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Miami, Florida - Offshore
Capt. Mark Houghtaling
October 23, 2000
Miami - Saltwater Fishing Report
On the one hand I have been welcoming the recent blustery northeast winds.
They create huge swells in the ocean that carry baitfish, followed by Sailfish,
Dolphin, and Kings, and deposit them in our backyard. On the other hand
the winds have been so strong that it’s been difficult to find a day to venture
offshore. I don’t mind fishing in 20 knot winds, the fish become very active
and fishing generally is very good. However, 25 to 30 knots winds can be a
little on the dangerous side.
Prior to this weeks winds, fishing has been just OK. Over the weekend there
was dirty green water along the edge out to about 300 feet. There was also a
lack of current. Anglers venturing offshore in search of Dolphin found
cleaner water but only a few fish. The fish that were caught were hooked
under floating debris. Along the edge, north of Fowey light, there has been a
flurry of small Kingfish action. Smaller baits were needed to catch the fish.
Anglers that used Threadfin Herring, which were caught near the buoys in
the area, had a tough time hooking the small Kings. Smaller Pilchards were a
better bait. A few anglers, fishing deeper in 140 feet of water, found bigger
fish in the 10 to 15 pound range. The Sailfishing is getting better by the week
but there hasn’t been a sustained bite yet. The “Magic Fingers” fished on
Saturday morning and had a good bite just north of Triumph Reef. We
caught two 15 pound Dolphin in 90 feet of water while fishing for Kingfish.
We also caught two Kings, two Cobia( too small to keep), a Mutton and a
Barracuda. The action stopped at 10:00 am, and we never had another hit.
We found the Dolphin in very dirty water with a tremendous amount of
scattered weed. We tried kitefishing offshore in 300 feet of water where there
was somewhat of an edge and again, we never had a hit. Other boats in the
area had similar action.
I ‘m looking forward to getting out after the “blow”. I expect fishing to be
very good especially if the current picks up and we get cleaner water inshore.
Catching bait hasn’t been a problem. Plenty of Threadfin’s can been found
around offshore markers and we had no trouble castnetting 2 to 5 inch
Pilchards inside Biscayne Bay. Look for the diving Petrals.
On Thursday nights, from 7pm to 8pm, at the Old Cutler Raw Bar, South Dixie Highway
and SW 184 Street, come listen to “Fishing South Florida Style”. This is an hour long
live radio show hosted by Mike Pace, Captain Rob Fordyce, Captain Marty Locke, and
Captain Mark Houghtaling. Offshore and inshore fishing topics are covered during the
live radio broadcast, and you can pick up a few tips from the radio hosts after the show.
You can also catch the show on Thunder Country 100.3 FM.
More Fishing Reports:
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