Yearly Archives: 2014

During the month of June you can expect the Dolphin fishing action to continue unabated. Larger fish tend to become harder to find as the area fills with tremendous numbers of “schoolies”. Debris as well as weed lines will be holding fish. A subtle reading of whatever birds you find will also give indications as to what size fish they are following. The surest clue is whether the birds are moving east or west. Schoolies are almost always moving to the east while a small group of large fish are almost always moving west- often at a very good clip. Don’t be surprised if you stop on some small fish and have a larger fish crash the party. Dolphin are curious, cannibalistic and opportunistic, big fish are often drawn to the feeding frenzy of small fish. Have a designated rod ready to cast to take advantage of this scenario, 20lb spin with a short piece of 60lb-80lb leader is ideal.

With a good deal of calm weather June is also an ideal month to try a deep drop for daylight Swordfish. Depths from 1400’ to 2000’ outside the wall are where these fish are caught, right on the bottom. This fishing requires an outfit specifically rigged for dropping. The folks up at Cudjoe Sales can help you get set up if you are interested.

The reef fishing in June can be excellent, as long as the water is not too clear and there is current moving the chum. With a full moon during the middle of the month, Mutton Snapper will again form spawning aggregates. Yellowtail Snapper will continue to spawn this month, also look for Mangrove Snapper to begin their spawn which peaks with the July moon.

Lastly a reminder to boaters that June marks the official start of Hurricane season and or the rainy season. With a lot more moisture in the environment, it’s a good idea to check the local radar before heading out least you get caught in a squall.

Good luck and tight lines,
Capt. Brad

I hope readers of this column were able to participate in the very good Sailfishing which occurred last month during the “Tailing” and “color change” condition. It was the subject of April’s column, and though it didn’t last long, for about 10 days the Sails poured through.

Now that we are into the Month of May it’s time to get serious about Dolphin first and foremost, but also spawning Mutton Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper and the re opening of Grouper season. As I write this, the Dolphin bite is just beginning. There are a fair number of small fish around, most of them associated with birds, but very few of the large “slammer” fish we expect as the migration begins. Historically the biggest Dolphin of the season will be found in mid May. Watch the weather and try to fish on days with light SE breezes, particularly if they occur after several days of fresh Easterlies. Most readers are experienced Dolphin fishermen (and women) so I hardly need to mention the basics: find the current, find the weed, find birds and keep an eye out for debris.

Grouper season has reopened after a 4 month hiatus. Size and bag limits for Atlantic waters are very specific so be sure you know them. Only 3 Grouper per person, only 1 of which can be EITHER a Gag or Black. Reds have to be a minimum of 20 inches while Gag’s and Black’s must measure 24 inches. As good a bait as any for Grouper are common pinfish- easy to catch and easy to keep.

We have a full moon during the middle of the month. The May moon is the peak period for the Mutton spawn. Sooner or later there will be a closed season during the spawn, and or a reduction in the bag limit which is currently 10. Until then please harvest responsibly- 4 guys could go and legally keep 40 Muttons in one evening, but I think most would agree that’s way too many. Until the laws changes it’s up to us to do the right thing.

Tight lines and good luck.

Capt. Brad

A week or so ago we were anchored in 125’ of water just outside the reef edge. We had caught 3 Cobia on live baits fished right on the bottom to go along with a few Kingfish and Mutton Snapper.  We decided to leave the spot after the action slowed down and as we began to pull the anchor, here came 4 more cobia tailing down sea right on our bow. The sight of tailing Cobia is a firm reminder that April has arrived and with it the type of spring “sight” fishing which so many of us find exciting.

Variously referred to as a “tailing” condition or fishing the “color change”, experienced locals anticipate this development this time of year. The basic elements which create this situation are, wind out of the East or southeast combined with strong East current pushing into the wind. The color change created between green inshore water and blue offshore water provides a vivid visual indicator of where to fish. Often it is the blended water, the so called “powder” blue edge where the most action occurs. This is primarily a live bait fishery for best results. Live Ballyhoo, Threadfin Herring, Large Pilchards and Goggle eyes are the baits of choice.

In the morning while the sun is still low I typically try to find the most distinct section of the color change and kite fish, keeping my kite baits working either side of the change. Once the sun is high and over head or slightly behind me as the boat faces the east, I like to look around by driving at 8-10 knots towards the east along the color change. On the right days, a steady stream of Sailfish, Dolphin, Tuna and Cobia will be swimming down sea right at you. In addition to these common species, every spring much more exotic fish are seen and baited such as giant Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish, Mako Sharks, and Blue Marlin. In the cockpit we keep a selection of spinning rods ready to spear on a live bait and cast. Good luck with the Bluefin Tuna on spinning gear! If the fish aren’t tailing much on a given day then we go back to soaking baits along the change, knowing that sooner or later we will get a bite from a fish for which the color change acts like a fence line. Indeed the beauty of a color change is that it simplifies your decision on where and how deep to fish, don’t be in doubt- fish the change.

Good luck and tight lines.

Capt. Brad

The first week of March finds us between seasons with very little good fishing to report. Our winter action which consisted of Sailfish, Tuna, King Mackerel, and Cero is about over, but spring action has not yet begun. Water quality along the reef edge and beyond has frequently been poor this winter. As an example of what I’m talking about, consider what I found on a recent trip just offshore of the reef edge. The water was a dull dark green. There was a lot of scattered weed, not the kind that holds fish, but rather the stuff that makes it hard to keep your lines clear. When we anchored down we found that what little current there was, trickling up under the boat, into the wind. That’s a tough condition; no life on the surface, hard to make a Snapper drift, and too weedy to troll. On that particular day we did manage to bend the rod on “snake” King Mackerel, Little Tunny and a few large Blue Runners. The several snapper we hooked were all eaten by sharks before we could get them to the boat.

On days when we have the time and decent weather, we’ve had success making longer runs to areas less heavily fished. With south wind, we’ve run up into the gulf and had some good kingfish action with fish averaging 20 lbs. We’ve also hit various rock piles in the gulf for a mix of Lane, Yellowtail, and Grey Snapper as well as throw back Grouper. A good thing to remember is that just as the Southside patches can provide calmer water on a north wind, so too can the gulf areas provide calmer conditions on the south wind.

The reef edge west of “the end of the bar” has yielded some decent catches providing there is current to move the chum. Big Yellowtail, Mutton Snapper, and legal size but out of season Grouper are all available. Amberjacks are congregating on the wrecks in advance of their spring spawn. Offshore remains spotty, you might find a few Dolphin and the occasional Wahoo or you might not.

Good Luck and tight lines,

Capt. Brad