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