Great Fishing Now
Capt. Steve Souther
August 19, 2020
Fort Lauderdale - Saltwater Fishing Report
August usually signals the end of summer. While most of the country begins to experience cooler weather, here in Fort Lauderdale, we look at 2 more months of hot weather. This is the time of year that the waters offshore of Ft. Lauderdale are usually at their warmest and that affects the way we fish and what we catch.
I'm sure many of you have experienced going from the shore of a lake or into the water of an ocean and felt the thermo cline (difference in temperature) of the surface water and the deeper water it sits on. Fish, being cold blooded, are sensitive to this change, not only is it felt, but seen as well. It forms a layer of water that appears blurry to our eyes, like Vaseline spread on a piece of glass. This is the main reason that we switch from live bait fishing to trolling with our deep lines out this time of year. The fish stay deeper to avoid this area. Only the hungriest of fish will penetrate this barrier. This is also why the early morning or later afternoon will produce more bites.
Here in Fort Lauderdale, our fishing close to shore has been good to excellent. Kingfish are abundant most days, with the legal limit being caught fairly easily. Mixed in with the Kings are some Bonito, a few Barracuda, Blackfin Tuna and the occasional Sailfish. The last week or so has been excellent at raising some Sails. They have been biting regularly on the days we are out.
Further offshore, in 300 to 500' or so, Wahoo have been a fairly regular fish being caught. If you are not familiar with this fish, check it out on the web. Excellent eating and an amazingly fast and strong swimmer, these fish truly make the reel "sing" when they strike. This seasons Dolphin fishing has been very lack luster here. While we have encountered them with extremely limited success, they have not been predominant as they usually are this time of year. Still, we hope for a happy ending to this summer with a late flurry of them showing up. They will be on the move and with the tropics heating up, the debris in the water from storms makes an excellent habitat for these fish.
While the days are hot, the nights are cooler, the Swordfish grounds have had some action. While not catching a fish every trip, the bites are there. The conditions determine how things go and with a little luck, a few bites AND fish can be had.
With the offshore Dolphin fishing being slow, we have been spending more time close and doing some bottom fishing with some great success. Amberjack are still on the deeper wrecks and reefs. Mutton Snapper, a few Yellowtails and Groupers are also being caught on both live and dead bait.
Thanks for your time, have a great day.
Capt. Steve
Target Species:
Sailfish, Shark, Dolphin, Tuna, Swordfish and more...
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