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
