 Fishing in Fort Lauderdale is one of the “fun” things to do if it’s your first time here with us. For our group today, not only was it their first time in Florida, but for some it was their first visit ever to the United States.
With their host Jay, we set out with 5 guys from the Ukraine. Catching something, anything would have been a pleasure as most hadn’t ever caught anything even close to the size of our bait fish. But one gentleman had done and been exposed to some fishing in and around the Black Sea. I believe he led the group in their want to try for a shark.
The day hadn’t been promising for shark fishing. A few boats had tried with zero success. Usually that means that what appears to be good conditions of current are not. We set out to catch some more bait to go with the live Pilchards we had bought.
Bullet Bonitos bit well enough to give us 10 or so. So excited to have their picture taken with a fish, we had trouble getting them into the live well. They don’t do well when kept from the water too long. We promised pictures after but hoped for something bigger.
Things were tough today, we struggled to catch a few small Kingfish. Weed was heavy in parts but we did our best to avoid it and it certainly kept Andrew busy keeping the baits clear.
We changed from trolling to dragging live baits from the riggers, even tougher in weedy conditions. Two bites came at once, one was missed and the other hooked. These fish speed off and can change direction in a millisecond, if the line isn’t kept tight? They are gone and that’s what happened. Another bite and a miss as well, frustration was setting in for the crew but not our group. They had plenty of beer and Vodka.
Finally clear of weed and a pause from our last hit, two Sailfish appeared behind the boat very interested in the livies. The bait was freaking as the fish chased them to opposite sides of the pattern and ate. Lines crossed, one hooked and then the other. A quick move, things straightened out and we were engaged.
It took some time but we manage a release on both fish. Both were released unharmed but no pictures were managed.
A nice Kingfish was boated and then we set out to try for a shark. It didn’t take long either when a top bait sang out, was dropped, eaten again and finally hooked. While the Sails were longer, this fish had some weight! It took just over 30 minutes before we had the Hammerhead to the boat for pictures and smiles, time to head in for a picture at the dock. Those smiles you see are what happen when you relax and have some fun fishing in Fort Lauderdale. Please pardon my thumb… but if I take it out, we lose one of the release flags…
Captain Steve Souther
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