Don't Tell Mom Sportfishing 10/20/26 Fort Lauderdale Report
Capt. William Daley
October 20, 2026
Fort Lauderdale - Saltwater Fishing Report
Weekly Fishing Report | Don't Tell Mom Sportfishing
Fall fishing is heating up, and this past week delivered some absolutely outstanding action! We had a little bit of everything, from massive Amberjacks and our first Sailfish catches to Wahoo weighing up to 45 pounds, plenty of Mahi-Mahi, and some excellent Blackfin Tuna action. Not every trip was a home run, as you'd expect this time of year, but we had several trips that ranked among the best of the year.
One of the biggest changes we've seen lately is the amount of baitfish in the water. The large Mullet schools have mostly moved on, although we're still seeing some along the beaches. In their place, small Bullet-Bonitas and tons of flying fish have started showing up. This is exciting because these baitfish attract larger predators like Mahi-Mahi, Sailfish, Wahoo, and other hard-fighting pelagic species.
Here's a look at some of the highlights from an incredible week on the water!
Massive Amberjacks and a Seven-Foot Nurse Shark
We kicked off the week with a five-hour trip for a family hoping to catch something big. We headed to a deep wreck in 300 feet of water and dropped down a live Bonita. It didn't take long before we hooked into a massive Amberjack measuring nearly five feet long! These fish are incredibly powerful fighters, and this one gave our anglers quite a battle.
That wasn't the only highlight of the trip. We also hooked and landed a seven-foot Nurse Shark, along with a smaller Amberjack. While larger Amberjacks can be prone to parasites, the smaller fish can make excellent table fare. We were happy to send the family home with some fresh fish for dinner!
A Sailfish, Tuna, and Seven Mahi-Mahi
One of the weekend's five-hour trips was truly special. We had five friends visiting from Ohio who were hoping to catch Sailfish and Mahi-Mahi, and we were fortunate enough to deliver on both!
We started by catching a few small Bullet-Bonitas to keep in the live well for later. While trolling for something bigger, our high line started bending and twitching. I reeled into it, and a beautiful Sailfish piled on! John did an outstanding job fighting the fish and bringing it to the boat. We got some great pictures before safely releasing it and watching it swim away. What an incredible first Sailfish experience!
After catching a nice Skipjack Tuna, we worked some deep wrecks in more than 400 feet of water and picked up a solid Amberjack. We then spotted signs of life farther out and headed toward 700–750 feet of water, roughly five miles from shore.
At first, we weren't seeing much. But as we worked south, we started finding more flying fish and scattered weeds. We adjusted our trolling pattern to work the area in slightly shallower water, around 650 feet, and the action really turned on. We ended up catching seven keeper Mahi-Mahi, most of them good-sized gaffer fish!
Earlier in the trip, we had also caught a couple of nice fish, but the fishing really came together as a weather front moved in and the current lined up beautifully. It was an outstanding day and a great example of how quickly things can change when you find the right conditions.
Two Wahoo, Including a 45-Pound Monster!
Saturday afternoon brought another trip we won't soon forget. We started by trolling and putting a few fish in the box before heading north toward the wrecks to try our luck with live bait.
Then our short planer went off and started screaming! We had a Sea Witch rigged with a Bonito strip, and the result was a beautiful 20-pound Wahoo.
We were thrilled to see that fish come aboard.
After getting everything squared away, we switched our spread over to live Bonitas. Slow-trolling these baits is one of my favorite ways to fish because you have a real shot at something special. You may not get a bite every time, but when a big predator finds one of these baits, you know you're in for an exciting fight.
We worked past a couple of wrecks north of the inlet in about 130 feet of water when a downrigger line suddenly started dumping. The fish put up an incredible fight on light tackle, and after about 20 minutes, we finally brought another Wahoo to the boat.
This one was a monster, weighing in at 45 pounds!
It was the biggest Wahoo my mate Zach has ever seen. These fish are incredibly fast and elusive, with powerful, torpedo-shaped bodies and razor-sharp teeth designed to slice through their prey. Landing one takes the right equipment, proper rigging, and a crew that knows how to handle them. We were thrilled to get this beautiful fish aboard and straight onto ice.
And the day wasn't over yet! After using up our live Bonitas, we switched back to trolling and finished the trip with three Blackfin Tuna and a King Mackerel. What an incredible day of fishing!
Rough Weather, Beautiful Blue Water, and Seven More Fish
Our final trip of the week was yesterday, and conditions were rough and windy. After checking in with the guests beforehand to make sure they were still comfortable going, we headed out.
As it turned out, conditions weren't quite as rough as we had expected, and we found beautiful blue water with a strong south current. Before long, we came across a floater.
Whenever you find something floating out in the ocean, it's worth investigating. Floating debris can attract baitfish and provide shelter for smaller fish, which in turn draw in larger predators.
This floater certainly delivered! We caught four Wahoo and three Mahi-Mahi around it. Two of the Mahi-Mahi were undersized, so we released them and kept the legal fish. After trolling a little longer, we headed back in and cleaned the catch for our guests.
Even with the wind and rougher conditions, it turned into another outstanding trip!
Why Fall Fishing Is So Good
As I've mentioned in previous reports, fall can be a quieter time of year for tourism, but it's one of my favorite seasons to fish.
As cold fronts begin moving through, temperatures cool and the wind and currents change. These shifting conditions help drive major baitfish migrations, bringing large predators into the area to feed. With fish constantly chasing moving schools of bait, finding the right conditions and presenting a good live bait can make all the difference.
Right now, the small Bullet-Bonitas and flying fish are especially exciting to see. Slow-trolling live Bonitas has been producing some fantastic opportunities for larger Wahoo, Sailfish, King Mackerel, and other predators. When we find the right combination of bait, current, and clean blue water, the possibilities are exciting!
We're also looking forward to the arrival of the larger Ballyhoo schools, which can create one of the most exciting visual fisheries of the season. When predators push schools of Ballyhoo to the surface, the baitfish start shooting out of the water in spectacular showers as they try to escape. You can actually see the action unfolding right in front of you!
The goal is to get ahead of the feeding predators and present them with a live Ballyhoo. Sailfish, Mahi-Mahi, and King Mackerel are among the species we target this way, and when the bait starts flying, it can make for some incredible fishing. As we move through late October and into November, we're looking forward to more opportunities to fish these bait showers, along with kite fishing and slow-trolling live Ballyhoo.
Looking Ahead: Great Fishing and the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show
The next few days look windy, but as long as conditions are safe, we're always happy to get out there. As this past week showed us, some of the best fishing can happen when the weather gets a little unsettled.
We aren't seeing any signs of the fishing slowing down, and we're excited to see what the coming weeks bring. The Fort Lauderdale Boat Show is coming up next weekend, and we'll be running charters throughout the show. It's a great time to enjoy the boats and yachts in town and get out on the water for some excellent fishing.
If you've been thinking about booking a trip, now is a great time to take advantage of the fall bite. Whether you want to battle a massive Amberjack, catch your first Sailfish, hook into a trophy Wahoo, or bring home fresh Mahi-Mahi and Tuna, we'd love to have you aboard.
Call or text us at 954-522-9399, or book online at www.donttellmomsportfishing.com.
Let's get out there, take advantage of this incredible fall fishing, and make some memories!
Tight lines,
Capt. Will Daley
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