mahi fishing offshore

Earlier this week, the mahi run happened. Multiple well organized weedlines developed from 140ft out to the edge of the Gulf Stream in 250ft. It was flat calm with nice blue water, and there were a ton of mahi. You could see them jumping on the weedlines. There were a lot of peanuts. We caught the majority trolling, but they swam up to the boat a couple times in groups of 2-8 fish usually. That’s where it becomes important to have light spinning rods ready to pitch.

Unfortunately, the change in predominant wind has now scattered apart all the weedlines and the color break. There may be a few around still, but I would not expect the run to be in full force.

With warm clean water now all the way to just off the beach, there certainly will be something good that comes out of this week; especially if pogy or threadfin pods show up. In that case, the nearshore fishing would get good. After a very poor summer last year, all bets are off. I would think the king mackerel will chew somewhere.

Water clarity has deteriorated in portions of all lagoons, but it isn’t bad yet. It usually gets less clear this time of year. The fishing for all species will remain decent as long as the bait doesn’t scatter. In past severe algal blooms, finger mullet pods have scattered into singles. When that happens, pretty much everything shuts off. For now, fish the same if you had success any time recently. Redfish, trout, snook, tarpon, and black drum of all sizes are still biting. I did not do as well the two times I went this week, but I still got two overslot reds, a huge black drum, a baby shark, and hooked many tarpon up to 35lbs. As I predicted, larger tarpon of 30-70lbs are showing up in a few areas of the lagoon. They are chasing schools of mullet and other baitfish.