Fort Lauderdale Charter Fishing/ Cruise Ship Options
Capt. John Logan
March 1, 2012
Fort Lauderdale - Saltwater Fishing Report
What would you do if you came to Fort Lauderdale to board a cruise and had a day before the trip? Charter fishing might be one option as it was for Tim, Paul, Brandon, Julie and Henry.
So we begin on a calm day with clear skies, you know, Chamber of Commerce type stuff for Fort Lauderdale, trolling around looking for a bite and where the fish might be when almost immediately, one rod sings out.
There is nothing more exciting when charter fishing than sitting and waiting and that first bite comes. While we initially had no idea what it was that had struck, the way the line took off certainly gave us a clue. Wahoo's are notorious for this. Long initial runs with plenty of speed. I honestly don't remember who was in the chair for this fish, I think it was Tim and as he battled our first fish of the day, another strike came from a top bait. Chris grabbed the rod, set the hook into the fish's mouth and yelled "It's HIM"! Even though the fish had struck looking directly into the bright morning sun, Chris had seen his sail, this Sailfish was taking line and fast. Paul jumped in the chair as we got Tim's Wahoo boated and cleared the lines so we could go after this very hot fish.
At this point, I have to tell you just how helpless you feel as you watch the line from the reel just disappear before your eyes. The rod is bent, the line just keeps coming off and the size of line left is reduced in a matter of seconds. Finally ready to chase this fish down, you realize that all that line must be wound back onto the spool and if you're in the chair? It's your job…
After about 10 minutes or so Paul was getting tired and opted for his son Brandon to take over. The switch was made and new fresh strength was on the rod now. You have to be careful at this point not to pull too hard or the fish will escape. Brandon did an excellent job of retrieving the rest of the line and after some jumps and a few small runs, the fish was boat side for pictures and release. Nice job boys…
We picked a few other fish, small Tuna I think and it was like someone had flipped a switch. Nothing was biting and no reports from the radio. We caught a few more small fish and then came Henry's turn. Another BIG run on a rod and another Wahoo twice the size of the first. That's the picture I chose for this report, Henry with his first fish ever.
We also caught a nice sized Kingfish before our time was up and headed back to the dock.
At least we got Henry something to eat, he was hungry from the time he stepped on board.
Charter fishing off Fort Lauderdale before a cruise. You might get the ultimate free lunch!
Target Species:
Sailfish, Shark, Dolphin, Tuna, Wahoo Kingfish, Bonito, Barracuda, Swordfish Marlin and more...
More Fishing Reports:
