We had an all-day 8-hour fishing charter out of Fort Lauderdale with a group of 5 guys from Wisconsin. We left the dock at 7:30 AM, and in 20 minutes, we were out to the fishing grounds; we are very fortunate to have deep waters just a mile off the beach.
I started fishing in 100 feet of water where the drop off starts. The first mate set out two deep planer lines and four surface Ballyhoo baits. We started working over the reef and the drop off, and it didn’t take long before the planner rod got a strike, and we had a fish on. One of our anglers got in the chair, started fighting the fish and brought in a Black Fin Tuna. It was a good start to the all-day fishing charter out of Fort Lauderdale because the guys wanted to take some fish home to eat. I continued working over the reef from 100 feet of water out to 400 feet of water checking for current rips, weed lines, and marking any fish on the fish finder. We then headed over a sunken shipwreck, and about the time we passed over the wreck, four lines all got hit at once. The guys started fighting the fish, and they hauled in four nice size Bonita. I continued working from 100 feet of water out to 400 feet of water and then back in again, continuing to look for Black Fin Tuna. The deep planner line got a strike and the guys reeled in another nice Black Fin Tuna. I continued working this area over the next hour and a half, and we were able to catch 2 more Tunas.
The baits we were having the most success with were the surface swimming Ballyhoos, two of which were naked Ballyhoos and the other two were skirted. On the deep planner lines, we used sea witches with Bonita strips.
Next, we decided to head a little deeper offshore Fort Lauderdale and try to find a couple of Mahi-Mahi‘s for the guys. I was looking for any signs of birds, weed lines or anything to troll over, such as a floating pallet or debris. The first mate pointed out a couple of birds flying high above, so we headed over to the area, and as soon as we got there, we got a doubleheader Mahi-Mahi. The guys fought the fish, and when they got close to the boat, the mate reached out with a gaff and over the gunwale came the fish. I continued working the area in 800 feet of water looking for a few more fish, and we ended up missing a Mahi - the fish came up jumping and spit the hook. We continued heading offshore, and soon as we found another bird, we ended up hooking another two Mahi Mahi - the same as before - these fish ran off drag and the guys fought the fish. As soon as they came to the back of the transom, the mate gaffed the fish and in the boat.
So far this has been an excellent day charter fishing in Fort Lauderdale, and the guys had a nice box of fish with 4 Black Fin Tunas, 4 Mahi Mahi’s and 4 Bonita. The Bonitas are not edible but are fun to catch. We decided to end the trip targeting a big game sportfish, which is exactly what the guys from Wisconsin wanted to do, catch something memorable.
So next we decided to head back inshore, set up in 350 feet of water and try for a Shark. The first mate rigged up two of the fresh Bonitas with circle hooks. He cut the baits from the tail towards the head removing the tail, which we call a butterfly bait. He also set out two kites, one to the right and one to the left. Kite fishing is a good presentation displaying the baits on the surface. We fished three live baits and one Shark bait from the two kites. The first mate also sent down the butterfly Bonita 325 feet towards the bottom of the reef. This style of fishing is exciting for all customers because you can see the live bait swimming around, and a lot of times, you can see the dorsal of the Sailfish and/or Shark swimming up to the bait. Also, with this style of fishing, we are constantly maintaining the live baits to keep them on the surface, not too deep, and of course, not out of the water. The best position is a foot below the water line splashing and making a commotion. Suddenly, the line started ripping off the Shark reel, and we had a nice one on. One of the anglers got in the fighting chair, hooked himself into the harness and started fighting the fish. This fish was ripping off drag, diving down deep again and again. The angler was doing his best to retrieve the line, lifting the rod up and cranking on the way down, gaining as much line as he could - this continued for 45 minutes. He did a great job bringing the fish up closer and closer to the boat. Then we could see “color”, which is the fish coming up from the depths of the ocean. When the fish got close enough, the first mate removed the 2-pound lead and started wiring the fish towards the boat. We ended up catching a very nice Hammerhead Shark. We took a couple of nice pictures and safely released the Hammerhead Shark.
After a great day fishing in Fort Lauderdale, it was time to head back to the dock. To book a deep-sea fishing charter aboard the "Happy Day Today" and Top Shot Sportfishing Charters contact Capt. Dave Zsak at (954) 439-8106.
