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Fishing Report for Ft. Lauderdale & Port Everglades
Capt. Cary Hanna
February 20, 2006
Fort Lauderdale - Saltwater Fishing Report
Reef and Sword report on New Lattitude
The past few weeks have burnt a few situations in the memory bank. On the reef it was pretty slow for awhile as our weather was stable but as soon as the fronts started approaching our bite picked up in good numbers. Flying the kite has picked up quite a few fish including Sailfish, Dolphin, and good size Kings. The Mayors cup Sailfish tourny was held this past weekend but we were fishing every night instead. Plenty of Dolphin and Sailfish were caught. We had our best luck on fresh caught ballyhoo during the week, can't beat it.
I have had more interest with my clients wanting to go Swordfishing more than anything else. Where else can you get to pull on a fish that takes everything you have and then everything your friend has to get him to the boat? My client Mike Heller got a chance this year to get out as last year the seas were to rough to make it out Swording. We had an awsome night together. We put out the spread and the far bait ticks off. We get tight and we know were on a good fish. While Mike fights this fish we get 2 More bites and the hooks pull on both, we were in them thick. Mike stays on his fish for 1 and a half hours. The fish changes directions and heads south and picks up more energy than ever, stripping 80 pound mono with over 40 pounds of drag on him. 1 hour and 45 minutes later the line snapped about 300 feet behind the swivel. A big let down for us. The last 10 minutes of that trip we get on another fish from the tip rod and this fish was pretty big as well pulling his share of drag. 10 minutes later we pulled the hooks after the fish made a nice jump.
Then Nick from came along and booked 3 nights with me. Our first night was not good only boating a Shark. The next night we get 2 fish in the boat after getting a triple header Sword bite. The far bait goes off and we get tight on that fish. Emmediately another jug bait goes off and I get tight on that fish. So we are both fighting fish and I see a Swordfish come in the lights and swing his bill left to right. It looked like he was trying to kill the Tinker Mackeral baits that were all around the boat. Then I noticed he had a leader in his mouth. He had picked up the tip rod and came to the surface with it. There was nothing we could do with just the 2 of us so the fish shook off the leader and swam off.
Our next night was good as we got a good fish over a 100 pounds in the boat. Then the fishing slowed a bit as the northwest winds picked up and blew us off the couse we needed to be on. But again about 5 minutes before we were going to reel them up the tip rod goes off with the live bait and we were stuck on real good fish once again. Nick gives up and gives me the rod for awhile so I put the screws to him and couldn't budge this fish. The seas were picking up and usually that would help bring in a fish as the boat rocks back and forth. But this only made it worse because this fish wouldn't budge from his spot, what pure muscle! We decided to let rodney fight this one and we cranked him in 1/2 a crank at a time. We get to the leader and I start to pull him in. He's under the boat so I cant see him yet, but I can feel his weight. He circles counterclockwise and comes up from under the props. All I see is an awsome blue color and no bill. The fish slowly turns towards me as I lead him closer. As he turns to me his mouth is wide open, big enough for a basketball to fit inside, and I shout, "its a Mako". I stepped back as it looked like he was going to jump in the boat if I stuck him with the gaff. At that very moment he turned his head and clipped the 300 lb leader with no effort. What a great experience and I hope to see it again soon. Thats it for now. Come and book a trip and lets see if we can burn one in the memory banks for you.
See you on the rip,
Captain Cary Hanna
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