Without doubt the Sailfish is the most sought out species in South Florida, and for good reason. Not only are sailfish plentiful here, but they are acrobatic, beautiful and a great adversary on lighter tackle. Although sailfish can be caught year round, our typical sailfish season starts in November and ends in May. As winter approaches sailfish will migrate south following schools of bait. The sailfish bite after a cold front in December through April can be phenomenal. This is usually considered the best time of year for sailfish fishing. Double digit strikes and releases of sailfish in one day are not uncommon if the conditions are right. This is why Palm Beach County and the whole of Florida are considered one of the world's top destinations for catching sailfish. We fish catch and release for all sailfish but with photos and measurements, help you get the fish mounted for a life time of memories.
Mahi, also known as Dolphin (not the flipper variety) or Dorado are another fish that can be caught year round in Florida, but the tactics used can vary during the months. Most of the year, mahi are caught while using live baiting and kitefishing but in the summer months, we go looking for diving birds, weed mats and floating debris offshore where the are lurking, with large numbers found this way. The debris can be almost anything and large patches of Sargasso weed are good as well. The seaweed or debris attracts bait, which in turn will attract dolphin. Mahi can range from only a few pounds to upwards of 50 pounds. Some of the larger mahi are usually taken while kite fishing with live baits. Mahi provide tons of flying action as they are very acrobatic, often jumping multiple times once hooked, and one of the strongest fighters we encounter. They are one of the most beautiful and colorful fish we catch with hues of green, blue and silver all mixed in. Besides the color and high flying action, mahi are absolutely great table fare.
One of the favorite fish to catch in South Florida, we typically catch these trolling but they often find a live bait irresistible, either on the reef or a wreck. When trolling, we use planers in our spread which gets a bait or lure down 30 or 50 feet and is the best way to catch them here. They have a mean set of teeth, and one of the fastest predators in the sea. Typically lurking around structure like reefs and wrecks as the tide ebbs away, pulling bait fish towards them, they are particularly active either early in the day or around the full moons. Averaging between 20 and 35 lbs, and we have caught them up to 60lbs, and with their speed, capable of long searing runs. Not only are they a beautiful fish, with hues of blue and stripes, they are one of the best eating fish too.
One of our fastest fish with razor sharp teeth, meet the king mackerel! A dense, grayish, oily meat that tastes great cut into steaks, loins, or cubes, kingfish is fantastic when prepared on the grill, fried, or smoked and used for fish dip. Kingfish school in large numbers and hang around bait schools, primarily near reefs, wrecks, and along beaches. We see them right outside the inlet and normally averaging between 6 and 15 pounds, with 30 to 40 pound fish common, and up to 90 lbs. They can be found in all depths of water but are most commonly targeted along beaches shallow water reefs and ledges from 30 feet to 130 feet. Trolling subsurface baits or lures behind planners is an effective way to catch them, but live baiting and kite fishing is also a great way to catch a kingfish along with many other species. They are on of the most fun and hard fighting fish we catch.
South Florida provide some of the best tuna fishing spots you will find anywhere in the world. Typically we encounter blackfin, skipjack and Bonta tuna and sometimes see yellowfin tuna in the gulf. The blackfin tuna we catch are typically 15 to 35 pounds, and one of the most sought after fish here in South Florida given their table quality. The best time for blackfin is in late spring or early summer but we see them moving through the area all year. Kite fishing is one of the best way to pick up blackfin as they can be easily spooked with heavy line or tackle, with a kite suspended goggle eye or threadfin often irresistible to the fish When trolling, we always put the one line down the middle, further than all the other rods called the shotgun which normally picks up a blackfin
The ultimate predator of the seas in South Florida. We have lots of different varieties and if you want to catch a HUGE fish, this is the best way. We regularly catch Hammerheads, Tigers, Bull Shark, Grey and Blacktips, and occasionally have seen Mako and Threshers down here. Great Whites are known to come to our waters too…. We regularly catch 300lb+ shark, and when we hook one, the fight from the chair is going to be a tough one. But with the chair, the right tackle and our crew helping you, we will get them to the side of the boat for the memory of a lifetime. Their runs can be powerful and heavy. And when they are at the side of the boat, you see the business end of the shark, with all its teeth whilst the crew releases it. We always use wire for these given their teeth, and either a lively Bonta, or chunk of barracuda should get a bite quickly. Just be prepared!There is something very exciting about catching one of the most aggressive apex predators and seeing it up close and personal. We believe in conservation and make every effort to release the shark we catch.
