Fort Lauderdale Fishing report Aug. 2008

August is upon us. Here in Fort Lauderdale there is no wind chill for 90 degrees. No matter how fast you move it along, it is STILL 90…

The fishing trends lately have been good on the reef. Large King Mackerel have been biting consistently while trolling. Even larger Kings are being taken with live bait. Bonitos have been plentiful and range is size from small football size to bombers. While being poor eating quality, Bonitos are a blast to catch, especially on light tackle.

There are snapper and assorted species of Jacks available on the deeper patch reefs and structure. July and August offer chances for Warsaw Grouper on the deeper Fort Lauderdale fishing area shipwrecks (over 200 feet). We tackle up when targeting these fish as they tend to run large. Summertime bull Sharks are also taking up residence on these wrecks. These sharks will travel back and forth between wrecks if the sites are in close proximity of one another. These are typically bigger fish also (usually over 200# and occasionally much bigger).


Sailfish are still being seen while trolling the reef. Bites from these fish are beginning to slow and will diminish even further as we get deeper into the summer, but the chance of catching one is always there. Typically, this time of year, the Sailfish are smaller than what we see in the winter. The real little guys make their appearance in late September and early October and lead the way to increasing bites and catches from these exciting fish.

As we turn to off shore, fishing has been erratic this year but in just the last few days, has shown improvement. Large “schoolie” Dolphin 6 to 10 pounds are being found with some bigger fish mixed in. The picture of this 23 pounder was caught just the other day aboard the Marlin My Darlin and took over 30 minutes to land.

Swordfish fishing has also shown improvement as of late. Bites are becoming more frequent and while it isn’t red hot yet, it does show the fish moving into our area… always a good sign.

Whatever the day offers, we try and take advantage of what is around and have fun catching fish. Today could be that lucky “once in a lifetime” fish. It is that thought that keeps us, and hopefully you, coming back.

Captain Rick Brady
Captain Steve Souther