quits and headed for the dock with blackened tuna steaks on our mind.

Day 2 was a trophy mission. We decided to chase the shrimp boats first thing in the morning. When the shrimp boats begin trawling in the fall about 20 some miles south of the river’s mouth, large schools of tuna (all varieties) start showing up in tremendous numbers.  Enormous schools of bonitas and blackfins will blast the surface behind the boats while larger yellowfins lurk below.  It’s an incredible and unique fishery that keeps you waiting in anticipation for that one big fish (or wolf pack of huge tunas) to make an appearance.

Arriving to the shrimping grounds as the sun rises is awesome to behold – tunas and birds everywhere, erupting in the slick behind the trawlers feeding on whatever comes there way.

As soon as our chunks hit the water there were hundreds of bonitas and blackfins busting all around us. After an hour of boating 25lb & 30lb blackfins with only a few smaller yellowfins in sight, we decided to press south for another round of daytime swordfishing.  Along the way we ran into a friendly shrimp boat that gladly exchanged a basket of cull for a tasty blackfin tuna.

We made a few drops over ledges which looked PERFECT for swordfish.  Very similar to the structure off the coast of Islamorada in my opinion.  We fished hard and worked some good bottom, but time took its toll on our daytime swordfish efforts, which only produced ANOTHER big eye six gill shark.

With the mid-day bite approaching and a report of a “monster” yellowfin being caught while chasing the shrimp boats, we hauled up the daytime sword rig and made the dash back to the shrimping grounds. We arrived to find tunas busting all around (bonitas and blacks) and knew there had to be some monster yellowfins in the mix.  We ran up behind one of the boats which seemed to have the largest flury of birds and bonitas and launched chunks into the water. On the second run we hooked two bruisers.  When I saw the first fish eat, I honestly thought it was a shark from its shoulders.  The width of the fish was absurd and the weight with which it pulled was crippling.  I called for the harness and went to work on him for 30 minutes before we got a glimpse of it -for a fleeting moment, we saw huge sickles and the broadside silvery yellow flash of an epic yellowfin. After sighting the boat, the fish ripped down about 100ft and put it in park.

I did my best to keep my cool and remain calm, but my heart was literally on the verge of exploding with excitement. The drag was set to 27lbs, which Capt. Woody assured me wasn’t too much pressure for a fish this size.  We never fish that much pressure in South Florida, so part of the battle became a mental tug of war – talking myself out of backing down on the drag every 15 seconds. Sure enough, I slowly worked the fish up from the depths, adrenaline and anxiety boiling inside of me. This was the epic yellowfin I had chased for years and finally was just 100ft away.  Hunter prepped the harpoon while Woody moved the gaffs to the port side of the cat.

Our shot finally came and hunter sank the dart – I felt the pressure on the rod go light as Woody put the first gaff in the fish and held the beast to the boat. With the second gaff in place – one, two, three and over the side!

Once the adrenaline wore off and the excitement gave way to exhaustion, my wits came back about me and the realization of success set in. I couldn’t help but smile all the way back to Venice Marina. Experiences like this are few and far between for South Florida anglers – true tests of strength, stamina, and angling ability. This was one of the fish battles I will always remember, but for the crew at Paradise Outfitters – it marks the start of yet another shrimp boat tuna season with many more giants to come.  There are few charter operations which can consistently put their crew on trophy tunas like this with impeccable consistency – Capt. Hunter and Capt. Woody are undoubtedly one of the leading teams fishing The Gulf.

While anyone can buy top notch tackle and boats, few can operate first class charter operations, and even fewer still have the experience to find, hook, and land giant yellowfin tuna in nearly any condition.

Venice, LA Fishing with Paradise Outfitters is a truly world class experience. It’s rare to find unparalleled talent coupled with laid back attitude and perseverance.  Capt. Hunter is relentless in his pursuit of the biggest tunas in the gulf and there’s no doubt in my mind he will continue to be successful for years to come. If giant yellowfin tuna fishing is on your bucket list, do yourself a favor and make time for an expedition in Venice, LA.

Noah caught a nice big kingfish this weekend out of Boca Raton – too bad the bull sharks didn’t let him keep it all.  Video below.