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Fishing Report for Miami, Florida
Capt. Bouncer Smith
February 20, 2005
Miami - Saltwater Fishing Report
Swordfish Nights
Boy are we getting slow. I can’t believe it has been at least 3 weeks since the last fishing report. I guess it is fishing 12 hours a day, plus boat shows and all. This week fishing was as hot and as cold as fishing can get.
We fished three days with Don Dietrich, Mark Brecher and Jon Colton. The first day we started out for tarpon late in the afternoon. With no fish showing on the sonar, and none rolling on the surface we threw in the towel after about 45 minutes. We ran back to the dock and grabbed the swordfish gear.
A mad dash 18 miles offshore got us to the swordfish grounds just as darkness started to take command of the world around us. It was a nice night with calm seas a a good piece of the moon surrounded with stars. It wasn’t long before Jon was hooked to a swordfish of about 50 pounds. A quick photo and Jon’s swordfish was back on the prowl. By evenings end we saw Don catch a matching swordfish and Jon fill the well with tinker mackerel, but no big fish for Mark.
Day two started with hopes of afternoon daytime action. We were not lucky enough to find much of that action. A couple good bottom fish escaped our hooks. One 6 pound grouper looked awful lonely in the fish box as we headed offshore toward swordfish town. On the way out, a tree branch floating in 800 feet of water gave us a 5 pound dolphin to join the fish box crowd.
We set out the swordfish spread as darkness feel. 4 strikes kept us on our toes over the next couple hours. The bait set at 150 feet was the hot rod. We had a shark bite off one bait. Then it was a beautiful 130 pound swordfish for Mark. While we photographed this fish, the same rod got struck again. Don leaped into action and soon had a wild 90 pound swordfish up to the boat and trying for all it was worth to assault Ron. It jumped and thrashed around the boat in the glow of the Hydro Glow Light for several minutes before we could get close enough to cut it loose. Half an hour latter Jon scored with a swordfish about 70 pounds and we headed home with smiles all around the boat.
Wednesday produced a little better day fishing as we caught a sailfish for Mark, a couple nice dolphin around 15 pounds each and a couple big blue runners on fly for Jon. The evening trip produced a lot of action, but not enough catches. Over 3 hours of fishing we had 5 swordfish strikes on live speedos and got one fish in the boat for quick photos and another up to the leader to allow a “legal” release before he slipped off the hook. Another strike on a squid never even bent the rod.
Now back to the bummer day time fishing. Thursday we fished from 7 AM till 8 PM. We took 2 hours off at mid day to change charter parties. The total days catch was a double header of barracudas and two gray snappers.
And then the wind blew. Friday morning we were greeted by north winds of about 15 knots as we left the inlet. That combined with a current running about a knot to the north offered great sailfish conditions. Steve, Jill and little Taylor Mote proved “what a difference a day makes” as they caught 6 out of 7 sailfish that ate the baits, plus a couple dolphin and a couple bonitas. The evening trip produced 1 of 2 tarpon, 4 big bluefish, 4 large ladyfish and a small king mackerel for some fun action with the guys from TR-1 Gladiator auto pilots.
We are working at the boat show while we hear about plenty of sailfish caught Saturday. And head back to the show today (Sunday).
Tune in to The Outdoor Channel at 9 PM on Monday Feb. 21st to watch “Mark Sosin’s Saltwater Journal” with Mark and I enjoying sailfish, grouper and jacks off Miami Beach.
February is sold out and there are 3 trips left in March. Fishing is at it’s best in April and May, so you better get those reservations in. E-mail me at [email protected] to make your fishing plans.
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