Islamorada Offshore Report
Catching mahi has been a matter of going the distance. Every day is different in regards to finding fish. Some days you can find a piece of debris loaded with big fish that eat any bait you serve them. Some days you may drive your boat endless hours looking for any opportunity to catch a mahi.
One method that seems to work with some consistency is to head out towards deeper water and look for signs of life. Look for things like flying fish in great abundance and birds flying around.
Deep, dark blue water is a great place to start your search but sometimes you’ll find them in the green water. Like I said, every day is different. The same basic principles apply. Look for weed lines pushed by currents - they are better than windblown weeds. Floating debris is great if it’s not white styrofoam or a party balloon. Slow flying working birds are much better than fast flying birds.
Going the distance and paying attention to the environment is what it takes to catch them every day.
The last few weeks we have been catching larger mahi in deeper water than usual. Some days we have only found schools of fish in 2500 feet of water. Most of the bigger fish have been in small packs swimming along with various species of turtles. Turtles for whatever reason attract larger fish and we are hunting them down to catch as many mahi as possible. Traveling close to a hundred miles round trip a day looking for fish has been the norm. Go the distance for consistency and quality fish!
Offshore Forecast:
More mahi action can be expected during the late summer and early fall. It would not be unusual to cover great distances in order to find a school of fish around a floating magical piece of debris.
Mahi love to swim around a food source like an old pallet, piece of netting or an old yellow log. Keep your eyes peeled for the tell tale signs and catch yourself some mahi!
Blackfin tuna in previous years have congregated on the Islamorada and 409 Humps during the late summer months. If we get plenty of current to push nutrients up to the surface, the tunas may continue to hang around. Otherwise catching migrating tunas in 400 feet of water will be the next best option in the morning.
Back Country Fishing Report:
Whale Harbor guides have been catching tarpon and snook every day. Warm water during the summer has made fishing better during the morning hours. Along with the snook, above average redfish have been biting well around the Cape and West Cape channels.
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Whale Harbor’s Mate of the Month: Capt. Greg Pope
Greg works as a mate in Whale Harbor and other marinas throughout the Florida Keys. Greg has a great rapport with clients, especially kids. He enjoys teaching people how to fish offshore for mahi mahi and other sportfish. He tells great fishing stories, is easy to work with and gets the job done.
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