Recent offshore fishing reports from the South region.
Mahi and Tuna
Florida Sportsman member: Plastered2850
The fish all came on the 50-51 line patches. Ballyhoo was hit the most. The 20 pounder hit a bubbler we had caught the cow on just five minutes before. We also had a triple header on the tuna. We ended up with a total of ten gaffers that were up to 21 pounds and five tuna on ice.
Click here to see the full forum report.
Port Everglades Run
Florida Sportsman member: NickNut
This patch was holding so much life it was ridiculous. Thousands of little jacks were crashing even more thousands of little minnows, and the sound of this miniature feeding frenzy was nuts. We knew it would draw in more fish, and within five minutes of saying as much, we were hooked into the school.
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Bonito Blast
Florida Sportsman member: remel1993
Forum member remel1993 put together an action packed video of vertical jigging out of Port Everglades.
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Hillsboro Mixed Bag
Florida Sportsman member: miamihurricane34
Around the 42 line, we found a weedline and trolled down it. We hooked two mahi almost immediately. One jumped off and we boated the other fish. We came up on an upside down wooden box with about a dozen and a half tripletail on it, one of which was really large. We couldn’t get him to eat, but we caught a bunch of almacos. We trolled a little more and caught a few more mahi.
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Haulover Mahi Madness
Florida Sportsman members: Alinares1111 & twelch2408
The dolphin bite is hot right now off of Haulover. Forum members Alinares1111 and twelch2408 both reported great fishing earlier this week. Both reported nice schoolie dolphins and a few bulls. Twelch2408 got out one day before Alinares1111 and reported ripping currents and no weeds, while Alinares1111 mentioned flat seas and lots of weeds. Ballyhoo is the ticket to getting on these fish.
Click here to see Alinares1111’s full forum report.
Click here to see twelch2408’s full forum report.
Solid Kingfish Bite
Florida Sportsman member: Plastered2850
The seas were flat and calm. Right away we found a piece of bamboo. We put one in the box and throw three shorts back. We ventured out, but saw nothing. We turned back in and tried deep dropping, but the current was running at 3.2 knots, plus. We pick up and hit the reef and the bite was on. We put six kings in the box up to 23 pounds and called it a day. The fish were from 130 to 155 feet.
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Hot Mahi Bite
Florida Sportsman member: AlexNiles
After having no hits blind trolling, we see two frigates going nuts diving in about 750′. Bingo! We wore out the school for a while with chunked ballyhoo. We were about to head back in before this 32 pound bull decides he’s hungry. He takes a whole ballyhoo we had drifting way behind the boat on a 7.5′ medium Redbone with an old Penn 550 SSG on it. Undergunned to say the least, with only 20 pound Power Pro, 30 pound fluorocarbon, and a 5/0 circle hook between us and the fish. He dumped the spool a few times and we had to chase it around with the boat. Took about 45 minutes before we were able to finally sink the gaff in him and celebrate a banner day.
Schooling Mahi
Florida Sportsman member: NickNut
We second guessed ourselves on a decent scattered weedline, about 17 miles southeast of the inlet. We pushed another 7-8 miles, before coming back to it. We saw some birds working and quickly made a pass, immediately hooked up, and then pandemonium ensued. Smallest three were 21″ and the rest ranged up to 32″. Nothing huge, but all were caught within 30-40 minutes. The school stayed with us, as we flung the chummers at them to keep them fired up. With our limit caught, we had to simply head in, leaving behind a huge school of very hungry dolphin.
Excellent Mahi Bite
Florida Sportsman member: conquistador
We fished out of Fiesta Key around 300-500′, competing in the 28th annual Dolphin Rodeo Tournament. There were flocks of birds everywhere, all those that were hovering had either dolphin or tuna under them. We used a combo of plugs, feathers, and naked ballyhoo in the spread. We caught 30-40, but we started throwing peanuts back after number 17. We ended up placing 4th with a 13.4 pound bull. The winner was 57lbs, 2nd 23.6, 3rd 16. 27 boats in total, every one of them caught at least a dozen peanuts. The bite is on fire!
Bluefin Puts Up a Fight
Florida Sportsman member: Poseidon10/31
We were kite fishing when we saw the bluefin tailing about 50 yards north of our spread. We immediately started pushing south while I got out the Penn 130. It was only moving 5-7 knots, while the others are flying south at 10-15. I hooked on a whole five pound bonito and pitched it out 100′ behind the boat. In 80′ off Key Biscayne, the tuna made a hard turn offshore and aired out on my bait. I dropped back and we got tight. What we did capture doesn’t do the fish justice. I’ve never caught anything this big, but I’d say it was certainly over 100″ and 600 pounds.
Groupers Go Home
Florida Sportsman member: miami mutton
After we traveled a little to find moving water, that’s where we had a back to back grouper bite which ended up in the cooler. Muttons where hitting as well and we put some in to end up with a color full cooler.
Reef Fishing
Florida Sportsman member: miami mutton
We have been catching plenty of yellowtail and releasing some very nice groupers and a few muttons. The bite is getting better each day. There’s plenty of bait on the reef between 50 and 70 feet, speedo and ballyhoo have been getting chased by AJ’s and mahi.
Hillsboro Tuna and Sailfish
Florida Sportsman member: JVL
We saw an explosion on the long bait and it was game on. After 30 minutes of googan avoidance, digging, head shakes and death circles, the silhouette of a trophy blackfin tuna appeared.
Pompano Beach Wreck Fishing Amberjacks
Florida Sportsman member: landshark
This AJ stripped 250 yards of locked down 80lb braid in under a minute. After a 15 minute fight, Brook landed her biggest AJ ever and on a jig too!
Wreck Fishing Miami
Florida Sportsman member: Yeaaa_Chris
We had to work harder than usual for bait, but got enough for the day. The goal was to get my buddy on his first AJ, and after a few swing and misses, he got his wish. Not going to lie, it was pretty funny watching him get whooped. The jacks are starting to stack up on the wrecks and the bonito are moving in.
Reef Fishing Variety
Florida Sportsman member: miami mutton
The reef bite is growing better each day as summer is approaching. The bait on the reef is abundant, drawing into shallow water the pelagics, including mahi and tuna. As soon as the chum goes in the water, we are having ballyhoo and speedo come up, followed by a big yellow ball of yellowtails.
Boca Raton Tuna and More
Florida Sportsman member: trousertroutman
We continued this pattern of drifting from deep to shallow working the jigs and ended up with five blackfin, one skipjack, two triggers and plenty of arm wrecking ajs and bonito.
Reef Fishing Improving
Florida Sportsman member: miami mutton
We started catching a fish on each bait put out. A few minutes into the steady catching, I set up to put one bottom rod down with live pilchards. It worked. We hooked up to a 20.5 inch mutton and another 19.5 incher, then came the one that almost pulled the lady angler over.
Hillsboro to Boca Bites
Florida Sportsman member: holdemhook1
The bite wasn’t as strong as last weekend, but there are fish around. It just depends on the conditions if they will bite. We caught kings and some dolphin. Weather was great.
Port Everglades Mixed Bag
Florida Sportsman member: gsweaver
My boy wanted to go “trigger fishing”. We had one block of chum and two packs of silversides. We set up in 55 ft of water drifting and this king hit a silverside on a jighead. It was our first kingfish ever.
Port Everglades Tuna
Florida Sportsman member: T – L U V
We put out a spread that consisted of one ballyhoo, one squid, and a black and purple islander with a bonito strip. The first fish hit around 3pm in 680′, just north of Dania pier. Got him in the boat and set back up. We made another pass in the same area and got the second fish.
Miami Snapper and Grouper
Florida Sportsman member: boneheadhunting
We managed to get a couple yellowtail with a super strong current. The bite on the bottom was great.
Homestead Mixed Bites
Florida Sportsman member: Hooked4Reel
All-in-all, the day ended with one cero mackerel in the cooler along with twenty three yellowtails, ranging in size from 13″ to 18″.
Winter Reef Fishing
Florida Sportsman member: Miami mutton
These approaching cold fronts turn the bite on good. The yellowtails have been bigger and we will continue to catch bigger ones by next month. Here off Miami and upper to middle keys, the muttons are very shallow or very deep. Keep that in mind to target them in winter.
Port Everglades Mixed Bag
Florida Sportsman member: Jesse8410
The seas were flat and calm. We headed to the wreck and set out a few flat lines and some bottom baits. I had two cut offs on the flat lines, one short mutton, one keeper vermilion and an AJ down low. The wind picked up and set up the kite in another spot. Picked up a king.
Reef Fishing Miami
Florida Sportsman member: miami mutton
The yellowtail bite was really good, we were targeting them shallower than usual. We also caught some keeper muttons and a nice grey, all in the same spot. We got there close to 9:am and by 10:30am we had close to a five man snapper limit, which we managed to complete, along with a few macks, bonito and a barracuda.
Dania Beach Tuna and Dolphin
Florida Sportsman member: gsweaver
We trolled black/ purple and black/red feathers south of Port Everglades. First fish in was a 22″ schoolie in 220 ft just south of Dania Pier. Then three more blackfin all in the same area. I was surprised to find them in that close.
Port Everglades Mahi Haul
Florida Sportsman member: ProfessorO
A few seconds later our second pilchard is hit and we have another nice fish on. We get another line in the water and another fish on. We slowly fight these fish and gaff both of them. 15 and 25 lb cows.
Miami Reef Fishing Variety
Florida Sportsman member: miami mutton
Fishing has been good on the reef with a good mix catch, we have been getting yellowtails, muttons, grouper, reds and blacks and even the rare, dog snapper.
Chasing Kings in Haulover
Florida Sportsman member: paulrxp
Winds were pretty light out of the E/SE less than 7mph with a very weak south current and high tide before 9am, as well as a Full Moon. Good pods of ballyhoo are out on the deeper reef and edge past 100ft and they were getting whacked by Kingfish, some of which were rocketing. We were able to catch our limit of Kings pretty quick with the live finger mullet, and numerous cutoffs on jigs/verticals, too many to count. It’s near impossible to keep them away from the Kings.
Pavilion Key Cobia
Florida Sportsman: Raquel Waxon
Raquel Waxon, from Pembroke Pines, FL caught her first, legal sized cobia on a 10 lb. spinning outfit, one mile off Pavilion Key.
Check out our Facebook and other catches.
Highland Beach Cobia
Florida Sportsman member: rhino2000
I got out about 7 am and anchored up at about 80 feet. I put out some chum and had very little current. Had some fresh dead gogs and used a knocker rig and tortuga bottom rig. This cobia bit the tail half of the gog. Shockingly he was caught on a Penn Spinfisher 5500 with 30lb braid and 30lb flobo leader.
Miami Reef Fishing
Florida Sportsman member: miami mutton
The fish are moving shallower and the bait on the reef is being chased by Mahi and tuna and macs and kings, in the mix there are sailfish also, big sport fishing boat charters are running the reef line following birds and showering baits and hooking up to all the above. The bottom fishing has been good with limits of yellow tails happening on most trips.
Hollywood King Fishing
Florida Sportsman member: T – L U V
We picked up and headed south and set up off Hollywood. Chatted with Neal from Plastered a bit and it was slow for them as well. After about an hour, we finally picked up a ten pound king near the tenneco. We Circled back around and we are tight with a good fish.
Miami Reef Fishing
Florida Sportsman member: Smokin_Reelz
We went out last Saturday from Miami to see if the Cero Mackerel were there. They are indeed. They are, along with about a billion ballyhoo. They weren’t that aggressive that day, as we caught only a few. But we went to the edge for about 10 minutes and caught 1/1 on sails.
Hillsboro Wreck Fishing
Florida Sportsman member: MH79
I picked off a couple decent mangroves on the bottom and tons of large blue runners on freelined jigs. My girl caught a decent bluefish on the bottom, which we threw back. I starting getting cut off a lot by what must have been bluefish or Spanish mackerel … which was a reminder that winter is right around the corner.
Miami Beach: A Trip To Remember
Florida Sportsman member: reelchaos27
We followed for a bit and slowly pulled up to this mammoth whale shark finning down sea. It was loaded with Cobia of all sizes. We sprung into action and started pitching baits. We all hooked up, had a few tangles, and a couple remoras to make things interesting.
Port Everglades Sails
Florida Sportsman member:TLUV
Motored out through a sloppy inlet and headed south to do some slow trolling. Setup in 150 feet off of Hollywood. Within the first 10 minutes, we were 1 for 2 on sails and had a cutoff from a king.
Miami Live Baiting
Florida Sportsman member: Ghostrider
In short order we managed to sabiki only a few threadfins and got a net full of ballyhoo.
made it to the edge and put the baits out, a few minutes later we missed a small dolphin that tried to eat a large ballyhoo.
Catching Dinner
Florida Sportsman member: gdholbrook
A quick afternoon trip paid off, brought home some dinner. We went three for five on muttons, caught a nice black and red as well.
Family Outing
Florida Sportsman member: miami mutton
Here is a day I wait for every year as both my boys, join me every year. my oldest Benny Jr. had a herniated disc last week so he was on the electric and got the feel for it and started catching mutton after mutton and had a very nice black grouper surprise as i had another black on the bottom rod on the other side.
Mutton Madness
Florida Sportsman member: miami mutton
We have been catching some nice muttons out of Miami along with yellowtails and mangrove snapper. They continue to hit on ballyhoo. I was joined by my son, Miamimuttonman Jr. which helped me keep up with double hook ups and at one time, we had the flat line with a Mac, the boy with a yellowtail and the two bottom rods all with a fish at the same time.
Tournament Winner
Florida Sportsman member: SmittysTeam
We ran out Saturday morning and fished the 700-800 feet for awhile but nada. Decided to run further out and picked up a couple nice fish on the 52 line. Blind trolling and off a pallet. Fishing was real slow but managed to get first place overall.
Giant South Florida Swordfish
Florida Sportsman member: farinco
We made it out to the sword grounds at around 1:30PM and on the 2nd drop of the day … we get a bite way high off the bottom. We play with the bait to try and come tight on the fish and after a few MONSTER bites we get a hook in the fish. Little did we know what we had just gotten ourselves into.
North Largo Muttons
Florida Sportsman member: fulltime
Started the day with the plan to go dolphin fishing, talked with a few charter guys who said it stunk offshore. Switched gears and went bottom fishing, caught seven muttons and called it a day.
MIami Mixed Bag
Florida Sportsman member: Yeaaa_Chris
We had…
