Deep Sea Fishing in Fort Lauderdale with Top Shot Fishing Team
Capt. David Zsak
September 21, 2026
Fort Lauderdale - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fort Lauderdale Deep Sea Fishing Report – Great Action Offshore
The fishing off Fort Lauderdale continues to produce a nice variety of species, with action ranging from trolling the reef to targeting Blackfin Tuna offshore, fishing wrecks, and battling Sailfish and Sharks. One of the great things about deep sea fishing in Fort Lauderdale is the number of different fishing techniques we can use during a single charter. Within a relatively short run from the dock, we can troll the reef, head offshore looking for Tuna and Mahi, fish the wrecks for Amberjack and Snapper, live bait fishing for Sailfish or put out the big baits for Sharks.
Here is a recap of several of our recent trips aboard the Happy Day Today with Top Shot Sportfishing Charters.
Chris from Illinois – Bonita Action and a 6-Foot Silky Shark
Chris and his family, visiting from Illinois, booked us for a morning five-hour deep sea fishing charter in Fort Lauderdale. We had some beautiful South Florida fishing conditions with light easterly winds, a 1-2 foot chop and comfortable seas.
We started the morning by heading offshore and setting up our trolling spread in approximately 150 feet of water. Kyle, our first mate, deployed our standard six-line trolling spread consisting of four surface baits off the outriggers and two deep planer lines. This setup allows us to cover several different depths of the water column and gives us a good opportunity to find where the fish are feeding.
It didn't take long before the action started.
The Bonitas were moving through in full force, and before long we were getting bites on just about every rod in the spread. Both the surface baits and deep planer lines were producing, with several of the rods getting hit two or three times throughout the morning.
Bonitas are sometimes overlooked because they aren't typically targeted for the dinner table, but they're one of the hardest-fighting fish we catch while trolling the reef. They make long, powerful runs and will put a serious bend in the rod. When you're catching 10-12 of them during a charter, there's rarely much downtime.
After plenty of trolling action and a nice catch of fish, we decided to change things up and do some bottom fishing. We always like having the opportunity to put some good-eating fish in the cooler for our customers to take home after the trip, so we headed to one of our bottom fishing areas and deployed our Snapper rigs.
While fishing the bottom, we decided to add another possibility to the spread by putting out a couple of Shark baits. We set one bait deep and another bait on the surface. It was the surface bait that got the attention.
The Shark picked up the bait and we came tight on what turned out to be approximately a 6-foot Silky Shark. After a strong fight, Chris and the family were able to bring the Shark alongside the Happy Day Today. Kyle removed the hook, and after getting a good look at the fish, we safely released the Silky Shark back into the Atlantic.
It was a great way to finish a productive morning of Fort Lauderdale deep sea fishing, with plenty of action on the trolling rods and a nice Shark to cap off the trip.
David from Ontario – Blackfin Tuna, Skipjack Tuna, Amberjack and Yelloweye Snapper
David from Ontario booked a six-hour Fort Lauderdale fishing charter along with his son and two friends. With six hours to work with, we had plenty of time to try several different techniques and search for the best bite of the day.
We started by trolling the reef in approximately 100 feet of water. The conditions looked good for King Mackerel, with a light chop, green-blue water and a light current. We put the trolling spread out and started searching for Kings. The conditions looked right, but the King Mackerel weren't cooperating.
When one area isn't producing, we don't like sitting around waiting for something to happen. We began searching. We moved into deeper water, made turns over some productive wrecks, changed trolling speeds and changed directions trying to locate where the fish had moved.
One of the biggest things we watch while deep sea fishing off Fort Lauderdale is bird activity. Birds can see surface activity from a long distance and often lead us to feeding fish that we can't see from the boat.
We spotted a frigate bird working offshore in the distance. At the time, we were fishing in approximately 300 feet of water, and the bird appeared to be working closer to the 500-foot depth. That was enough for us to go take a look.
As we worked our way offshore, we found exactly what we were hoping for—Blackfin Tuna busting on the surface. Blackfins often respond better to a slightly different trolling presentation, so we quickly made adjustments to our spread. We kept some medium-sized lures out but added several smaller lures that have proven successful for us when targeting Tuna. The adjustment paid off. We started catching Blackfin Tuna along with Skipjack Tuna, giving David, his son and their friends some great action.
Once the Tuna bite slowed down, we decided to make another move and finish the trip with some wreck fishing. We headed back toward the reef to a productive shipwreck that has been sitting on the bottom off Fort Lauderdale for nearly 60 years. I positioned the Happy Day Today over the wreck while Kyle rigged the bait and sent it toward the bottom. It didn't take long.
We hooked into a nice-sized Amberjack, which gave the guys another hard fight. Amberjacks are built for power and immediately try to get back into the structure when they're hooked, so getting one away from the wreck takes some serious pressure from the angler. We also worked the outside edges of the wreck with our Snapper rigs and were rewarded with Yelloweye Snapper.
It turned into a great mixed-bag six-hour charter. We started on the reef looking for King Mackerel, followed the birds offshore to Blackfin and Skipjack Tuna, and finished the day wreck fishing for Amberjack and Snapper. That's a perfect example of why we enjoy Fort Lauderdale fishing charters—there are always different options available when you're willing to move around and find the bite.
Doug and Family – King Mackerel, Blackfin Tuna and an Incredible Sailfish
Doug and his family from Melbourne Beach, Florida, joined us aboard the Happy Day Today for a six-hour deep sea fishing charter.
We started the morning trolling the reef in approximately 120-150 feet of water. The conditions looked prime, and this time the King Mackerel agreed. We found a consistent Kingfish bite almost immediately.
We worked our way north along the reef and then turned back south, keeping our trolling spread working through the productive water. The deep planer rods were definitely the stars of the morning. Both the short and long planer lines stayed busy, trading bites back and forth as we continued trolling.
The rods stayed active throughout the morning, and by the time the dust settled we had caught five King Mackerel and a Blackfin Tuna. But the biggest excitement of the trip was still ahead of us. Without warning, one of our outrigger lines came ripping out of the clip and the rod doubled over. Seconds later, a Sailfish exploded out of the water.
The Sailfish immediately started jumping and was moving across the surface at what seemed like Mach 10. Doug's son jumped on the rod and became the angler. He did a great job keeping pressure on the fish as the Sailfish made powerful runs and continued putting on a show. After a solid fight, he worked the Sailfish toward the transom, where Kyle was able to take control of the leader and remove the hook. We brought the Sailfish aboard briefly for a quick photo before getting it right back into the water for a clean release.
Catching your first Sailfish is something you don't forget, and watching Doug's son battle that fish made the day even more memorable for everyone aboard.
Five King Mackerel, a Blackfin Tuna and a beautiful Sailfish release made for an epic day of deep sea fishing in Fort Lauderdale and another great family fishing trip aboard the Happy Day Today.
Eric's Afternoon Charter – Barracuda, Sailfish and Sandbar Shark
Eric booked us for an afternoon Fort Lauderdale deep sea fishing charter, and when we first left the dock, the weather didn't look particularly inviting. The rain was coming down as we headed out, but South Florida weather can change incredibly fast. There's an old saying around here: if you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes. That's pretty much exactly what happened. Shortly after leaving the dock, the rain moved through, the gray skies disappeared and we were greeted with blue skies and some beautiful fishing weather.
Our first stop was to catch some live bait. We loaded up on live Bullets and headed to the fishing grounds. Live bait can be extremely effective off Fort Lauderdale, especially when Sailfish, Kingfish, Barracuda and other predators are feeding along the reef. We deployed five live baits and started slowly working our way along the reef. It didn't take long before we found a pack of Barracuda. The Barracuda came through and absolutely crushed the spread. All five live baits were attacked, and we managed to hook and land three of the five Barracuda.
After the excitement settled down, Kyle put five fresh live baits back into the spread and we went right back to fishing. We continued slowly bumping the boat along with the live baits swimming naturally behind us. Suddenly, a Sailfish crashed one of the baits. Almost immediately the Sailfish came completely out of the water. The fish put on an incredible aerial show, jumping and cartwheeling across the surface. That's the moment everyone hopes to see when Sailfishing in South Florida.
After a great fight, we worked the Sailfish back toward the Happy Day Today. Kyle was able to remove the hook, and we brought the fish aboard briefly for a quick photo before returning it to the ocean for a clean release. With a Sailfish already under our belt, we decided to change gears again.
We headed to one of our productive wrecks and decided to drop a live bait down near the structure. I positioned the boat just up-current of the wreck while Kyle rigged a fresh live bait and sent it toward the bottom. As the bait reached the wreck, it immediately started getting nervous.
When you've spent enough time fishing live bait, you learn to pay attention to what the bait is telling you. A nervous bait suddenly swimming hard in one direction or another usually means there's something much larger nearby looking to eat it. Seconds later, the rod bent over. We were hooked up to a good fish. The guys took turns on the rod during a hard fight, and eventually we got the fish up alongside the boat. It was a Sandbar Shark. After everyone had a chance to see the Shark up close, we removed the hook and made a quick, clean release.
It was an action-packed afternoon that included Barracuda, a spectacular Sailfish and a Sandbar Shark—all while fishing live bait along the reef and around the wrecks. That's what makes deep sea fishing in Fort Lauderdale so exciting. You never know what might eat the next bait.
Deep Sea Fishing in Fort Lauderdale Aboard the Happy Day Today
These trips are a great example of the variety of fishing we have available off the South Florida coast. On any given day, we can troll the reef for King Mackerel, Bonita and Blackfin Tuna, follow birds offshore looking for feeding Tuna and Mahi, drop live baits on shipwrecks for Amberjack, fish the bottom for Snapper, or target Sailfish and Sharks.
Because the deeper water is relatively close to shore, we can spend more of the charter actually fishing and less time making long runs to and from the fishing grounds.
At Top Shot Sportfishing Charters, Capt. Dave, Capt. Tom and first mate Kyle work hard to find the fish and give every group a fun and memorable experience aboard our 52-foot Hatteras, Happy Day Today.
Whether you're an experienced angler or bringing your kids out for their first offshore fishing adventure, our Fort Lauderdale fishing charters can be customized around the conditions, the bite and the type of fishing you'd like to experience.
The fish don't always follow the original plan, and that's why we're constantly watching the water, current, birds and bait while adjusting our techniques throughout the charter. Sometimes the best bite is on the reef, sometimes it's offshore, and other days it's sitting directly over one of our wrecks.
That's what keeps Fort Lauderdale deep sea fishing interesting—you never know what the next bite might bring.
To book a trip contact Capt. Dave Zsak at (954) 439-8106 or visit the website at Topshotfishing.com
Target Species:
Sailfish, Shark, Amberjack, King Mackerel
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