Fort Lauderdale Wreck Fishing Action
Capt. Eric Bartlett
May 20, 2022
Fort Lauderdale - Saltwater Fishing Report
Wreck fishing is very popular around Fort Lauderdale, since it's a great way to catch some of the most sought after fish in the area.
We recently had the pleasure of doing a wreck fishing trip with the whole team of Sportfishing Buddy - https://sportfishingbuddy.com/
Fishing for wrecks is a popular activity for many people. It can be done at any time of year and at any time of day. However, there are some hours and seasons that are more optimal than others, and summer is one of the best times for wreck fishing.
A number of wrecks have been sunk on purpose in the Fort Lauderdale area, in order to create artificial reefs. If you target a shallow wreck, you're likely to hook into Barracudas or Sharks, while the deeper wrecks are better for big Jacks and Snappers.
One of the keys of wreck fishing is to know several wrecks in any given area that produce fish consistently. The reason for this is that if you head to a specific wreck, you might find another boat already anchored on top of the wreck.
When wreck fishing, it's important to have the right gear, since you need to keep your rig or lure close to the bottom in 100 to 300 feet of water. The best lures are heavy jigs, or bottom fishing rigs baited with cut bait or live bait.
Another important factor for success with wreck fishing is your ability to stay right on top of the wreck while fishing. That's why spot lock trolling motors have been such a game changer for wreck fishing, as they will hold your position within 3 feet of a set of GPS coordinates.
Fishing with spot lock really makes all the difference for wreck fishing, since you can position yourself exactly where you need to be, so that you can drop your bait presentation to within a few feet of the wreck.
Another nice trolling motor feature for wreck fishing is "spot lock jog", which allows you to move your position 5 feet in any direction that you choose, just by hitting a button on the remote control. That allows you to systematically dissect the whole area, until you find a pocket of fish.
Again, that's a real game changer for wreck fishing, since you need to be right on top of the fish in order to get results. If you're just a few feet to the left or right, you won't catch a single fish.
However, if you're using spot lock for wreck fishing, you really need to make sure your trolling motor is well maintained, as so much depends on it functioning flawlessly.
That's why I spend so much time taking care of my trolling motor after every trip. For more tips on maintaining your trolling motor check out this article: https://tacklevillage.com/trolling-motor-maintenance-tips/
If you find that the fish are moving around a lot, you can either try drift fishing or trolling in the vicinity of the wreck, in order to improve your chances of locating the fish.
Another great tactic is to stay in position and use chum to attract the fish to your boat.
Deep wrecks consistently produce big fish, including Amberjacks and Amaco Jacks, as well as Snappers, Groupers and Tuna. That's enough for some serious rod-bending action!
Target Species:
Amberjack, Snapper, Grouper
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