Feb 2010

Fishing in Fort Lauderdale in Feb can be real good, there are normally some sailfish still hanging around and the springtime fish are starting to make a showing like mahi mahi, amberjacks and kingfish and wahoos.  On the 2^nd Brian, Brent and Mark decided to fish Fort Lauderdale with us and we started the day with a bang.  After a quick stop at the sea buoy to catch a couple of speedos and blue runners we raced to a deep water wreck I had marked some amberjacks on the other day while trolling.  The first bait no sooner touched the bottom when a large jack ate the bait.  Brian jumped in the chair and slugged it out for the next 20 minutes before we got the leaders some pictures and a nice release.  Brent was next and also had a insta bite.  He also slugged it out for about 20 minutes before he subdued it and it was Marks turn.  Mark also caught his fish and since everyone was pretty beat up from the jacks we decided to do some trolling and catch a couple of kings before calling it a day.  Mark, Kathy and Mary caught a nice kingfish and a huge blacktip spinner shark with us on the 6^th.  The 7^th brought us Misty and Rachel from Maine and Dave and Susan from Michigan.  Everyone caught some kings and we scored a couple of jacks as well.  On the 8^th Ryan and Brad from California had a great day with us as Ryan caught a sailfish and both guys caught a 20# mahi mahi we finished up the day with 3 giant amberjacks.  Nice goin guys.  Bad weather blew us out for a few days and we resumed on the 15^th with Cory and Rhonda from Canada who each caught amberjacks and a king.  The 18^th was tough in the morning with Neno and his five kids we started nat the bouy and caught some blue runners which the kids loved but it slowed from there.  We tried the wrecks but the jacks weren’t there we trolled but nothing doing that either  we finally caught a barracuda.  In the afternoon it picked back up and Mike, Nick and Patrick from Ny caught a jack some kings and a barracuda.  The 19^th we had Tom, Sammie from Miami and Richie.   We went way offshore to swordfish Fort Lauderdale.  The first drop to bottom in 1800 feet we had no bite so we brought the bait back up to reset and when it was thirty feet from the boat a 250# blue marlin swarmed it but didn’t eat.  We also pitched a live bait but it swam off but I had a feeling we were in for a great day.  On the third drop we hooked a fish but pulled it off a short time later.  On the next drop we were connected and in a big way.  It took us five hours to catch the sea monster a huge 600# thresher shark, way to go guys.  We had the same group the next day and we hammered the kings and some tilefish.

Jan 15-31

Fort Lauderdale fishing was a little off this month we had some real great fishing days and some real poor ones.  It just seemed to be real inconsistent.  On the 15^th , Mitch, Michelle and Yohan From Quebec joined us for what turned out to be one of those poor days.  We just couldn’t buy a bite and we tried everything, we trolled, live baited and wreckfished with no success.  We finally caught some small bullet bonita and trolled them by the jetties and managed a couple of real nice barracudas.  On the 16^th  deep sea fishing Fort Lauderdale with us was Phil, Mark, David, Evan and Jamie and it was another tough one and what stinks the most is what a great group.  They didn’t even mind the slow fishing they were just happy to be on the water and out of the cold in Chicago.  We did finally catch a couple of kings and a bonita.  The 18^th brought Nicole, Travis, John and Betty all the way from Alaska to fish fish Fort Lauderdale.  They really wanted some sailfish and the weather was nice and cool with a light north wind and good water color and current but nobody had seen a sailfish for days.  We kite fished for a while before making some drops and then catching a couple of barracudas.  Finally fishing got a little better on the 19^th with John, John, Kate, Peter and Susan from Chicago and Canada.  Kate hooked and caught a giant amberjack with a little help from John and Peter and susan captured a nice bonita.  We had several other shots at the big amberjacks but they got us in the wreck a couple of times and we pulled a hook or two.  Jay and Bee Ratliff tried for sailfish on their Fort Lauderdale fishing charter and Bee caught a beautiful 78 inch sailfish a couple of bonitas and a barracuda, nice going guys. On the 30^th Ralph and Tony nabbed a nice wahoo, some kingfish and a bonita.

Fishing Fort Lauderdale with us today were friends of my good friend Jackie Reily.  Henry, Travis and Rich climbed aboard for a very successful day.  We picked up goggle eyes from the bait boat on the way out and punched out the inlet.  I ran the boat north to a shallow reef to try and get some live ballyhoos as well.  After about 20 minutes with no cooperation from the balyhoos we headed offshore to pop the kites.  We got two baits out and already had a fish on. A total insta bite as we call it.  While winding in the second bait another fish ate it, but was only on for a second or two.  We were still connected to the first one and gave chase and Travis did a great job of getting it to the boat for a release.  I made a quick run south to try and get back in front of the fish and as soon as we set back up we had another one on and Rich jumped in the chair.  Rich’s fish gave a good show at the boat but finally gave up as we got the leader for another release.  We set up again and waited and waited.  We were almost out of time when another sailfish jumped on and Henry took to the chair.  What a great fight and great way to end the trip.  Henry also got his fish in the boat for some pictures and a release.  That made three out of four sailfish.  Boy it feels good to be back on track.

Fishing Fort Lauderdale with us today was darren from Ny, Karen, Rachel and Nate from Iowa, Joanna and Tom from Minnesota.  After the ups and downs the past week or so it was nice to catch some fish.  The sailfishing had shut down so we went trolling just looking to bend the rods.  We scored with one king fish and two small bonitas on the reef and then headed offshore.  We found a bunch of birds working a weedline in 500 feet of water and headed towards them.  We were hooked up right away with 5-8 pound mahi mahi.  Every pass would bring a bite or two, one would jump off and we would get the next one.  They grew wise to the trolling baits so we pitched small chunks on light spinning rods and ended up with a total of 13 fish.  Great job guys!

Good friend and repeat customer Bill from Buffalo and his friend Denny joined us for what should have been a great day sailfishing, unfortunately for us us the sailfish did not know that.  Bill has been trying to catch a sailfish for many years now and they continue to elude him always biting the day before he gets here or the day after he leaves.   We had a big school of mahi mahi around the boat that were reluctant to eat we managed to coax two into the box.  Normally mahi mahi will eat you out of house and home but not today.  We tried a couple of drops for amberjacks with no results.  Bill thank you for your continued patronage and youve got one coming.

Good friend and repeat customer Al from Chicago his son Matt and wife Linda joined us today for some sailfishing.  Linda caught her sailfish with us last year so Al and Matt were up this trip.  MAtt is is only 9 1/2 and today proved to be his lucky day.  We put the kites up right away and began our wait.  Al being the b*ll Buster that he is threw some shots in here and there about the slow start, and I was in the cockpit with him today, no ESCAPE!  Its all in good fun Al has fished his whole life and knows somedays are good some not so much.  Then it happenned we spotted a sailfish under the left short bait but it didnt eat it cruised by but we were ready when he ate the bait on the right.  I fed him for a good 10 count and then locked it up.  He immediately jumped and showed his awesome colors to us ripping the surface of the ocean apart.  Matt jumped in the chair for the fight of his life and after about 25 minutes we pulled the fish in for pictures and a quick release.  Great job Matt.  We set back up and not too long after a huge sailfish pied on the left short bait and Big Al was connected.  That fish really took some line and took us into the backing on the reel.  Al is a great angler and did a great job of keeping it tight.  We had to pull all the gear in and give chase we finally caprured the 88 inch monster took some pictures and let him go.  Great job guys.  See you again soon.

Joe, Diane, Mike and Ingrid from Philly fished Ft Lauderdale with us today and had a GREAT DAY!! Finally some fish we slayed the big kingfish on the troll today we put eight in the box missed a few bites, pulled a couple off it was non stop action.  We also caught a handful of big bonitas a nice yellowtail snapper and a huge mutton snapper.  Boy did we need this trip for moral support.  Its hard to fish day in and day out, trying your hardest doing everything you can and the fish just wont cooperate, today they just seemed to jump in the boat.

Charles, Francois and Julian from Quebec kite fished with us all morning looking for the sailfish that the conditions said had to be there.  But they werent.  Reports of lots of sailfish in the Palm Beach area days before said they were coming our way as they migrate south.  They are just not here yet. We finally had a shot and jumped a beautiful sailfish off just after hookup.

This afternoon Lahn, Nown, dave, Jen and Diane finally found and captured a barracuda.  I can honestly say in 17 years of doing this i have never seen the fishing so poor for so long.  My deepest apologies to everyone that fished this past week

Max, Natasha, Brenda, Josh from Nydid a little better than most combined our last few trips.  They caught a handful of hard fighting bonitas and jumped off a mahi mahi.  Not the most incredible trip but an improvement from the last few.

In the afternoon Tim, John and Martin from Quebec turned things around with a nice amberjack, an almaco jack, two tilefish a kingfish and five bonitas.  Thank God it looks like fishing is going to get better.

I cant believe it, this week and next week are our two busiest weeks of the year we are booked everyday twice a day and the fishing is just awful.  Today Algosto, Jorge and Fred from Argentina tried fishing Fort Lauderdale and it was n ot good at all.  We have a Blue Moon this month (two full moons in one month) maybe that has something to do with it, I just don’t know.  We trolled, dropped, live baited and just couldn’t produce.  Right at the end of the trip we pitched a live goggle eye around the jetty and caught a monster jack.  A trip saver to say the least.

In the afternoon the poor fishing continued for Rich, Mike and Brent although we were able to catch a handful of small tilefish.