Captain's Journal

While some of you are living where the weather has been unseasonable, here in south Florida our springtime fishing started about a week ago. And our all day trip today was proof positive of this.

Our 3 guests had but one day before heading to Bolivia. They are volunteering to help build churches in areas that cannot afford them. Certainly a noble cause and perhaps even lending to a fun, fish filled day.

With the forecast of rain, we opted to catch our own bait. Chum and the usual areas were not providing so our trolling gear was deployed. It took maybe 20 minutes for our first bite and the action was near nonstop the rest of the day.

First were the Kingfish in the reef area. Bites were coming one or two at a time. While our guests had never used this kind of tackle before, they adapted quickly and soon were beating Dom to the rod when a bite came. They were having so much fun, even after the 2 per person limit was reached, we continued catch and release for a while before venturing just a bit further off shore.

The top picture is Dom holding a Yellowfin Tuna. This small Tuna was schooling with the Blackfin Tuna. We had stumbled into Tuna Topia and some nice sized fish were biting. Yellowfin are rare in our area and we ended up with 2 along with a hoard of Blackfin.

We took a break from this action to put the boys on something bigger. The Amberjacks cooperated nicely for this purpose and the guys enjoyed posing with their catches before releasing those back to the sea.

Our troll home was still producing more Tuna but these were considerably smaller than the ones from earlier. We had plenty and were releasing them as we went until the time came to return to the dock.

This is the kind of action you expect from springtime fishing. I look forward to fishing again today.

Captain Steve

Posted in Uncategorized

Almost every day people call for information and one of the questions they ask is “When is the BEST time to fish”. In some cases, they are asking about a particular month or time of year. But mostly, it is more about the morning or afternoon trip. Which is better? Well, let me give you some tips about the best time to fish…

First and foremost you should know we fish year round here in Fort Lauderdale. Unlike hunting, which has open and closed seasons, fishing can be done 365 days a year. It is true that some species might be off limits at times… Groupers are closed right now until May 1. But many other species are available.

Twice each day, as the sun climbs and falls, the morning and afternoon bite is the strongest. When the sun is high in the sky, fish feeding near the surface cast a shadow down into the water. Predators use this for their feeding pattern. So, the lower the sun, the better your chances. Early morning and the late afternoon are usually the best.

If you are here on vacation and have the ability to avoid the weekend, that can be advantageous. With spring break going on, lots of people are out there fishing.  If you cannot avoid the weekend, I recommend a 6 hour with an early start or an afternoon 6 hour. Both give you that early morning, late afternoon bite.

But… I’m on vacation. I don’t want to get up early. Or… We have dinner plans and need to be back by 5. The fact is no matter WHEN you fish, your crew is going to do their very best to find and catch you some fish!

And if you live here, get up for that early morning bite. Or push your dinner plans back an hour. But in all truth, the absolute BEST time to fish is when you can.

Captain Steve

Posted in Sport, Uncategorized

Tagged: Fishing, Fort Lauderdale

With some changing weather and spring just around the corner, things are changing as the ocean warms. While some fish are still migrating south, others have started their return to the north and cooler waters. The next few months should make for some exciting fishing.

Tuna, Wahoo and Dolphin should become more plentiful. Kingfish and Bonito should also show their presence in the reef area. But you’ll have to be on your game and get the fish into the boat quickly. Sharks will also be around and while have a fish is better than none? They usually eat the good half.

On our sport boat, we have been having excellent action on the wrecks and reefs with Barracuda and Amberjack. Mostly light tackle is being used with live bait for some great fights! A few Kingfish and Wahoo are also being caught this way. You just never know.

Our most recent Swordfish trip was a huge disappointment. Making 4 drops during the day netted one hook up and one miss. The hook up was a big fish and we fought it for almost an hour. We got the weight off and had the leader twice but this fish was not to be caught. His final run parted the main line. I’ve learned this is part of the game but absolute hate not seeing what we had on.

Our drift boat is have some good action as well. Captain Patrick’s most recent catch is posted on our Facebook page. Snapper, Triggerfish and other reef fish are plentiful. You can find the page here: https://www.facebook.com/Fanntastic-Fishing-1476203306014764/

Whatever you choose as far as fishing? Be it sport or drift, things are improving and fish are cooperating. Enjoy the day, keep the rod bent and you’ll be rewarded. Tight lines.

Captain Steve

Posted in Sport, Uncategorized

Tagged: Fishing, Fishing Report, Fort Lauderdale

Our most recent daytime Swordfish fishing trip was a HUGE success! The word from the Swordfish grounds had been great for the last week or so. And it just so happened we have a trip booked just for that!

Daytiming for Swordfish is highly specialized fishing. You’ll be between 1500 and 2000’ of water with a bait on or near the bottom. We use an electric reel for this. The main reason is… No one wants to wind up all that line and weight if you don’t get a bite and have to reset.

Our guests are local and it turns out the money they paid for their trip with was some lucky money won at the local Casino, compliments of the Indians. So we loaded up early and were off to the grounds.

Our boat make this trip in about 90 minutes from the dock. We did see a few things that looked promising on the way out but nothing panned out and our first drop got us a near instabite! The rod bent, the drag stalled and we were on!

This fish was a small one but still legal and it seemed like the bite was still good as we boated the fish without the use of a gaff. 50” lower jaw fork length and into the box he goes! A quick run in the boat to get back to our previous position and the second drop of the day was on its way down.

This time it took a bit longer to get a bite. We are tight again. This time it took 40 minutes before seeing this fish. He jumped about 150 yards from the boat and then again maybe 200’ from the boat.

This fish was bigger with a 57”LJF and we used the dart and then the gaff to boat him. It’s only 11:30 and we have 2 in the box!

All good things must come to an end. We again positioned ourselves in front of the fish and did get 2 more bites. But both came off around 800’ out. This was the story on the radio as well, bites but not staying hooked. None the less, our group was extremely happy with their bounty.

Daytime Swordfish fishing isn’t exciting when you’re doing it, not till you get that bite… Wait, that’s ALL fishing. LOL It’s the excitement of that coming bite that keeps us coming back.

Captain Steve

Posted in Fishing Techniques and Tips, Sport

Tagged: Fishing, Fort Lauderdale, Swordfish

Both our drift and sport fishing boats have been busy. We’ve been sailing and catching fish! Not always fast packed action but sizable fish on the sport boat as well as our drift boat.

With the wind blowing for the next few days, fishing bottom on the drift boat will be tough. The boat moves across the area too quickly so only the most tenacious anglers will be rewarded. On the up side, drifting baits will be the best. Kingfish, Bonito, Tuna and even an occasional Sailfish could be on the table for those who venture out.

On the sport fishing boats, we have more control over the weather. Live bait has been the best with some fish too large for the light tackle we use. It’s not that you can’t catch a 200 or 300 lbs. shark on light tackle, it just takes some time. Like hours as in multiple. Light tackle is more suited for Sailfish, Barracuda, Wahoo and big Kings.

Trolling on the sport boats has had success with some smaller Sailfish, a few Kings and a Wahoo or two. But both the deep and shallow wrecks have been teaming with fish. Large Barracuda as seen in the pictures here and Amberjacks have been keeping our rods bent. And that occasional BIG bite that usually escapes has you thinking “What did I have on there”?

One of the fish you might have had on could be this! We opted for heavier tackle to land this 9+’ Bull shark. And it still took an hour to get it boat side.

The afternoons have been better for Sailfish. There is a video clip on our Facebook page. While this fish was very acrobatic when we hooked him, by the time I got the video going, the touched leader was all I got. You can find he video at https://www.facebook.com/Fanntastic-Fishing-1476203306014764/ .

That’s all for this week’s fishing. Hope to see you soon.

Captain Steve

Posted in Sport

With the week between Christmas and New Year behind us, we’ve found that one of our trips created a bit of a stir. The Wisconsin Badger’s Hammerhead Shark is what we’ll call this.

5 of the players and one of the coaches from Wisconsin joined us for some fishing before the Orange Bowl game. The late afternoon trip set out around 4 pm. We are looking for BIG fish, after all, these were big boys. LOL

Sitting in deep water over 600’, we waited and I was about to try in shallower water when we got as bite. It was funny because we had the boys try and pull line off the reel. They had a tough time with where the drag was set. This fish did not have that problem and pulled off about 100 yards quickly.

Our angler never faded and stayed set on his goal. It took a little over 30 minutes to see what we had caught, a 9’ Hammerhead shark. We boated the fish for measurement, tagging and pictures before releasing him. But that’s not what caused a stir.

It seems at the game they posted a picture I had taken from the fly bridge of the shark and the crew on the Jumbo Tron. Hammerhead sharks are protected in state waters because they are endangered. The public and media were calling the FWC, our fish and game people.

An agent contacted me some days later for an interview of what occurred. I explained we go to great lengths to take care of the game fish we catch and release. We have a hose that pumps sea water for our catches to breath and this helps us release them in good shape.

When you see game fish caught on our boat in a picture, if it’s not edible, it is released. And it was the same with the Wisconsin Badger’s Hammerhead Shark.

Happy New Year

Captain Steve

Posted in Sport

Tagged: Fishing, Hammerhead, Shark

What a great past week it has been for our Sportfishing Charters here in Fort Lauderdale.  Not only is the weather absolutely beautiful with calm seas and sunny skies, but we are also experiencing some very rare catches right now including white marlin and some big wahoo.

The morning have started out with a chill in the air and a very light breeze leaving the seas glassy.  As we push away from the dock, we look forward to watch mother nature paints each day offshore.  The picture is always different and the start of our winter season is officially under way.

Clearing the Port Everglades inlet puts us about 2 miles away from the fishing grounds.  Did I mention we are the closest boat to the fishing in Fort Lauderdale? This gives our 4 hour trips much more fishing time than most of the fleet.  As we break the 90 feet of water edge, we are looking for current, birds, weed lines, and debris to give away signs of fish in the area.  It hasn’t been taking long until a school of ballyhoo or flying fish goes under the boat, letting us know there are gamefish nearby.

As my mate sets out the lines, we have been hooking up quickly on kingfish from 10 to 20 pounds along with a plentiful bonita bite which make great fights and even better bait for our monster shark charters.

Check out this nice smoker going from the ocean right to the smoke house for excellent fish dip:

The limit on kingfish is 2 per person and with limits early in the am, I move on to deeper water to look for mahi.  The past few days there has been a beautiful rip in about 400 feet of water with small terns feeding in the weed patches.  From up in the tower I spot the mahi schools and ask our anglers to pitch live baits behind the boat.  It wasn’t long before we loaded up on some nice 5 to 10 pound mahi.

With a nice box of mahi and king mackerel, we still had about 2 hours left on our 6 hour sportfishing trip.  I am hearing on the radio that there is a sailfish bite going on near the anchored cargo ships.  These ships stay at anchor for weeks, even months on end and the bait fish congregate under them.  It makes for great fishing and easy feeding for sailfish, white marlin, wahoo, jacks and much more!

I didn’t have enough wind to get out the kites, so decided to troll around the ship using live baits that we caught earlier in the trip to see if anyone was home.  It didn’t take long to get our first bite, but unfortunately the fish got off. About 20 minutes later we had another fish on and got a good hook into her for a nice catch and release.

While not every trip can be as exciting as this one and there are no guarantees in fishing, we can guarantee that you will get an expert high level captain and mate that want to catch fish more than you do.  We are passionate about putting you on fish and having fun while doing it.

We still have dates open here in the 2017 as we wrap up the year and we are booking out the winter and spring season of 2018.  We are also still running the $550 special for 4 hours, so please give us a call if you are ready to go fishing.

Tight Lines,
Captain Steve

Posted in Sport

Most of our fishing this week has been done in what we here in south Florida consider cold. OK, try not to laugh. You bundle up with winter clothes or are scraping ice or snow from your windows. As your temperatures hit 20’s or less, we thin blooded people prepare to brave 50’s! Ok, go ahead and laugh. LOL

But our Florida sun comes out and things get warm quickly. These cold snaps really help our fishing and keep things moving south. Just like many of you from up north. We’ll be seeing some of you soon.

Our area here off the shore is like a virtual highway for fish migrating. Drops in sea temperatures have fish traveling for warmer waters. And just a few miles from shore everything from small to large will pass by. Sometimes they come in spurts of one species or another. Other times it can be like rush hour.

Sailfish are what we are expecting soon. They ride the waves and sea swells south against the current. It is known as “tailing” as they surf down sea on their travels south. It hasn’t happened just yet but will soon.

Dolphin have been making appearances as well. While some sea weed helps, they too are just moving south and can be caught just out of the blue. Li8ve bait has been the best for these but trolling has also had good results.

Our wrecks have been producing both bottom fish and some large predators as in the picture of Mike holding his monster Barracuda. Almost 30 minutes on light tackle to land this beast, a true trophy!

We always try to provide our guests with what they hope to catch. But our main goal is to catch fish! And this “cool” weather has been helping our fishing this week.

Captain Steve

Posted in Sport, Uncategorized

Tagged: Barracuda, Dolphin, Fishing, Fort Lauderdale

While our waters cool off Fort Lauderdale, the late fall Dolphin have been gracing us with their presence. The wrecks, both deep and shallow, are also performing well. And some other stuff mixed in. Here’s the rundown.

On the rip

While a “rip” is any type of quiet water on one side and current on the other, this is just one attraction that leads us to Dolphin. Any kind of flotsam, weed beds or even just a color change can hold fish.

Lately we’ve been finding a stringy type of sea grass holding Dolphin within just a few miles from shore. Only a few throw backs, most are in the 5-10 pound range with a few nice sized gaffers. Always a popular fish with our guests for both the fight and table fare. It is probably the most requested fish.

Closer to shore

Come toward shore just a mile or two and you are fishing back in the reef area. Kingfish, Tuna and Sailfish have been caught in this area. While they are thick, they have been biting with regularity. The kings have been small unless using live bait. That can produce some of the big ones!

On the Drift

Our drift boat, the Lois Ann, has been having great luck with small Kings. Many are throw backs because of their size but certainly a thrill to catch. Daytime drifting has also had good catches of Trigger, Mutton Snapper and some good sized Yellowtails.

The evening anchor trip has been having good catches of Mangrove, Vermillion and Yellowtail Snapper. The crowds have been light so there’s been plenty of room.

No matter which type of fishing you do, you can expect some good results. And we’ll be looking for those late fall Dolphin until the trend changes.

Captain Steve

Posted in Sport, Uncategorized

Tagged: Dolphin, Fishing, Fort Lauderdale

With the time change firmly in place now, I get a glimpse of the sea as I come over the bridge on my way to the charter boat dock. The sun is too low for a look at the color. But sea conditions look nice even though the wind is blowing.

I arrive an hour or so early before the trip. But some days, our guests are just as early. Anxious with anticipation and excited about their charter boat trip.

As we prepare for our day we have a chance to find out our guests expectations. Some really don’t care what they catch. Something to eat would be nice, maybe a BIG fish. Others have prepared a semi shopping list, specific in their wants of what is to be caught. To this I can only respond that we are going fishing, not shopping. LOL We’ll still do our best to fill their bill.

I can tell that today’s group is here strictly to have a good time. I am asked if one gentleman can bring his own rod. Even though we have everything we need, I say sure, bring it. He then produces a pink and purple Disney Princess rod from his car, his granddaughter’s. Oh, this is going to be good… LOL

It seemed the day went by in a second. Before I knew it, we were on our way home. Mahi-mahi and Kingfish for were dinner. A nice Barracuda was released and some other hits on our live bait. And while everyone on board caught fish and had a great time, I wanted more for these folks. I always do.

Super nice and full of humor was the theme of this outing. And that is what charter boat fishing is all about. Tomorrow I will watch the dawn break again on my in to work. I’ll meet my guests. Will it be you?

Captain Steve

Posted in Sport, Uncategorized

Tagged: Charter, Fishing, Mahi-Mahi