Fort Lauderdale Fishing Report – Sport fishing in September 2010
Deep Sea fishing has been phenomenal in South Florida this summer. We’ve had some of the calmest summer days and some great catches to go along.
The Mahi – Mahi bite was off this season but the Blackfin Tuna bite made up for it. This is the best Blackfin Tuna bite we’ve seen in years here in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For the past 6 months, these football shaped fish have been biting anywhere from 200 – 400 ft of water, just 30 – 50 ft below the surface. Blue/white and pink/white seawitches with fresh Bonito/Mullet strips do the trick when looking for 5 – 10 lb Blackfin Tuna offshore Fort Lauderdale. Talk about good eats; Blackfin Tuna is one of the tastiest fish South Florida has to offer.
Who says Sailfish are seasonal in Fort Lauderdale. We’ve caught several Sailfish this summer. As a matter of fact, just last week we caught 2 Sailfish on the troll in 170 ft of water, using Stan Rouer seawitches and fresh bonito strips. Sailfish season is approaching Fort Lauderdale and we can’t wait. With a rippin’ north current and blue water you can’t go wrong with Spindle beaks. The Atlantic Sailfish is by far one of the most sought after game fish in the world and they can be found in plentiful numbers especially right here in South Florida during the winter months. Sailfishing is one of my all time favorites. They are capable of powerful runs, acrobatic jumps and reel blistering dives which may make your arms regret they ever tangled with this great fish.
Wahoo fish have been consistently biting anywhere from 170 – 450 ft of water on a blue edge with a north current. The Wahoo fish we’ve caught while trolling strip baits have weighed in between 20 – 60 lb’s.
Fort Lauderdale Drift Fishing aboard the Lady Pamela III is a terrific way to experience Fort Lauderdale fishing without the cram and jam of an average drift fishing boat. The Lady Pamela III is Fort Lauderdale’s ONLY drift fishing boat with a maximum of 24 passengers, more room for you, more FISH for you! The Lady Pamela III has been fishing an average of 1-2 trips per day with 9-10 anglers onboard. Jiggin’ ballyhoo’s on 40 lb tackle in 100 – 130 ft of water has hooked us up with Yellowtail Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Vermillion Snapper, King Mackerel, Gray Triggerfish, Grunts, Bonito fish and Blackfin Tuna.
The Vermillion Snapper bite comes in at number one. A 3 hook chicken rig with bonito and squid and light north current is key when deep dropping on a shipwreck in 180 ft of water for dinner. The Snappers have weighed in anywhere from 2-3 lb and 14-16 inches in length.
Our Saturday nighttime Swordfish trips have been going out almost every week. We take a minimum of 5 anglers, a maximum of 10 and head 14 miles offshore into the Gulfstream. Last Saturday we had 6 people, which made for a comfortable fishing trip. With a 2-3 ft chop and a 2 ½ knot current, we hooked a Broadbill Swordfish in 1,350 ft of water on 50 lb conventional stand up tackle. After a 40 minute battle, we had a 130 lb’er in the boat.
Daytime Swordfish Fishing is also a fishing excursion we offer at the Lady Pamela fleet. Very different from nighttime Swordfish fishing, we head 19 miles offshore to 1,800 ft of water. An electric reel with whole squid, mackerel or bonito is the key to Daytime Swordfishing in Fort Lauderdale. Bigger fish have been caught during the day this month.

Tight Lines!

Captain David Ide

954-761-8045