Fishing Reports
Hello Fall!
Report Date: October 13, 2023
Summer is officially over, and fall is here. We are expecting our first cold front of the year next week. Keep in mind cold fronts in South Florida this time of year are not necessarily cold. The high temps will still be low 80’s compared to 90’s and the low will be in the low 60’s compared to high 70’s. Even though that may not seem like a lot, it makes a big impact on migrating fish. The colder weather, especially up north, will drive the baitfish down south and the predators will be following them. After a summer of very bleak mahi fishing, I am super excited to get into kite fishing, especially targeting sailfish. Although sailfish are not the only species you catch while kite fishing, it is one of the most sought-after fish we have here in South Florida. Besides sailfish, mahis, blackfin tunas, kingfish are also quite plentiful on the kite. Occasionally you might even get a wahoo or a cobia.
Fall time is excellent for daytime swordfish. We had a trip last week with a fishing magazine and caught a swordfish. Looking forward to seeing the article and pictures in the magazine soon. The swordfish bite will continue from now until January. The good thing about October and November is the weather is usually better suited for the trips into the Gulfstream where we target the swords. We use a variety of tackle to target daytime swordfish, including Hooker/Penn electric reels with detachable electric drives so if a person did want to hand crank a swordfish, they can remove the electric drive and use the Penn reel. We also use a Penn 50W and can target these fish within IGFA guidelines. We have been honored to have guided people to catch a broadbill swordfish as part of their quest for a IGFA Billfish Slam. The other aspect of daytime swordfish is the size of the fish. You just don’t know if your next fish will be less than 100 pounds or more than 500 pounds. Just this past weekend one of my very good friends and a mate I have used for years, caught a swordfish over the 500-pound mark while daytime swordishing. You just never know!
One more fishery in the fall worth mentioning is high speed trolling in the Bahamas.
We have always done very well in October and November high speed trolling in Bimini. These are usually multi day trips. We start in Miami and run the 50 miles across to Bimini. We check in with Customs and Immigration and get our rooms, usually at The Bimini Big Game Club. By 9:30am or so we are ready and hed out. The beauty about the Bahamas, is you can literally start fishing within minutes of leaving the dock. We deploy 5 rods and lures and troll at 15 knots. Wahoo are fast fish, and 15 knots is not much to them. Plus, by trolling at 15 knots you get to cover a lot of ground. Depending on how the wahoo bite is, we may also stop and do some deep dropping for snappers and groupers. We the go back to the marina, shower up and have dinner and some drinks and get ready to do it all over again. This trip is a blast, and the fishing usually does not disappoint.
So, as you can see, Fall overs a great variety of fishing, so decide on what perks your interest, give us a call and let’s go catch some fish!
Tight Lines
Capt. Dean Panos