Fort Lauderdale fishing report for the charter boat “Happy Day Today” and Top Shot Sportfishing Charters.
Deana and her family from Tennessee booked us for a half day morning fishing charter. We left the dock at Bahia Mar located in Fort Lauderdale, and within 20 minutes, we had lines in the water and started fishing. The action started early with Black Fin Tuna. The bites were a little shallower, as there was a tidal edge in 150 feet of water. The edge had scattered weed running north and south. Kyle, the first mate, set out a spread of two deep planner lines and four surface baits. The deep planner line was the first to get a strike. The angler fought the fish, and we ended up catching a Tuna. I marked the spot and continued to work the area hooking and catching another 3 Tunas - all nice fish. Once the angler reeled them to the back of the boat, the first mate reached out with a gaff and brought the Tuna into the boat. We fished out a little deeper to 300 feet of water and our anglers caught a Mahi Mahi. While trolling back and forth over the reef structure a 25-pound King Mackerel hit the planner line - it was a screaming bite and game on. We ended the trip with 4 Tunas, one Mahi Mahi, and one Smoker King Mackerel.
Chris from Boca Raton, Florida booked us for a half day afternoon charter with two of his friends. We left the dock and headed offshore in search of Black Fin Tuna. The first mate put out a spread of two deep planner lines, six surface lines and two bridge teasers. I headed out to 600 feet of water and could see some birds working in an area. As soon as we got close, we could see a couple of Tunas jumping out of the water. The water color was vibrant blue, and there were a lot of flying fish in the area. As we worked the area, the Tunas were hitting both the surface and deep planner lines. As soon as we got one in the boat, I would make a turn and head right back over the area. In addition to the Tunas, we also caught two King Mackerel and two Bonitas while we were heading back to the shallower side of the reef. At the end of the trip, we caught 7 Tunas, two King Mackerels and two Bonita.
Robert and his wife from Tennessee chartered the boat for an afternoon charter. We decided to live bait fish over the reef with live bullet Bonita. The first mate rigged up a two-hook rig with one placed near the tail of the bait fish and one in the upper jaw. The stinger rig helps prevent predatory fish from biting the bait in half and not getting hooked, with a hook towards the tail we end up hooking the fish. The spread of baits were slowly trolled over the reef in 150 feet of water. The first strike came from a Smoker King Mackerel. Screaming bite, and this King started ripping off a lot of line. Robert did a great job fighting the fish, and the first mate took his shot and gaffed the King. We returned to the same area and proceeded with the spread of live baits. Next, a full-grown Barracuda crashed on the live bait. Robert’s wife was our angler, and she did a great job fighting the Barracuda. They are a great fighter, but have no edible quality, and after a quick picture we released the Barracuda.
Dave and his son from Michigan booked us for an afternoon deep sea fishing charter. The guys wanted to target Snappers, so the first mate cut some fresh bait and got rigged up. As soon as we stopped on the spot, Dave and his son dropped down the lines and almost instantaneously we started getting Snapper bites. The guys had an awesome day and we caught 2 yellow eye and 8 Vermillion Snappers.
Amberjack fishing in Fort Lauderdale can be a thrilling experience as these strong and powerful fish are abundant in the waters off the coast of Florida. Fort Lauderdale offers numerous opportunities for anglers to target Amberjack. While Amberjacks can be caught year round in Fort Lauderdale, they are often more abundant during the Spring and Fall months. These fish prefer warmer waters, so Summer can also be a good time to target them. Amberjacks are commonly found around wrecks, reefs and other underwater structures. They are known to inhabit these areas, where they can ambush prey and seek shelter. Amberjacks are aggressive predators and are often attracted to live bait. Jigging with live bait near the bottom or mid depths around structures can be an effective method for enticing them to strike
When we arrive at the sunken shipwreck, it’s best to position the boat just up current and on the deep side of the wreck, so that when the bait is being sent down to the wreck, its placed on the front and deep side of the wreck. We used both live and dead bait with a circle hook and a 20′ leader. It’s great action when the fish feeds, then the line comes tight, the rod bends over and fish ON!! The AJs pull very hard, and we use heavier tackle to successfully land them.
The vessel is a 52′ Hatteras sport fish with an air-conditioned salon, generator, electronics, and all fishing tackle provided. If interested in booking a deep sea fishing charter in Fort Lauderdale,
contact Capt. Dave Zsak at (954) 439-8106 www.topshotfishing.com
