Fishing with a large group like Corporate outings,
bachelor parties and family outings, just to name a few, any group over 6 is a
large group. You have two options, either charter enough 6 passenger boats for your
group or put your entire group on one boat. We can do either and today’s group
opted for 6 boats to accommodate everyone.
Today’s forecast was for 50% rain… It drizzled for
about 5 minutes. But it didn’t dampen the groups spirit or their fishing.
You see, fish kind of like overcast skies. They can
swim up near and on the surface of the water without casting a shadow. Today
was no different, all the boats did well in the reef area with Kingfish, Bonito
and Tuna. Bonito and Tuna are in the same family and occasionally school
together.
Along with the bounty of fish providing plenty of
action, a Sailfish decided to join the fray on our boat. Having a line come
down, screaming line off and then seeing this large fish jumping behind the
boat still thrills me, even after all these years.
A 20-minute battle is the norm and boating the fish
has to be done carefully. We prefer to release these fish so we take care in
handling them. A hose with running saltwater on board helps them breath as we
take measurements and pictures. And, of course, that last picture before the
fish is placed back in the water for release.
Sometimes we must coach them along, holding beside the
boat helping them rest while they breath in the water for oxygen. Others you
can barely get them back in the water before they bolt. It is an awesome
feeling watching your fish swim away, if he gives you the chance.
Whether you want everyone on the same boat or multiple
boats to cover your group, fishing with large groups is best back at the dock.
Bragging rights and all.
In my last fishing report I mentioned reeling fast to
land the fish, the ENTIRE fish. One reason is the Greater Barracuda as seen
here in this picture.
Barracuda are fairly prominent in our area, although
recently laws have been passed to limit the size and number that can be taken.
They like rock piles, reef areas and wrecks for their habitat. It offers them
protection from larger predators as well as providing a great place to catch
smaller fish that find the same attributes of protection of structures.
Barracudas are known for their speed and agility to
chase down fish. They prefer fish that have been injured or struggling… say on
the end of a fishing line?
A heart-breaking story from a few years ago… We were
fishing for bait at the sea buoy on very light tackle. One customer hooked a
large Blackfin Tuna on the 8 lbs. test line and a battle began. He fought this
fish for over 30 minutes. We were getting close… The Tuna was doing his spin,
they swim sideways when tired, in small circles. We could see the fish down 30’,
then 20’ and then…
Mr. Barracuda comes along and bites off his tail! Now,
without the fish able to swim, he is just dead weight at the end of the line.
Our angler can barely gain line but is doing a great job with what he has.
Another strike has the Cuda eat the mid-section… Still a good chunk of meat
there but getting smaller.
It was that last bite, the one right behind the head
that broke our hearts. We boated the head that remained and could see the
Barracuda just lazing around below the boat, probably too full to swim much as
we estimated the Tuna between 25 and 30 lbs.
Many times this story has been repeated by fishermen
all over the world. But this is the one I remember like it was yesterday.
The goal in fishing is to entice a fish to eat your
bait, fight that fish and land it. That’s called a catch. Right now, the
catching is GREAT off the shore of Fort Lauderdale.
Within just 2 miles from shore our boat is giving the
guests plenty of fish to fight. Starting with small bait fish, up to those
Kings, Bonitos and Tunas and then on to some larger predators. Truth be told,
you’d better land your fish quickly or you may not get the entire fish. While
it is disappointing to lose some of your fish, there is that “WOW” factor as we
wonder what it was that ate it.
Trolling has been the main stay lately. Cover some
ground and see what pops up. Those Kings, Bonitos and Tunas I spoke of have
been ranging from 6 to 20 lbs. and even bigger. The occasional Sailfish or Mahi
is also possible. We expect this to continue into and through the summer.
While on the charter boat the mates go to extremes
rigging baits to entice that bite, even the drift boat has been reaping the
rewards. Just the standard 3 hook rig with a Sardine or Ballyhoo on it produced
the catch in the picture above. And that is just the fish that were boated. Some
do escape at any point between that initial bite and reaching the boat. Or they
are taken from you by that predator laying in wait.
So, whether it is sport fishing or drift fishing, the
catching is great! I guess that makes the fishing even better…
What a busy April we’ve had aboard Fantastic Fishing! The Spring action is off the charts and we are in the thick of every species to be found off of Fort Luaderdale: Mahi Mahi, Sailfish, Wahoo, Kingfish, Tunas, Amberjacks, Barrcuda, Sharks and a bevy of Snapper and Grouper species!
NOW is the time to book your saltwater fishing adventure as the Spring action is reaching its PEAK!
Sportfishing Report: Mahi Mahi are Here..and They Brought Friends…
The Mahi Mahi have been coming in relatively close to show to pummel our live baits and trolled baits inside of 300 feet of water for some mid-spring acrobatics and tasty eating. Mahi in the 10 to 30 pound range have been caught since late March by our clients and there seems to be no end in sight. Our sister ship, the Lady Pamela II, caught this MASSIVE Mahi Mahi in the video below!
The Sailfishing Remains Hot
The Sailfish continue to stay in the area and are feasting on nearly every bait that we throw at them! Our clients have been catching and releasing large numbers of Sailfish as we fish live baits underneath our fishing kites.
We love to Kite-fish for Sailfish. It is an amazing experience as you get to see the Sailfish literally come up to eat the bait. Nothing gets the blood pumping like watching a double- or triple-header Sailfish bite up on the surface.We can fish up to three (3) live baits per kite, with at least two (2) kites up at any one time. We’re fishing between 90 and 225 feet of water.
When there is not enough wind to keep the kites in the air,
we can also slow troll live baits such as Pilchards, Ballyhoo, Blue Runners and
Goggle Eyes as well as troll our specially-crafted mullet strips.
Toothy Critters: Wahoo and Kingfish are Tearing up the Baits
The Wahoo and Kingfish don’t want us to forget about them! Some huge Wahoo have been piling onto our kite baits, slow-trolled live baits and our trolled strips. These are truly world-class catches and we’d love for you to get in on the action!
King Mackerel (‘Kingfish”) have been prowling the reefs a little shallower than the Wahoo to pounce on our unwary kite baits and they make for a nice one-two punch with the Wahoo on the outside of the reef. Like Wahoo, Kingfish have teeth that are more like surgical scalpels and they fight hard, which is why we call them “smokers” – they will smoke your drag on scorching runs once they’re hooked.
When they’re not crushing our live baits under the kite or slow-trolled, Kingfish have also been responding to our strip baits trolled below the surface on planers along with as Islanders with ballyhoo in both the blue/white and red/black color combinations. We’ve been finding the Kingfish in between 70 and 150 feet of water.
Blackfin Tunas – Not So Wicked
The Blackfin Tunas are here IN FORCE. We’ve been catching Blackfins in the 10 to 20-pound range inside of 160 feet of water on the same live baits under kites as we use when we target Sailfish, as well as slow-trolled live baits.
We’ve also been targeting Blackfins by trolling Sea Witches and Bonito Strips at 5 – 6 knots. Large Bonitos are also mixed in with the Blackfins.
Sharks are Here…and Hungry
The shark fishing continues to be off-the-charts with big Hammerhead Sharks topping the charts!
Our clients continue to enjoy big Hammerhead Shark catches and we’re also getting shots at other shark species such as Caribbean Reef Sharks, Blacktips and Silky Sharks. The best shark baits continue to be either a live Bonito or dead Bonito or Kingfish dropped down in 300 feet of water.
As you can see, the Fort Lauderdale offshore fishing scene is busting at the seams! We need your help to catch all of these species that are basically jumping in the boat! Give us a call NOW to book your trip before this bite slows down! We still have a few slots open before the end of April and just a few left for May. Let’s go!
The Spring action is here, folks! This means the return of the bait schools on the reef and plenty of species to feed upon them. We expect the sailfish bite to continue to be solid as we have had a nice north current the past few days. The action on the reefs and bottom fishing is red-hot! NOW is the time to book your saltwater fishing adventure with Fantastic Fishing!
Sportfishing Report: The Sailfish Bite Remains Steady
The Sailfish continue to stay in the area and the roving pods of Sails are feasting on nearly every bait that we throw at them! Our clients have been catching and releasing large numbers of Sailfish as we fish live baits underneath our fishing kites or on the troll.
Kite-fishing is our specialty at Fantastic Fishing. Nothing gets the blood pumping like watching a double- or triple-header Sailfish bite up on the surface.We can fish up to three (3) live baits per kite, with at least two (2) kites up at any one time. We’re fishing between 80 and 200 feet of water.
When there is not enough wind to keep the kites in the air, we can also slow troll live baits such as Pilchards, Ballyhoo, Blue Runners and Goggle Eyes as well as troll our specially-crafted mullet strips.
The Kingfish and Wahoo are Making Noise
King Mackerel (‘Kingfish”) have also set up shop on and near the reefs to pounce on our unwary kite baits and trolled baits and they have only gotten thicker – and hungrier. Kingfish have teeth that are more like surgical scalpels and they fight hard, which is why we call them “smokers” – they will smoke your drag on scorching runs once they’re hooked. When they’re not crushing our live baits under the kite or slow-trolled, Kingfish have also been responding to our strip baits trolled below the surface on planers along with as Islanders with ballyhoo in both the blue/white and red/black color combinations. We’ve been finding the Kingfish in between 70 and 150 feet of water.
Wahoo are on the Scene
Wahoos have also shown up to crush our kite baits and our Kingfish baits trolled behind planers. The only thing better than the screaming drags and intense fights with Wahoo are how Wahoo taste on your dinner table!
Barracudas Don’t Want to be Left Out
While we’re on the reef targeting Sailfish, Kingfish and other species, another toothy monster has a knack for blowing up our kite baits and trolled baits: Barracuda! These fearsome-looking critters are tough, acrobatic fighters that refuse to be ignored. Barracuda also make amazing replica mounts.
The Grouper and Snappers are Frisky
With the recent full moon, the bottom fishing has been exceptional. We’ve been keeping our clients busy catching fish and sending them home with tasty dinner fare. Get a look at this huge Black Grouper!
Snappers or multiple varieties are also on the bite and stuffing our fish boxes.
When we visit our “honey hole” wrecks, our anglers have been “greeted: by slugger Amberjacks like the one below.
Our April trips are filling up fast as families visit us for Spring Break and May dates are getting scooped up. Give us a call to book your FANTASTIC trip now!
Love was in the air for all of February because we at Fantastic Fishing LOVE catching and releasing Sailfish! Wahoo, King Mackerel and big Sharks continue to make guest appearances to keep line peeling and drags screaming.
Sailfish Eating Baits Like Candy
The world-famous Sailfish action has never been better and we’ve been guiding our clients to double-, triple- and event quadruple-headers when fishing live baits offshore. The recent January cold fronts have kept the Sailfish down south and that’s just where we want them. We continue to catch multiple Sailfish on live Goggle Eyes or Pilchards suspended below our fishing kites.
As we like to remind everyone, South Florida is the birthplace of kite fishing and nobody does it better than the pros at Fantastic Sportfishing. We’ve been catching Sailfish anywhere from 70 feet out to 250 feet of water. When there is not enough wind to keep the kites in the air, we’ve also had success catching Sailfish by slow-trolling live Ballyhoo or Goggle Eyes on the surface and just below the surface.
Here at Fantastic Fishing, we believe in a sustained fishery. That’s why every Sailfish caught is tagged and released so that researchers can further study their travel and feeding habits. We do everything we can to ensure that these majestic and acrobatic fish can be enjoyed by future generations of anglers.
Toothy Critters are Chewing:
Wahoo and King Mackerel have been active on the reefs inside of 300 feet of water and have been sneaking up on our live baits while Sailfishing. We’re catching Wahoo and Kingifish in the 10 to 30-pound range either on our Sailfish baits or on the troll with bonito strips, mullet strips, lures and feathers trolled below the surface on planers.
Huge Barracudas have gathered above the reefs for their own dating game, looking for unwary prey. They have been pouncing on our live baits and trolled baits.
Toothy Part II: Shark Fishing is Steady
The shark fishing continues to be hot. The Hammerheads are showing up under our kite baits just like the rest of the species we like to catch. We also continue to tangle with Silky Sharks, Blacktips, Spinner Sharks and the occasional Big Bully: Bullsharks. We’re targeting the sharks on certain humps and wrecks with live and dead Bonitos. If you’ve ever wished to catch a big Shark, let’s go! Now is the time to schedule your trip with us!
Fishing is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get. Check out this African Pompano that our clients caught. This is a rare but pleasant treat. Way to go!
The remainder of February is nearly booked and our March slots are filling up as the Spring action is just around the corner. Give us a call to book your FANTASTIC trip now!
The red-hot Winter bite is still in full swing despite the fact that the “winter vortex” is sitting on top of most of the northern US and Canada! The pods of Sailfish are in town for the winter and they aren’t going anywhere! Wahoo, King Mackerel, Amberjacks and big Sharks continue to keep line peeling and drags screaming.
Offshore Report: Sailfish Reporting for Duty
The world-famous Sailfish are here and more are on the way from the north. A few weeks ago, nearly 1,000 Sailfish were caught during a sailfish tournament about 90 miles to the north of us and they are headed this way! The recent January cold fronts have really turned on the bite as we continue to catch multiple Sailfish on live Goggle Eyes or Pilchards suspended below our fishing kites.
South Florida is the birthplace of kite fishing and nobody does it better than the pros at Fantastic Sportfishing. We been catching Sailfish anywhere from 60 feet out to 300 feet of water. When there is not enough wind to keep the kites in the air, we’ve also had success catching Sailfish by slow-trolling live Ballyhoo or Goggle Eyes on the surface and just below the surface.
Huge Wahoo!
Wahoo continue to be very active on the deeper reefs and out to 600 feet of water. Wahoos have also taken a liking to our live baits while Sailfishing. We’re catching Wahoo in the 10 to 50-pound range either on our Sailfish baits or on live Bonitos. We’re also catching Wahoo on the troll with bonito strips, mullet strips, lures and feathers trolled below the surface on planers.
Wahoo aren’t the only “toothy critters” on the prowl. Their cousins, King Mackerel, are also pouncing on our live baits and trolled baits in the hopes that we’re not fishing wire leaders.
Shark Fishing is Unreal:
The shark fishing continues to be hot. The Hammerheads are showing up under our kite baits just like the rest of the species we like to catch. You need to keep your head on a swivel and few things are as impressive as an 8-foot Hammerhead thrashing just underneath the kite. We also continue to tangle with Blacktips and Spinner Sharks by targeting them on certain wrecks with live and dead Bonitos. If you’ve ever wished to catch a big Shark, now is the time to schedule your trip with us!
“A” For Amberjacks:
We continue to introducing our clients to the offshore version of Crossfit Training: Amberjacks! We’re dropping down a live Bonito or Goggle Eye in 200 – 300 feet of water to slug it out with huge, bruising Amberjacks.
As always, there is no snow in OUR forecast. Ever. Come join us to keep this hot winter bite going! Give us a call to book a trip with Fantastic Sportfishing.
Happy New Year from all of us at Fantastic Fishing! We’re excited to see what the New Year has in store for all of us. We are also excited to see what we have in store for YOU when you join us for an offshore sportfishing adventure!
The Holiday season causes us to take a moment to thank YOU for giving us at Fantastic Sportfishing the opportunity and privilege to introduce YOU to this unmatched South Florida fishery. Without YOU, our Team has no mission. We greatly appreciate your business and hope that you’ll come back to see us soon, especially our junior anglers who may still have a few days off from school as their holiday season winds down.
Nothing rings in the New Year quite like a red-hot Winter bite and that’s exactly what we have going on right now! The pods of Sailfish are in town for the holidays and they don’t want to leave -and we’re not complaining. Wahoo, King Mackerel and Amberjacks have also shown up to keep line peeling and drags screaming.
Offshore Report: Sailfish, Sailfish, Sailfish
The world-famous Sailfish are here and feeding on the schools of Ballyhoo as they make their way south down our beaches and reefs. The recent cold fronts have really turned on the bite as we continue to catch multiple Sailfish on slow-trolled live Ballyhoo or on live Goggle Eyes suspended below our fishing kites.
South Florida is the birthplace of kite fishing and nobody does it better than the pros at Fantastic Sportfishing. We been catching Sailfish anywhere from 60 feet out to 300 feet of water. When there is not enough wind to keep the kites in the air, we’ve also had success catching Sailfish trolling Sea Witches (in blue/white and pink/white color combinations) on the surface at 7 – 9 knots.
Everybody Yell Wahoo!
Wahoo have been very active on the reefs as well as out to 600 feet of water and they are picking away at our live baits while Sailfishing. We’re catching Wahoo in the 10 to 40-pound range either on our Sailfish baits or on live Bonitos. We’re also catching Wahoo on the troll with bonito strips, mullet strips, lures and feathers trolled below the surface on planers.
As we all saw during November, Wahoo aren’t the only “toothy critters” on the prowl. Barracuda continue to patrol the reefs looking for unwary prey and they have been pouncing on our live baits and trolled baits. Look at this fearsome sea monster:
Shark Fishing Will Keep You Warm:
The shark fishing continues to be hot. We continue to tangle with Blacktips and Spinner Sharks as they chase the migrating baitfish. We also get Hammerhead Sharks show up underneath our Sailfish baits suspended under our kites. You need to keep your head on a swivel and few things are as impressive as an 8-foot Hammerhead thrashing just underneath the kite. Amazing!
“A” For Amberjacks:
We continue to introducing our clients to the offshore version of Crossfit Training: Amberjacks! We’re dropping down a live Bonito or Goggle Eye in 200 – 300 feet of water to slug it out with huge, bruising Amberjacks.
As always, there is no snow in OUR forecast. Ever. Come join us to get 2019 started the right way! Give us a call to book a trip with Fantastic Sportfishing.
We’re finally finished with our Thanksgiving leftovers but the Sailfish, Blackfin Tunas and Sharks are still hungry for more in South Florida. Here at Fantastic Sportfishing, we don’t take holidays off when drags are screaming and coolers are getting stuffed.
The Thanksgiving Holiday causes us to take a moment to thank YOU for giving us at Fantastic Sportfishing the opportunity and privilege to introduce YOU to this unmatched South Florida fishery. Without YOU, our Team has no mission. We greatly appreciate your business and hope that you’ll come back to see us soon, especially our junior anglers who are looking forward to the upcoming holidays and holiday travel to visit family and friends. Keep in mind that Fantastic Fishing has trips available this holiday season should your travels bring you to tropical South Florida.
The Fall weather patterns have caused the recent baitfish migrations to settle in around the reefs just offshore. This has caused not only species such as Blackfin Tuna and King Mackerel to stick around but also pods of Sailfish who, like our seasonal “snow birds”, make their winter trek down to South Florida to escape the cold. Our morning and evening trips continue to keep our clients excited…and a bit tired from reeling in so many fish.
Offshore Report: Black Friday Sails
The pods of Sailfish are here and feeding on the huge schools of Ballyhoo as they make their way south down our beaches. We continue to catch multiple Sailfish on slow-trolled live Ballyhoo or on live Goggle Eyes suspended below our fishing kites. South Florida is the birthplace of kite fishing and nobody does it better than the pros at Fantastic Sportfishing. We been catching Sailfish anywhere from 60 feet out to 300 feet of water. When there is not enough wind to keep the kites in the air, we’ve also had success catching Sailfish trolling Sea Witches (in blue/white and pink/white color combinations) on the surface at 7 – 9 knots. The Sailfish bite will only get better as we make our way to Winter.
Blackfin Tuna Cyber Monday “On-Line”!
The Blackfin Tuna bite continues to be epic! The Tunas are still active up on the reefs inside of 200 feet of water and are responding well to trollied Sea Witches and Bonito Strips at a speed of 5 – 6 knots. We’re averaging 15-20 Blackfin Tunas on every trip right now, with the size ranging from 8-12 pounds. Now that you’re burned out on turkey, let’s bring home some Tuna for dinner!
There are also “bullet” bontios mixed in with the tunas and we’re using them as live baits for Grouper, Amberjack and Sharks.
Kingfish Rule:
Kingfish are especially active right now as the Ballyhoo schools have settled in for a few weeks now on the reefs. Kings have been plentiful in the 12 to 30-pound range between 80 and 120 feet of water, with bonito strips, lures and feathers trolled below the surface on planers producing the most fish. “Kings” have also attacked our live baits on the drift as we target Sailfish in 120 feet of water. As you can see here, Kingfish aren’t the only “toothy critters” on the prowl. Barracuda have moved in on the bait schools too and will make anglers pay the price if they’re not fishing wire leaders.
Solid Shark Fishing:
The shark fishing continues to be solid with some Fantastic catches mixed in. We continue to average between 1 and 2 sharks – or more -each trip. We continue to tangle with Blacktips and Spinner Sharks as they chase the migrating baitfish. We also caught a 150 pound Bull Shark and a Hammerhead on both live Bonitos and butterflied Bonitos/Kingfish dropped down in 300+ feet of water.
“A” For Amberjacks:
We’re also introducing our clients to the offshore version of Crossfit Training: Amberjacks! We’re dropping down a live Bonito or Goggle Eye in 200 – 300 feet of water to slug it out with huge, bruising Amberjacks.
Take a break from shopping and join us offshore for a different kind of “Sail.” Plus, there is no snow in the forecast. Ever. Give us a call to book a trip with Fantastic Sportfishing.
We’ve launched into the Holiday Season and here in South Florida, the only colors changing are those of Mahi Mahi and Sailfish as we bring them along boatside. Here at Fantastic Sportfishing, we’re in the thick of the Fall Bite in the beautiful South Florida offshore fishery.
As we always make a point to do, we’d like to thank everyone who fished with us during October and those who intend to fish with us in November. Without you, we don’t get an opportunity to fish. We greatly appreciate your business and hope that you’ll come back to see us soon, especially our junior anglers who are looking forward to the upcoming holidays and holiday travel to visit family and friends. Keep in mind that Fantastic Fishing has trips available this holiday season should your travels bring you to tropical South Florida.
The crisp, fall weather has brought various schools of baitfish and the top-level predators who follow them, especially Wahoo and Sailfish. Our morning and evening trips have been producing well for all of our clients as we put the rainy season , and the remnants of hurricane season, behind us.
Offshore Report: Time to Set Sail
Like most of our “snow birds” who make their way to South Florida to enjoy the winter months, the pods of Sailfish have begun to appear as they escape colder water and follow the huge schools of Ballyhoo as they make their way south down our beaches. We continue to catch Sailfish trolling the color changes between 100 feet and 300 feet of water. The Sailfish have been attacking Sea Witches (in blue/white and pink/white color combinations) trolled on the surface at 7 – 9 knots but the bite is switching over to live baits. Sailfish are starting to prefer live slow-trolled ballyhoos or goggle eyes dangling from a kite inside of 150 feet of water. The Sailfish bite will only get better as we make our way to Winter.
Blackfin Bonanza!
The Blackfin Tuna bite is epic right now! We’re averaging 15-20 Blackfin Tunas on every trip right now, with the size ranging from 8-12 pounds. We’re striking “black gold” up on the reefs inside of 200 feet of water trolling Sea Witches and Bonito Strips at 5 – 6 knots. The Tunas are keeping drags screaming and making for tasty dinners.
There are also “bullet” bontios mixed in with the tunas and we’re using them as live baits for Wahoo, Amberjack and Sharks. If you have not seen how we fish with live bonitos, check out this video:
Wahoo on the Full Moon!
The Wahoo bite around the recent full moon was one of the best so far. We’ve been catching Wahoo up to 20 pounds on our trips. If you’ve never seen the line melt off of a reel, you need to come aboard to fish for Wahoo. We’ve had great Wahoo bites between 300 feet and 800 feet of water trolling Islanders and bonito strips below the surface on planers, with a little quicker pace than when we troll for Mahi Mahi or Kingifish.
The Wahoo’s cousin, Kingfish, are plentiful in the 7 to 15-pound range between 80 and 120 feet of water, with bonito strips, lures and feathers trolled below the surface on planers producing the most fish. “Kings” have also attacked our live baits on the drift as we target Sailfish in 120 feet of water.
Shark Fishing Stays Solid:
The shark fishing continues to be steady with some epic catches mixed in. We continue to average between 1 and 2 sharks – or more -each trip. During the last few weeks, we’ve seen a flurry of Blacktips as they chase the migrating baitfish that head down just off of our beaches every Fall. We also caught a 250 pound Bull Shark and a few large Hammerheads on live bonitos or butterflied Kingfish dropped down in 300 feet of water.
Speaking of dropping down a live bonito, we’ve also caught huge, bruising Amberjacks on the reefs using live bonitos.
There are still plenty of migrating bait schools to enable you to take advantage of our Fall Tarpon Charters. Give us a call to book a trip with Fantastic Sportfishing.
