Fall Fishing Frenzy!

Report Date: September 27, 2024

We are into our fall season and there are subtle changes that we are already noticing. Weather is just a tad bit cooler in the morning, it is getting darker earlier, and the sun is rising later each morning. These changes are subtle to us, but it really gets the baitfish and the predators going. We have noticed a lot more bait on the beach including pilchards, threadfin herring and sardines. More bait means more predators. I haven’t seen the mullet pushing south yet but that should happen any day now.

Soon we will be in the thick of sailfish season, but we are already seeing sailfish almost daily. There is a big abundance of bonitos around. With the bonitos we should be seeing a push of wahoo, sailfish and bigger kingfish. Bonitos are a perfect morsel for those predators. We have also seen a lot more ballyhoos on the beach and in 20 to 40 ft range. The same thing happened last year, and we started seeing big mahis feeding on those ballyhoos. You usually associate mahis with deep Gulfstream water but when the ballyhoos are thick on the reef, these mahis move in. It’s quite the sight to see a ballyhoo shower and then see a bunch of big mahis in the shallow water chasing them. Sailfish also love ballyhoo, and they also go in and feed in the ballyhoo schools.

Farther offshore we have seen very steady action with daytime swordfishing. We have been lucky enough and have caught a swordfish on all our recent daytime sword trips. Typically, the fall is a great time for swordfish and October and November are two of my favorite months to target these fish.
Another fishery that starts to peak in the fall is the high-speed wahoo fishing in the Bahamas. I have always done well in late September and October with wahoo in Bimini. This past full moon, many of the boats that went over did well catching a half dozen wahoos per day. Wahoo fishing is quite the thrill. There is no other sound that rivals the sound of a reel when the lure gets eaten by a wahoo while trolling at 15knots. The reel starts to scream and you literally think the reel is going to explode. You better make sure all your terminal tackle and tackle are in order because if they are not, tackle failure will certainly occur. I really hope to do quite a few wahoo trips this fall and winter.
With all that said, know is the time to book your fall/winter trips. Whether it’s a wahoo trip to the Bahamas, a daytime swordfish trip or a kite fishing trip - book it now and Let’s Go!!

Tight Lines,
Capt. Dean Panos

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