Fort Lauderdale Fishing Report – August 2009



As we entered into August, seas were flat as glass and the fishing was phenomenal, producing Kingfish and Bonito for all. The Bonito bite is still strong and steady with the Kings by their side. Get your Bonito fix in now and save those strips for later because September is right around the corner and the bite should come to a halt here shortly. Kingfish on the other hand will remain on the reefs and will continue to bite anywhere from 30 – 60 feet below the surface. Trolling is the most common way to land a Kingfish and the Lady Pamela II has been successful with 8 – 10 lb’ers coming over the side along with a few bigger Mackerels in the 25 -40 lb range. Not only have the Kings been hitin’ the deck left and right, the Blackfin Tuna have showed themselves quite nicely this month. Blackfin Tuna provide excellent sport on light tackle and a hefty 50 lb’er on the line is common. Blackfin flesh is a bit dark but extremely tasty sushi style.

The image of several Sailfish release flags flying from the rigger plays nicely against a South Florida winter sky. However, anyone who thinks Sailfish are strictly cold-weather species might want to reconsider. Spindlebeaks aren’t just for guys in grundens. For the past several summers, a growing number of Sailfish have been caught from Palm Beach to the Upper Keys. Yet, the bite is nowhere better than off the coast of Fort Lauderdale and Miami during the summer months. This must be how the name “Sailfish Alley” came about for Broward and Dade County. August hasn’t given us much wind to work with, but we did have a few days where it was blowing enough to fly the kites and get our hands on a few jumping Sailfish. Winter is creeping up behind us and the Lady Pamela II is excited to see what the season has in store for us.

Although spring is high season for Game Sharks, the August bite hasn’t been too shabby. We’ve caught a handful of Game Sharks offshore that didn’t give in easily and put up a wicked fight.

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Hi Captain Dave,
Just got back to Atlanta and wanted to send you pictures of the big catch. I can’t believe I caught an 8’ golden hammerhead shark. It was my dream to catch a shark – I watch about sharks whenever they are on tv.
From Thomas

The shipwrecks offshore have been holding heavy with loads of fish. Drop a fresh bait 350 ft deep and your chances of attracting an Amberjack is likely. Not only are Amberjacks hanging deep, Groupers flock to a well presented bait sitting on the bottom as well. Move into the shallow wrecks and the dinosaur Barracuda will hop on that bait and bend the rod.
The Wahoo bite has been incredible around the full moons. Wahoo are one of the tastiest eating fish and these fierce fighters will show you who’s boss on the water real quick, especially at 75 lb’s plus.
Mahi fishing is the talk of the town right now. It has been hit or miss, with a few small stray fish here and there, nothing to rave about, yet. The Lady Pamela II has been averaging about 10 Mahi per week anywhere from 5 – 20 lb’s. The delicious Dolphin haven’t chugged it this way yet, but we are still hoping for a big run of hungry fish next month.
Sea ya on the water…
Tight Lines!
Captain David Ide
954-761-8045