Where To Start Looking For Mahi - Ponce Inlet

Troy · Jun 1, 2019

Awesome post. I usually troll but have always heard of people catching them sitting still. I will have to try it next time im out.

j204burkett · Jun 9, 2019

Great thread and thank you for all this valuable information!

mfino242 · Jun 21, 2019

Nautical Gator said: ↑

How to Catch Dolphin, Mahi Mahi
http://www.shrimpnfishflorida.com/howtocatch_dolphin.html

Fishing for Mahi Mahi without trolling…

Most Anglers troll for Mahi-Mahi in deep water around week lines, eddy’s and floating algae blooms looking for birds etc…

While this method does work well, it is costly in fuel and bait trolling around all day… and it also takes more than one person, normally three or four anglers, one to navigate the weed line, one to bait bait and keep the rigs weed free, one or two to reel in the Mahi Mahi etc…

When fishing by myself I learned that you can actually fish for and catch Mahi without trolling. When doing so, I like to find a weed line, algae bloom and eddy, then anchor right at the tip of the eddy, then dropping some live bait down in the water about 20 feet under the boat between my boat and the week line…

When you anchor over a weed line make sure the weed line is active with bait fish swimming around under the weed line, if there are some Mahi Mahi around, they should be searching and feeding on the bait fish under the weed line and attracted to your live bait…

When the Mahi are searching for an easy meal, and see that your bait fish is the only bait fish that did not scatter when they are approaching they will quickly take advantage of this easy meal since it will be the only bait fish that did not scatter…

Besides the advantage of saving on fuel while fishing for Mahi Mahi, I also take advantage of being anchored, and drop some bait down on the bottom to catch other fish leaking below…

While fishing for Mahi Mahi, I also catch Wahoo, Kings Fish, Sailfish, just under the boat and weed line, while catching Grouper, Red Snappers, and other bottom fish… which if you were trolling around the weed line all day, all you would be catching is the fish leaking around the weed lines…

I always keep several spinning rods handy set up for Mahi, so when you see some Mahi or hook into one, ( it’s important to wear polarized sunglasses so you can see the Mahi when they are around) you can cast some bait out to them, or keep one you just hooked by your boat while throwing some chunk bait into the water, getting other Mahi’s attention, and keeping them around your boat feeding as you are casting some live or chunk bait at them…

Often you will hook three or four Mahi from around your boat using this method, where if you were trolling you would have only caught one and trolled away from the school where you originally hooked onto one…

Using a 7/0 Mahi hook along with a 4 or 5 foot 80 lb leader with a swivel,

I like to let the Mahi take my bait for a bit before I set the hook making sure they had the time to swallow the bait so you can hook, when you set your hook enjoy the moment.

Now that you know my secret method of catching Mahi Mahi without trolling you can go fishing for them by yourself or with another angler, without depending on others not showing up and not having enough anglers for trolling.

Good luck and let me know how this method works out for you.

General Offshore Blue Water Fishing Tips
http://www.shrimpnfishflorida.com/general_offshore_blue_water_fish.html

Locating Fish:

Bait

Even when not actively feeding, game fish can usually be found near food. Areas holding bait are those most likely to be holding game fish. Bait, like game fish, hold in areas where they can find food. For bait, this means areas with a good supply of plankton. Factors that cause plankton blooms are described below.

Bottom contours

Sharp rises in the bottom, such as ledges and humps, can cause an upwelling of deeper water. This water is more nutrient rich than most surface water, allowing plankton to build up in these areas. Unlike other factors that attract bait and game fish, bottom contours are stationary. Good bottom structure consistently holds game fish because they do not have to hunt for it and they do not have to move to stay with it.

Temperature breaks

Temperature breaks along the western edge of the Gulf Stream indicate where coastal water is pushing against Gulf Stream core water. In addition to being warmer, core water has a higher salinity level and lower nutrient content than coastal water. This difference prevents these two water masses from mixing easily. (It is also what makes green water green and blue water blue.) Because coastal water contains more nutrients, it also contains more plankton. Plankton floating in coastal water, stopped by the barrier between coastal and core water, is forced to build up along the edges where these two water masses meet. In addition to plankton build up, temperature breaks along the Gulf Stream also cause rips to form. Rips are strips of calm water that run along the top of a temperature break, usually surrounded on either side by rougher water. The calmer surface of rips causes floating debris to gather in them.

Floating debris

Bait is attracted to floating debris and can usually be seen hanging just under patches of weeds or boards. Most species of surface feeding game fish are also attracted to floating debris. Dolphin are especially known for hanging under any floating debris they find. Whenever weed lines or other debris are found, lures should be trolled past them.

Birds

Birds are the most effective tool for finding active areas from a distance. Birds will stay above of feeding game fish, picking off bait that is driven to the surface by these fish. Watch any flying birds in the area. If the birds circle to stay over one area, troll to that area. When game fish move or sound and resurface, birds will move with them, showing you where the fish are. Larger groups of birds pecking at the surface are usually hanging over schools of smaller fish. Small groups of birds hovering and diving are usually hanging over larger fish.

Trolling Tips:

Speed:

Seven (6) to Ten (10) knots, depending on surface conditions and the fish your fishing for. Surface lures should occasionally skip out of the water. Rough conditions may require slower speeds to keep the lures in the water, but speed should not drop much below seven knots. Dropping lures farther back can keep them in the water on rough days.

The "drop back":

Many game fish will attack a bait by striking it to stun it, then come back and eat the still bait. If a lure is hit but then dropped, immediately free spool line on that rod for ten to twenty seconds to simulate a stunned bait. Then set the drag and check to see if a fish is on. (don't drop back for Dolphin)

Dolphin Fishing Tips

Behavior:

Smaller dolphin, called schoolies, travel in schools.

Large dolphin, called bulls and cows, travel alone or in male/female pairs, though they can often be found near schools of smaller dolphin.

All sizes are attracted to floating debris and will hang under it.

Dolphin are surface feeders, and tend to spend most of their time at or near the surface.

Where To Find Them:

Dolphin can be found from points along the fathoms line east to well beyond the 100 fathom line.

When water temperatures rise in midsummer schoolies can be found as further west.

Dolphin can be found in water temperatures between 70F and 82F, but prefer 75F to 78F.

Dolphin are often found hanging below floating debris such as boards and patches of grass.

Watch for birds. Terns pecking at the surface, especially over floating debris, are often hanging over schoolies. One or two birds hovering and occasionally diving over an area are often hanging over larger fish.

When To Find Them:

Larger dolphin begin moving up from the Florida Keys into Georgia's offshore waters from April and remain until mid June and July, being found in greatest numbers in May and June.

Smaller dolphin (schoolies) can be found throughout most of the year.

How To Catch Them:

Trolling:

Troll at 6 to 8 knots.

Pull dead ballyhoo rigged behind skirts or rubber and/or mylar lures, trimmed short to expose the back half of the bait, or pull rubber and/or mylar lures alone.

Whole squid can also be an effective bait. Rig squid on a wire leader run through the body to keep it straight, with an egg sinker twisted into the leader at the tail and the hook at the head, tucked under the mantel to make it weed less.

Lures and baits should run at or near the surface, and should splash and leave a good bubble trail. Use lures with flat or concave heads. Run one lure with a small bird splasher rigged in front of it.

Best lure/shirt colors: yellow/blue/green, pink/purple/blue/black, white/blue..

Pitching for schoolies:

After locating a school, throw pieces of cut squid or ballyhoo to them to get them near the boat, then pitch cut squid or ballyhoo to them on light tackle.

Keeping one hooked fish in the water can help keep the school near the boat.

Any larger dolphin in the area will come over to see what the schoolies are eating and will take a piece of cut bait just as readily as the schoolies.

Tuna (Yellowfin and Blackfin) Fishing Tips

Behavior:

Tuna of all sizes travel in schools. Schools are made up of fish in the same size range.

Smaller tuna are attracted to floating debris and sometimes hang under it.

Tuna are surface feeders, but tend to spend most of their time well below the surface.

Tuna are primarily night feeders.

Tuna prefer smaller, easily digested baits.

Where To Find Them:

Tuna can be found from points along the 21 fathoms line east to well beyond the 100 fathom line. When water temperatures rise in midsummer smaller tuna can be found as further west.

Yellowfin can be found in water with surface temperatures between 64F and 80F, but prefer 72F to 73F. Blackfin can be found in water with surface temperatures between 70F and 82F, but prefer 74F to 76F.

Tuna prefer areas where bottom contours change significantly, such as ledges and humps.

Smaller tuna and occasionally larger tuna can be found hanging below large patches of weeds.

Watch for birds. Terns pecking at the surface, especially over floating debris, are often hanging over small tuna. One or two birds hovering and occasionally diving over an area are often hanging over larger fish. Tuna tend to move as they feed, so birds will be moving rather than hanging over an area.

When To Find Them:

Yellowfin can be found in Florida blue water areas from April through July.

Blackfin can be found in Florida blue water areas from September through April.

Because they feed mostly at night, early morning and late evening are the best times to find them.

How To Catch Them:

Trolling:

Blackfin Troll at around 7 to 10 knots.

Keep lures and baits well behind the boat, 300 to 600 feet.

Keep ahead of visible schools. Determine which direction they are moving, run past them, then turn the boat so that the spread passes in front of the school.

Pull dead ballyhoo rigged behind skirts or rubber and/or mylar lures, trimmed short to expose the back half of the bait, or pull rubber and/or mylar lures alone. Cedar plugs are also effective.

Lures and baits should run at or near the surface, and should splash and leave a good bubble trail. Use lures with flat or concave heads.

Best lure/shirt colors: yellow/blue/green, pink/purple/blue/black, red/black, purple/black.

Different surface behaviors:

Traveling under the surface: Moving schools will make the water look as if a breeze is blowing over it - ruffled in calm seas, a patch of flat, dimpled water in white capping seas. Get well ahead of them and drop trolled lures/baits well back. Consider shutting off the engine and chumming to draw the school to the boat, then chunk baits or jigs. Use a fast retrieve.

Feeding on the surface: Troll the perimeter of the feeding school and any visible bait schools. Use lures that are the same size as the schooling baits.

Rocketing: When tuna rocket out of the water while feeding they will be moving fast. Troll the perimeter of the school at a fast speed, making lures skip out of the water, and keep a close eye on the school's movement.

Wahoo Fishing Tips

Behavior:

Wahoo travel alone or in small groups.

Wahoo feed and travel below the surface, from a few to several feet down and using downriggers down deep.

Where To Find Them:

Wahoo are found in water from 150 feet to 300 feet deep. They are found most often directly over ledges.

Wahoo can be found in water with surface temperatures between 70F and 86F, but prefer 72F to 77F

When To Find Them:

Wahoo can be found in Florida blue water areas year round.

How To Catch Them:

Trolling:

Troll at 6.5 to 9 knots.

Pull dead ballyhoo rigged behind skirts or rubber and/or mylar lures, trimmed short to expose the back half of the bait, or pull rubber Wahoo buster and/or mylar lures alone.

Long, thin hard lures such as Rapalas can also be productive.

Lures and baits should run below the surface. Use downriggers or large trolling weights to get lures and baits down.

Best lure/shirt colors: red/black, purple/black.

After the hookup:

Wahoo are known for making a very fast initial run away from the boat that can strip 100 yards or more of line, so use tackle that can handle pressure and hold a lot of line. You may want to set the drag lighter than the usual one-third of line strength.

After the initial run, Wahoo sometimes turn and run at the boat. Be ready to reel fast to keep the line tight. Some anglers will put the rod tip in the water to help keep pressure on the line. If you are driving the boat, be ready to speed up to keep ahead of the fish.

When one fish is on, dropping another bait down on a downrigger or weight can pick up another Wahoo that may be hanging with the hooked fish. (Good Luck) and tight lines...

Want to catch more fish?
Learn ALL ABOUT SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE,
RIPS, Eddy's, and Fingers.
http://www.shrimpnfishflorida.com/sea_surface_temperature.html

How To Use Sea Surface Temperature Information for Blue Water Fishing

The location of game fish is affected by two things: Comfort, and the availability of food. Water temperature can be the determining factor for both.

Comfort: Finding Areas With The "Right" Temperatures

Each species of offshore game fish has a water temperature range they prefer, and a wider range outside of which they will seldom be found. The following is a list of these temperatures for game fish species found off of the southeastern US coast.

SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE
SPECIES LOW HIGH OPTIMAL
Dolphin Fish 70-82 / 75-78
Sailfish 70-82 / 75-78
Wahoo 70-86 / 72-77
Blue Marlin 70-88 / 75-78
Blackfin Tuna 70-82 / 74-76
Bluefin Tuna 50-78 / 60-68
Yellowfin Tuna 64-80 / 72-73
King Mackerel 70-88 75
Spanish Mackerel 68-88 / 72-82
Bonita Tuna 60-80 / 64

Sea Surface Temperature

https://marine.rutgers.edu/cool/sat_data/?product=sst&region=floridacoast&nothumbs=0

https://www.weather.gov/mlb/adas_realtime

Rips - Finding Sea Surface "Structures"
What is a Rip?

Rips are visible disturbances on the water's surface that appear as long, narrow bands of calm water bracketed on either side by rough water.

Rips form at or near temperature boundaries. These boundaries are called soft edges when the change across them is only 1/2°F to 1°F, and hard edges when the change is 2°F to 4°F or more.

The rough water at hard edge rips is more pronounced than that at soft edges.

How Can Finding Rips Help Your Fishing?

Game fish tend to gather along rips for several reasons:

Plankton gathers along temperature boundaries, setting up a food chain that draws bait to the area. NOTE: Plankton tends to concentrate on the cool side of a rip. This is because coastal water has a higher nutrient content and lower salinity level than Gulf Stream core water. The higher nutrient content in coastal water provides plankton with a food source, and the higher salinity level in Gulf Stream water makes this water denser than coastal water, in effect creating a barrier that the floating plankton cannot cross. Because plankton (and the nutrients on which it feeds) clouds the water, sight oriented hunters like marlin and tuna will tend to stay on the warm side of rips.

Floating weeds and debris will collect in the calm area of rips. Floating debris attracts bait, which attract game fish. The shade from floating debris also attracts some game fish, especially dolphin.

Temperature boundaries, especially hard edges, can act as a "wall" when the temperature on one side falls within a game fish's comfort range and that on the other side does not. Game fish will tend to move along the these edges when they encounter them instead of crossing them.

Using rips:

The most productive rips are those over good bottom structure. These should be explored first.

When you encounter rips along the edge of the Gulf Stream or one of its edge features (see below), it is often most productive to continue running perpendicular to those first rips, watching subsequent rips for better formed weed lines and/or signs of actively feeding fish, such as feeding birds.

Concentrate on rips containing floating debris and/or bait. If there have been reports of weed lines in an area, remember that things are moving out there. The western edge of the Gulf Stream has its fastest current, which is north at between 2 and 4 knots.

Weed lines that are not holding bait seldom hold gamefish. Always pull up to a weed line and check for bait before beginning to fish it.

Lures should be trolled along the edge of rips. Because the Gulf Stream flows north, and fish tend to swim with the current, trolling from south to north along rips gives lures a more natural presentation when that rip is along the edge of the Gulf Stream. Rips along the western edges of fingers or warm eddies, however, should be trolled from north to south because the currents in these features move in a circular counterclockwise direction.

How To Use Sea Surface Temperature Information

Fingers, Backflows and Eddies - Finding Warm Water

What is a finger?

Fingers are pockets of warm water that move west from the edge of the Gulf Stream.

Fingers are connected to the Gulf Stream at their northern end. This connection continuously feeds warm water into fingers.

Fingers move north with the Gulf Stream. The rate at which a finger moves depends on the size of the finger and how far it is from the edge of the Stream, but is roughly ½ degree latitude in 24 hours.

The currents in fingers move counterclockwise around the edge of the finger, which means the current at the western edge of a finger is moving south.

What is a backflow?

Backflows are fingers that have gotten “stuck” and have stopped moving north. This happens at points where they Stream is diverted to the east, like at the Charleston Bump.

Backflows can stay in place for several days, and sometimes grow, stretching farther to the south.

The currents in backflows move counterclockwise around the edge of the backflow, which means the current at the western edge of a backflow is moving south.

What is an Eddy?

Warm Eddies:

Warm eddies are pockets of warm water surrounded by colder water.
Warm eddies form when a portion of a finger becomes separated from the Gulf Stream.
Warm eddies tend to be rounded, and the warm water in them circulates counterclockwise at 1 to 2 knots.

Warm eddies are deepest and warmest at their edges.

Cold Eddies:

Cold eddies are pockets of cold water surrounded by warmer water.
Cold eddies are deepest and coldest at their centers.

How Can Finding Fingers and Eddies Help Your Fishing?

Fingers, backflows and warm eddies bring warm water west of the Gulf Stream, sometimes west of the 30 fathom contour. This is especially significant in the spring and fall, when water temperatures west of the Gulf Stream are relatively low.

Game fish and bait that have been following the western edge of the Gulf Stream can often be found in fingers, backflows and warm eddies, having moved west with the warm water, avoiding the colder water that gets pulled up between fingers and the Gulf Stream.

Rips usually form along the edges of fingers, backflows and eddies.

Areas with good bottom structure will tend to be most productive when warmer water is moving through them.

Areas covered by cold eddies should be avoided.

How Should Fingers and Eddies Be Fished?

The western edge of fingers, backflows and warm eddies tend to hold productive rips. Start near the northwestern edge of a finger, backflow or warm eddy and search for these rips by moving toward the center of the feature. When a promising rip is found, mark its location and continue toward the feature’s center. Once you have identified the best rip, return to its location and begin fishing.

Troll along the rip toward the south, following the counterclockwise current inside the feature. This is a more natural presentation, since baitfish tend to move with currents. It will also move your toward the tip of a finger or backflow, which may prove to be a productive area.

If the rips along the edge do not prove productive, try moving into the center of the feature. As mentioned above, troll with the internal currents, moving south when west of the center, north when east of the center.

How To Use Sea Surface Temperature Information for Green Water Fishing

The location of game fish is affected by two things: Comfort, and the availability of food. Water temperature can be the determining factor for both.

Comfort: Finding Areas With The "Right" Temperatures

Each species of offshore game fish has a water temperature range they prefer, and a wider range outside of which they will seldom be found. The following is a list of these temperatures for species in the Georgia coastal area.

SPECIES LOW HIGH OPTIMAL
King Mackerel 70 88 75-78
Spanish Mackerel 68 88 72-82
Cobia 68 80 70-78
Bottom Structure

Green water fishing off the Georgia coast means fishing in significantly shallower water than blue water fishing. Bottom structure like live bottom, ledges, rock piles or other man-made "reefs" tend to hold bait schools in this shallower water, when water temperatures over these areas are right.

The "right" water temperature for these areas is relative and varies throughout the season. In general, a good temperature for bait and game fish over near shore bottom structure is a degree or two cooler than the immediate coastal water (which can be a warm as the gulf stream's core from May through September), but is a degree or two warmer than the coldest water that usually sits between the coast and the edge of the gulf stream. Watch out for pockets of colder water that move across bottom structure. These can push bait and game fish off of the structure.

In hotter months, sound entrances also tend to hold Spanish and cobia, and in some cases kings. Spanish and cobia can often be found around the buoys marking these entrances. Kings can be found around the offshore ends of deeper entrances, such as the Savannah River and Charleston Harbor entrances, which have been dredged to accommodate large ships. These game fish will only be present in these sound entrances when schools of bait are present, so watch for diving birds and check your depth finder for these schools. Troll around these schools of bait, wherever they happen to be in the entrances. Info provided by. Sstcharts.com

Full Moon and Dolphin
As I said before, Mahi-Mahi are aggressive eaters. They eat all night during a full moon.

Higher light conditions at night, such as during a full moon, will allow Mahi Mahi to see and eat baitfish all night long. Because the moon lights up the sky allowing Mahi Mahi to see that baitfish on the surface and under the weed line.

So during the day the Mahi Mahi will not be feeding in the middle of the day time.

If you go out fishing for Mahi Mahi during the full moon, it would be best to make sure you go early in the morning, daybreak, till 9AM or late in the afternoon 3-5 till dusk…6-9

Ponce Inlet Dolphin Report 6/7/2018
see report here
http://www.shrimpnfishflorida.com/forums/threads/ponce-inlet-dolphin-report-6-7-2018.14274/

Click to expand...

Wow, thanks for this. I'm heading out this weekend.

Jared · Jun 23, 2019

Great info—thank you for sharing.

Sweep49 · Jun 30, 2019

Great info, thanks. Hope to try it soon.

Honkey · Aug 6, 2019

Very nice read! That's some good information there.

cajunl · Aug 11, 2019

Good information. Im looking to target mahi instead of Kingfish!

NauTiKel · Sep 26, 2019

This post is what brought us here. Stumbled on it in the keys. Found a lot of this info in a lot of different places, but this is the only place we found it all in the same place. Lots to remember, but having it all together makes it a lot easier.

Nautical Gator · Oct 1, 2019

Something new to try, looks easy enough.
Ringer Swivels

Available on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FS5PZNZ/?tag=shrimpflforum-20

How to CATCH, CLEAN & COOK Mahi Mahi like a PRO!!! Ringer Swivels

Rocky1789 · Oct 1, 2019

Damn Good report and Informational reading

Jared · Nov 25, 2019

Great video. Good info

AL KEARCE · Nov 29, 2019

Wow, lots of really good info in this post.

Muslickz · Mar 8, 2020

Wow! Awesome info Gator! This is why these forums are so valuable. Amazing!

-Mus

jon.esparza · Jul 11, 2020

This had answered so many questions for me. Can’t wait to go back out on the water! Hoping to come back with some good reports to bring back to the forum!

mreloc · Aug 2, 2020

I need to spend hours reading threads like this. This forum is a gold mine of information!

Honkey · Aug 26, 2020

That is one great write up!

Muslickz · Nov 28, 2020

A Buddy of miune use to lash six or seven pallets together and Drop em out.. five or six hours later there was a slew of mahi under em...

-Mus

bluegeco · Jun 19, 2021

Amazing information presented in this post. Thank you all who contributed. As a new fisherman in the Florida waters, I appreciate any and all pieces of info. I have been going out several times, and always came back empty handed, but I won't give up.... Equipped with information from this forum, I am more and more confident that soon I will have something to report... Tight lines to all

BabyFishy · Jul 11, 2021

Great thread!!! Will definitely apply many of these tactics as I learn the art of catching.

REXIII · Aug 18, 2021

Glad I found this forum. Tons of great info.

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Where To Start Looking For Mahi - Ponce Inlet

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