 |
Late Mahi Bite
Capt. Dean Panos
August 22, 2025
Miami - Saltwater Fishing Report
Late Summer Mahi Run
Fishing changes with time. Fishing in the summer in South Florida meant one thing – and that was mahi fishing in the Gulfstream for big schools of mahis. This usually started just after Labor Day and would last well into end of July. Mahi fishing was still ok in August, but you had to go farther offshore to find them, and we always associated August with the term "August Doldrums" meaning slow fishing. Well now it seems that the mahi fishing in the Gulfstream is slow in June and July and takes off in August. These past two weeks we saw the best mahi fishing of the season. We caught our limit, or close to our limit of mahis on almost every trip. The limit is 10 per person (captain and mate are not included) and the fish had to be 20 inch minimum. Last week almost every mahi was well above legal and had quite a few 10 – 15 pounders (gaffers) mixed in. Such a relief when you pull up to a school of mahis and you realize that you will not have to measure any of them as they are all well over legal size. In June and part of July we would pull up to a school and almost all the fish were undersize. As much as you want to handle them gently, many of the fish you hook and measure that are short often don't make it. Mahis are ravenous and they completely inhale a bait. Even if you just cut the leader, I always wonder how many still survive. So, when we do pull up to a school of undersize fish, we usually keep going. Hopefully we have a charter that understands, because we do need to protect that resource as that is what keeps us in business in the summer. Here are a few interesting notes on mahis: Lifespan is 4 years on average, they grow about 2 inches a week, sexual mature in 3 months, some mature as early as 14 inches, a 20-pound fish is usually less than a year old, 50 pounders are 2 -3 years old. As you can see, they are extremely fast growing.
I would imagine as late as the mahi fishing was this year, September should also be a good month. September is also a month when we start getting ready for kite fishing on the edge. Sailfish will slowly start to show up although we have had many 5 to 8 sailfish days in September. September is also the beginning of the fall daytime swordfish bite. The bigger swordfish will start leaving the colder waters up north and make their way into South Florida. I also can't wait to start wahoo fishing in the Bahamas this fall. We have had many good wahoo runs in September in Bimini. I am truly looking forward to the fall and the change of fishing seasons. The heat of the summer will soon start to fade, and our winter fish will start making there was south.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Dean Panos
Miami Fishing Forecast:
Mahis in the Gulfstream, day time swordfish
Target Species:
mahis, swordfish
More Fishing Reports:
|
|
|
|
