One of South Florida's most popular gamefish has finally arrived in good numbers. Sailfish started to move through our area right after the first couple of cold fronts moved through. The action just keeps getting better with each passing front. Lately it seems that everyone is catching sails on almost every trip. I spent this past weekend fishing the Sailfish Kickoff tournament and the action was very good. A total of 48 boatsfished the event releasing almost 400 sails over two days. Our team had a pretty decent tournament releasing 9 of 12 sailfish hooked and finished 11th in the outboard division. We are now preparing for the next event where we hope to improve our performance.
While sailfishing we also caught some nice dolphin (mahi), kingfish, and tuna. Even though we weren't targeting these species it is quite common to catch them. Yesterday I spoke to one of my fellow captains and he told me that he has been catching a lot of nice mutton snapper with one topping the scales at 16#.
Another species that has been bending a lot of rodslately has been both the Spanish and cero mackerel. Just like the sailfish the action is triggered by the strong North winds that we get with cold fronts. Mackerel can be caught on natural baits like small pilchards or shrimp but they will also aggressively take artificial baits such as spoons and jigs. Anglers that prefer fly fishing can also take advantage of their aggressive nature. The key to success with a fly is chumming them up into a frenzy.
Finally, I'd like to say that even thought tarpon haven't really taken off yet they are only a front or two away. We usually get a real good shrimp run right around the holidays which should fire up the bite. I'll let you know as soon as they arrive in good numbers.
Well, that is pretty much it for now. I know that 2009 has not been any easy year for anyone and I hope we all have a better 2010. One good way to end the year and begin the new one is by going fishing. Remember to book your trips early if you want to secure the best dates. Late December is usually a pretty busy time in the charter business and it can become difficult to find available dates. I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday season.
Happy Holidays to All,
Capt. Orlando Muniz
Nomad Fishing Charters
www.NomadFishing.com
(786)266-0171
