Captain Judy Helmey
Miss Judy Charters
"Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956!"
124 Palmetto Drive
Savannah, Georgia 31410
912 897 4921 or 912 897 3460 fax
www.missjudycharters.com
September 1, 2008
Happy Fish Day!
Saltwater inshore, offshore, blue water fishing report, Freshies Suggestions, and "Little Miss Judy's story! Thanks for reading! Captain Judy
Dolphin catching in the Drifting mode
What to do when a school or a single dolphin comes to you boat while just plain old bottom fishing.
The good thing about this time of the year is that it's possible for a single or entire schools of dolphin "MAHI MAHI" to just come to your boat. The first thing that you need to do is to get their attention immediately. Since talking to them is out of the question I suggest the first thing to do is to throw out a scattering of small pieces of cut bait. Pieces that lingering a bit in the water column before sinking will give you a little more time to get ready. Since we normally have at least six fishermen bottom fishing when this happens, the first thing I do is to grab any attached hook that I have, load it up with bait, and cast it out in the direction of the dolphin. While doing this I am "screaming to get all bottom rigs in" so that I can get more baits in the water. Now doesn't that last statement sound crazy? Well, here's why it isn't!
In the charter boat world when we bottom fish we mostly use two hook bottom rigs with a bank sinker (weight), which is normally 10 to 16 ounces. Believe me, "I'm not saying, you want catch them, but the collateral damages could be bad! For instant:
Double hook bottom rigs with "green" dolphin hooked up and free swinging flying hook as well a sinker is a bad recipe. Firstly, that free hook can stick you or that sinker can knock you out! I think you get the picture. So therefore if there is a "feisty school of dolphin" hanging the first thing I do is to cut the second hook off. This leaves the sinker and one hook left offering more control and obliviously less possibility for the wrong kind of hook up! With this being yourself or the fisherman next to you!
The term "green" means that you have a fish hooked up that is still has plenty of energy left. In other words, in this case you saw, you caught, and try to immediately land the hooked up dolphin. You can't believe how much these fish can "Go Ballistic" once hooked up!
The secret to keeping the fish's attention is to too always keep the last fish hooked up in the water. I have even landed the hooked fish, re-hooked it up better, and put it back in the water. Dolphin is extremely jealous fish especially when schooling. They will fight over a small piece of bait on a hook. Once dolphin see something that they want to eat they instinctively "light up!" giving notice that they are about to feed. When this happens they all feel the same way. So therefore as long as they are feeding or even thinking about it they "keep the lights on!" More next week!