Now through the beginning of May, expect to see tons of Sailfish action of the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Today Carlos and his son set sail with Matt the mate and I to go Deep Sea Fishing. Our duo was in town visiting from Brazil and I wanted to show them what fishing in South Florida was all about. On the way out, we made a pit stop at Lauderdale Marina to fill the well with live goggle eyes for later use. Trolling for King Mackerel was the first thing on our list. Our fresh bonito strips and ballyhoos really turned them on, they were hitin’ the deck left and right.

Twenty minutes into Trolling and our left planner got a hit. Whatever ate fell off immediately. Then the other planner got a bite. It had to of been the same fish! Carlos gears up and starts reeling as the flopper starts his series of jumps within feet of the transom. The excitement didn’t last long; he spit the hook and hauled. I wasn’t going to let this one get away. Spinner rod to the rescue! I rigged up a live gogg real quick and pitched it, hoping it would land right in front of his face. We finally got him on, and he was on good this time. Carlos and his son both got a taste of this game fish as they fought him all the way to the boat. It was a beauty.

All morning, Carlos had Tuna on his mind. “How can we catch a Tuna?” Not even a minute after we released our Sailfish, Carlos reeled in a nice Blackfin Tuna. The 12 lb’er made his day. It’s ironic how things work out sometimes. I’ll tell you what, there’s nothing better than freshly caught Blackfin for dinner. The Tuna went in the box and the lines went back in the water. As soon as fresh bait touched the water, the right rigger got a hit. We couldn’t believe our eyes as the baby Blue Marlin showed himself. That fantasy didn’t last long either, he got away before we could stop him. It was a bummer, but nice to see a Blue out there.

All in all, today rocked out there!

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

There’s been a lot of activity offshore this week in Fort Lauderdale. This afternoon, Joe and his girlfriend got in on some action aboard the Frequent Flyer II. Around 4 PM we headed out the Intracoastal Waterway, not like the usual 8-12 or 1-5 trips we run daily. We rigged up some fresh bonito strips and started off trolling. The King Mackerel and Bonito were showing themselves in good numbers. When we reached the reef, the sun started to set and man was it pretty. We crossed our fingers for a grouper or snapper to bite. Within 10 minutes of trolling the reef, we were hooked. We saw color as the fish hovered below. The 7 lb Mutton Snapper was bright and beautiful. We knew we were in a good spot now, so trolling gear went right back in the water and we sat back for another instant bite. After 15 minutes in the fighting chair, Joe reeled in a beefy, 20 lb Cobia.

Nice catch guys!

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

South Florida Spring time Fishing Report

April has been one of the most exciting, action packed months for us here in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Whether you like fishing the Inlet for the stealth Barracuda or dropping on the wreck for Amberjacks and Game Sharks, pick your spot and you will have a story for your friends.

April is my favorite time of year to go deep sea fishing in Ft Lauderdale. The weather is to die for and the seas are comparable to a pancake. Not to mention, the fish are biting. When there’s a rippin’ north current offshore, the Atlantic Sailfish is lingering nearby and usually looking to eat. Last week, the Sailfish were out and about. I saw a flopper jumping behind the live goggle eye on the right rigger just before the satisfying slap, line was just pouring off the reel. The power of this fish was incredible. With myself at the helm and Captain Paul in the pit, the Sail started his series of head shaking leaps right before our eyes. Our angler, John, fought the Sailfish all the way to the transom after a nice little run. He got a good look at his pelagic and we turned it loose – that thing swam away like a rocket. The Lady Pamela II guided John to his first Sailfish release ever. John added a few King Mackerel and Mahi – Mahi to his red hot action. The Sailfish bite will soon come to a halt as May approaches us. Come fishing with us, you won’t be disappointed.

Game Sharks have officially moved on in. February to June is prime time to go big game shark fishing. Hammerheads, Makos, Tigers and Threshers are some of the biggest fish caught off the east coast. However, we’ve noticed a late start with the Game Sharks as April comes in at #1, producing the most bites. Head offshore to 300 ft, drop a rigged Kingfish head on the bottom and your chances of tugging on one of these bad boys is likely. Once hooked, average encounters last more than an hour, leaving you with a very soar arm. Game Sharks offer the ultimate offshore challenge. This month, we’ve gotten up close and personal with a handful of Thresher Sharks. One day we caught two giant Threshers back to back, both just shy of 12 ft. That day went down in history.

The shipwrecks are always active in the spring with tons of fish, tons of BIG fish. There have been some takers on a few 50 lb reef donkeys. Amberjacks are one of the toughest fighting fish out there and if you’ve never experienced the fight, a 30 lb’er will show you whose boss.

Surprisingly, the Cobias have been hitting nicely for us aboard the Lady Pamela II. They move off the beach and onto the wrecks just looking for our speedos, it seems. Talk about good eats, Cobia is one of the tastiest fish in the ocean.

The Mahi – Mahi have been hit or miss lately. One day the weed line generates an ample amount, the next day there isn’t a dolphin in site. May is when the dolphin bite really goes off. You will hear a lot of Mahi talk during the month of May, when the big boys start to show. You can’t beat fresh Dolphin for dinner, that’s the true South Florida souvenir.

Holy King Mackerel! The Kings have been running and we’ve had no problem finding them. Fresh bonito strips, an 80 ft leader and a planner does the trick every time. This equates to plenty of rod bending with the 20 – 30 lb’ers. Even the 8 – 10 lb Kingfish pull hard on the rods, leaving the angler wanting more.

The first week of April, we headed 15 miles offshore to Swordfish grounds to see what we could get ourselves into. After an hour of fishing and not catching, we finally got a bite. He was on there for a bit until he snagged the hook. Since then, we’ve tried our luck a handful of times, averaging 3 – 5 bites per night. If you’re not necessarily a night owl, Daytime Sword fishing is another great opportunity to hook up with the Gladiator of the Sea.

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

This afternoon, Frank and his buddies joined the Lady Pamela II fishing fleet to go deep sea fishing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Live bait was MIA today, there wasn’t any available. A friend of mine, also a local fisherman, was so kind and gave us two dozen thread fin herrings. With our live bait situation settled, we were ready to go look for the Atlantic Sailfish.

Trolling to our destination, we hooked a few Bonito and six King Mackerel. Trolling was on point today, but we were so anxious to use our thread fins, we popped the kites. Not more than ten minutes passed before the clip from the right kite popped open. All of a sudden a big mama jumped all the way out of the water, pouncing on the surface. She couldn’t pass up our precious bait, she really went for it. We were in the right place, at the right time, with the right bait, presented the right way. Justin set the hook as Frank called dibs on the rod. He jumped in the fighting chair with excitement, knowing it was going to be a great fight. The Ballerina of the Sea put on a 30 minute parade, jumping all over the ocean right before our eyes. The power of this fish was impressive. After a 30 minute battle between Frank and the Sail, Justin was able to get the leader. When Frank saw the size of his fish, he couldn’t hold back the smile. Frank and his buddies got a few pictures for keepsake, and we released the Sailfish for a future fight.

Sail fishing off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, particularly in April, is nothing short of epic. Fort Lauderdale provides an ideal Sailfish season for the inexperienced angler looking to land a pelagic and a great place for the pros to enjoy another day on the water.

You only have a short time left to head offshore and hook up with a Sailfish. The countdown has begun, as May is the last hurrrah.

Let’s get out there and catch some fish.

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

This morning, Ron and his son Cole joined the Lady Pamela II for a full day of fishing offshore. Living in Fort Lauderdale, they didn’t have to drive too far to spend a great day on the water. We left the dock at 10 AM sharp and headed straight to the morning balls for bait. The goggle eyes and speedos were coo operating today; we filled the well to the rim in no time at all. We checked bait off the list and ran five miles south to slow troll the live bait. Trolling was producing. The first two baits of the day got hit within seconds. A double header Bonito came up interested and ate. Ron and Cole knew the drill, turn ‘em and burn ‘em, a.k.a., reel quick so we can go for round two. Our third bite of the day put up one hell of a fight. Ron fought a gaffer size King Mackerel all the way to the surface. We were on a roll at that point. Captain Paul dropped a speedo on the down rigger and it didn’t take long before that got somebody’s attention. Ron and Cole couldn’t believe the set the teeth that Barracuda had. Not even an hour into our trip and we landed two Bonito, a King Mackerel and a ‘Cuda.

There have been some gigantic fish on the wrecks, so I decided to try our luck and drop a rigged bait down to the bottom. With our baits set, Ron, Cole, Captain Paul and I sat back and kept a close eye on the rod. It bounced once, bounced again, then it was on. That fish ate and ran! Cole fought this reef donkey all the way to the transom. The power of this fish was amazing.

Ron had mentioned that he’d like to land an Atlantic Sailfish while fishing offshore this morning. The balloons went out and we crossed our fingers. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a huge fish swimming around the boat. I couldn’t really put a finger on what it was, but I knew it was coming up to eat our bait. Once it got closer to the boat, I yelled to Captain Paul “Huge Hammerhead!” Paul got the 130 and we were ready for the bite. Paul pitched it bait a few times, but couldn’t get its attention. The giant Hammerhead started to veer off and swim away from the boat, but we weren’t going to let him get away. Captain Paul grabbed a gaff and started to make vibration in the water to interest him again. It worked just as planned. The Hammerhead made a u’ey and ate right off the transom. I pushed the boat ahead to set the hook and Ron jumped in the fighting chair quicker than you could imagine. The 10 ft Hammerhead gave Ron a run for his money and didn’t give in for a while. It was probably the longest 40 minutes of Ron’s life, but some of the best. Long story short, Ron was the man after he landed the 10 ft’er. It wasn’t a Sailfish bite, but it was up there after he realized how hard these Game Fish fight.

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

This morning, David and his three buddies from Chicago joined Tom and his wife from Buffalo, NY aboard the Lady Pamela II. We set sail  and realized these guys all had one thing in common, they wanted to catch some fish and go home with a good story. Once we hit the ocean, we ran to this beautiful blue-ish, green edge in 160 feet of water. The kites went up in hopes of landing a Sailfish or two. We sat back patiently and waited for a game fish to show himself. An hour went by before we packed up and moved on to trolling. Trolling was a little different then kite fishing today. I dropped the first bait in the water and it was an instant bite. I think I may have heard one of our anglers say “This is what I’m talking about.” We reeled in a 25 lb Wahoo on mono, which is unusual, but awesome.

We were finally in the feeding area, so our bait went back out and BAM!, we got another hit on the left planner. Tom’s wife jumped in the hot seat and the battle began. She fought a BIG Bluefish for about 15 minutes before it came within gaffing range of the boat. All I could think to myself was “Holy Bluefish.” On Thursday, Captain Paul caught 28 of those bad boys. We’ve never seen the Bluefish bite go off like this in our years of Sport fishing off the coast of Fort Lauderdale. Hey, we’re not complaining, keep ‘em coming!

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

Thursday afternoon, Marcele and his family joined the Lady Pamela II with Captain Paul at the helm and Captain Darin in the cockpit. Marcele and his family traveled all the way from Central America and wanted to have the time of their life while visiting South Florida. Man, did they pick a good day to head offshore fishing in Fort Lauderdale. Once the Lady Pamela II hit open water, Captain Paul noticed the biggest school of fish he’d ever seen. Captain Darin gathered up all the #9 wire and started bailing. They landed a total of 28 blue fish in 80 ft of water. Bluefish are rare to see in South Florida, especially 10 - 20 lb’ers. After two dozen Blue fish, it was time to move on. Trolling gear went out and the fun began. Our anglers landed 4 Blackfin Tuna and 3 Bonito.

Total Catch: 28 Bluefish + 4 Blackfin Tuna + 3 Bonito = 35 fish in the matter of four hours.

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

This afternoon, Jeff and his kids came fishing with Captain Paul and myself aboard the Lady Pamela II for a fun day out on the water. There was a beautiful blue-ish green edge in 400 ft of water and that’s usually a good sign. We were hoping for maybe a big Sailfish or a nice size Mahi-Mahi for the family. No if’s, and’s or but’s, trolling gear was going in. Within 20 minutes of trolling over the edge, we noticed a huge Mola Mola swimming down the edge. It had to have been a 100 lb’er. There wasn’t much action on the troll besides the Sunfish, so we packed up and ran north to a wreck. We made the first drop and got nothing, not even a nibble. Tried again and got nothing again. We ran just a little bit north, made our third drop of the day and we finally got the bite. You know what they say, everything happens in three’s. Jeff’s daughter, Kathleen, reeled in a monster Amberjack all the way to the surface. She did an awesome job, her fish was twice her size! We wanted more so I made another drop and hoped for something to eat. We were hooked up again and this time it was Dad’s turn. Jeff reeled in a really nice size Bull King, it was the biggest one we’ve seen in a while. The wind started to pick up and so did the seas. Sea sickness kicked in rather quick with Kathleen and it was time to go inshore. We gave the shallow edge a shot before we headed back to home base and we got the bite. Jeff landed a Barracuda just inside the cut.

Awesome day out there guys!

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

This afternoon, Captain Paul and myself headed offshore with Mary, her Husband, Colleen and her two sons aboard the Lady Pamela II. The shipwrecks have been producing big fish the past couple of days so we loaded up on live speedos for later use. We filled the well to the rim and we were ready to go. First wreck of the day was a no go, nobody was home. Captain Paul relocated us to another wreck nearby and we went for round two. Second drop of the day and we finally got the bite. Mary jumped in the fighting chair and started reeling. By the time the fish came up to the surface, Mary was beat. She did a great job and put up one hell of a fight with a nice size Amberjack!

After we got that bite, we weren’t leaving. I dropped another speedo down to see if anybody else was hungry, but fishing was getting hard at this point. We got a few good bites, but the fish weren’t getting hooked correctly and they were getting away. I made one last drop, knowing that there were fish down there, and we got lucky. Colleen’s son Zach called dibs and the battle began. He fought a monster Barracuda all the way to the transom. What an awesome fish Zach!

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

April is one of the best times of year to head offshore Deep Sea Fishing in Fort Lauderdale, and one of my favorites months as the weather and seas are most favorable. Ft Lauderdale offers a wide variety of fishing that is nearly endless. The Atlantic Sailfish bite is still red hot with a nice wind, the Game Sharks are lingering in 350 ft of water and the big Amberjack’s, Grouper and Blackfin Tuna are hanging out on the shipwrecks below. Spring brings a mixed bag of fish, you just can’t go wrong.

Jeff Sparks and all his buddies came fishing aboard the Lady Pamela II for the Bachelor Party of a lifetime. Talk about a fun day in the sun with all the guys. We headed out Port Everglades with trolling gear ready to go and a southwest wind behind us. The north current was rippin and that’s usually a plus. The King Mackerel and Bonito were snappin’, we had four on at one point. Towards the end of the trip, bottom fishing was the plan. We attempted to land maybe a nice Grouper or Amberjack, but there wasn’t much going on down there. We couldn’t even get a nibble. We had a great morning bite while it lasted, though.

Fishing made a 360 this afternoon. The buoy was the place to be if you were looking for speedos and bluerunners. Steven and his kids reeled in a handful of bait, we filled the well and decided to try bottom fishing again for our afternoon anglers. First bait down and we were hooked. We were only an hour into the trip and we landed an Almaco Jack, an Amberjack and some nice size Kingfish. Word on the street was that a few Sailfish were around so we popped the kites and sat back. Ten minutes went by, not a bite. Twenty minutes, nothing. We gave it another ten minutes and good thing, we got a bite! A huge Hammerhead Shark swam up to our long bait, ate and took a run. We had him on for a little bit but he got away. Hey, we can’t catch ‘em all!

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

The Lady Pamela II sure is starting off Spring right! We’ve been fishing non-stop and coming home with some unbelievable stories and pictures to prove it!

Spring is in the air! After a long, cold Florida winter, it’s about time. The water temperatures have been noticeably warmer, the fishing has been phenomenal and the seas are starting to calm down after a brutal March wind. Dont’ get me wrong, March didn’t let us down a bit, it definitely lived up to it’s reputation. However, April is going to blow March out of the water here in sunny South Florida. Get ready for the fish stories.

This morning, Rick and his family joined Captain Paul and Captain Darin aboard the Lady Pamela II to catch “big fish.” Rick wanted a big fish, we were going to give him a big fish alright, or at least try our absolute hardest. We headed straight to 350 ft of water and dropped our bait. When we got the bite, it was the sickest bite Captain Paul had ever seen in his years of Sportfishing. The rod started screamin and the line was just peelin’ off the reel. Rick and his whole family got a taste of this Sea Monster for over an hour. When the fish finally gave in, our anglers got it within range of the boat and got a good look at it. They couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw what they just went to war with. They all pulled together as a team to reel in a Big Eye Thresher Shark just shy of 14 ft. How many people does it take to land a Thresher Shark? ALOT. The Lady Pamela II went 2 for 2 on the Big Eye Threshers this week. They’re a rare catch and very unique to say the least.

This afternoon, George Gonzalez traveled south from North Carolina to bring his wife Deep Sea Fishing aboard the LP II. Fishing started off pretty slow, a King Mackerel here, a King Mackerel there. Nothing too exciting. We packed up after a George reeled in a few Kings and headed to the wreck. We made the first drop of the day with a live blue runner in a 140 ft of blue water. The trick is, 20 cranks off the bottom. George reeled in a big Black Grouper weighing in around 20 lbs. Works every time. Well, when the fish are hungry down there.

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

George, his son and Dwayne escaped the cold Mid West weather and set sail here in sunny South Florida aboard the Lady Pamela II to go deep sea fishing. We started off the morning trolling for Kingfish and Tuna, but not much was around. After an hour of fishing and not catching, we switched to Plan B. We set up in 350 ft of water with a dead kingfish head on the bottom, one in the middle and another bait on the surface. It didn’t take long before the 200 bait got hit. As soon as the rod bent over, I pushed the boat ahead and we were hooked. George’s son jumped in the hot seat and he was ready to reel. He stayed in the game all the way through. He won the 20 minute battle with a big, brown Silky Shark. Around 11:00 AM the trolling picked up and the Blackfin Tuna and King Mackerels showed up to eat.

Awesome trip. Awesome catch.

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

On Wednesday afternoon, David and his daughter Maria came fishing aboard the Lady Pamela II with Captain Paul and myself. We headed offshore around 1 P.M. with our father, daughter and my buddy Matt, our Mate in Training. Trolling gear was in the water and so were the Kings. Maria was having a ball reeling them in one after another. After we reached our limit on the Kingfish, we decided to go target something bigger. It’s Spring time and you know what that means, Game Sharks are migrating through South Florida and the bite is going off! Captain Paul took us to a nice spot just a few miles north of Port Everglades, our baits went out and we sat back. Matt was on the bridge with me and noticed something strange with the 200 bait. The rod bounced a few times before Captain Paul touched it. He started reeling it slowly and then BAM it bent over like you wouldn’t believe. I pushed the boat ahead to set the hook and Matt raced down from the bridge to get in on some cockpit action. David and Maria played pass off for quite a while, but pulled through as a team. They fought a 10 ft endangered Thresher Shark all the way to the transom. Now that’s one helluva Game Shark!

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045

As always, the March wind has been howling, but the fishing has been phenomenal. Today was the first day in about a week where it hasn’t been 8 ft seas. The sea sickness sets in rather quick when it’s rolling out there, but the weather has finally broke, for now!

This morning, Anthony and his family joined Captain Freddy and myself aboard the Lady Pamela II for a fun day out on the water. We headed offshore with a light breeze lingering over South Florida and 3 ft swells. The Sailfish have been present so we loaded up with live gogg’s and went straight to the edge. I popped two kites with four live baits dangling on the surface as Freddy dropped a dead bonito on the bottom. After about 30 minutes of fishing and not catching, the pink bobber started to get heavy. That is always a good sign and I knew something was messing with our bait. I reeled the bait carefully and finally got tight. Captain Freddy pulled the boat ahead and it was on. Anthony was engaged with the sea monster for close to an hour. Once the huge Thresher Shark came up to the surface and we got a good look at him, he decided he wasn’t ready to give in and took a run. After another 45 minutes of fighting this Game Shark, Anthony got him up to the boat, we tagged him and watched him swim away whipping his tail into the air. The battle went on for an hour and a half, but man was it fun! Big Eye Thresher Sharks are neat game fish with their unique tails and huge peck fins.

Once we hit the dock, Anthony and his family stepped off the Lady Pamela II with a great story and the catch of a lifetime under their belts. We loaded up for for our afternoon trip and went out for round two. Elan and her whole family set sail with the Lady Pamela II to head offshore deep sea fishing. As soon as we hit open water, trolling gear was set and we went straight to the reef. Right off the bat, a fish ate our deep bait and our anglers reeled in a 10 lb Kingfish. I had a good feeling about trolling this afternoon, we had fresh strips and they always do the trick on the troll. King’s were hitin’ the deck left and right, catching a total of 11, keeping a total of 9. Everybody had a blast reeling in the Kings. When we got back to home base, I cut and bagged all the fish so they could have a nice Sunday BBQ.

Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045