Robin's Reports

4/3/07 Mahi Trolling!!

Fishing report facts (for me):
It is still just a tad early in the mahi mahi season but we decided to take advantage of the 2 ft seas yesterday. In the morning, it felt like a washing machine even though the seas were low but they did lay down flat by 3 pm for the ride back in. We didn't see the deep-blue water color change until 125 ft. We set out trolling line in at 137 ft and went out to 150 ft and then back in. Quickly let the kids bottom fish over some natural rocky bottom in 125 ft of water and then reset back up for trolling back west until we were out of time. Water temps went from 74 inshore to 78 deg out in the Gulf stream. We headed out NE of the Port and trolled in a zig-zag in a southbound pattern. Our furthest point out was around the 30 mile mark - and we were not alone - ever!

Fishing stories! (for you):
It was obvious by the parking lot that a lot of fishermen were keeping their game plans a secret on the internet. Nobody asked if anybody was going. Maybe it was a no-brainer. I don't think a single boat-owning man was left in the city to work.

As I mentioned above, we put our first trolling line in 137 ft. I was doing my best to drive in a straight line (don't foul up lines) and Jack was preparing the 2nd pole to hit the water when zzzzzzing! A large phin (mahi) leaps out of the water with the pink lure in it's mouth. We had previously set an order of who gets to pull in fish fish (kids first today) but Jack thought it was a bull - a first for us. He did not want it to get away so he stayed on the pole. Not to mention, it was probably too much fish for the kids. After endless reeling, I can see it. I took some video of it although the clarity & water reflection leave something to be desired. Strain your eyes for the green in the water. http://www.youtube.com/v/POJpkUHkk5Q

Jack puts a nice 10 lb cow (girl) phin in the ice box. Whew! That was fast work. From there, we trolled with 3 lines for a couple hours with nothing, nada. Jack calls this some sort of kiss of death or curse from getting a fish too fast. I begged to differ.

The weeds were small and scattered. The wind over March had blown everything apart. The kids were bored, so Jack put them some bottom rigs together when we came over some nice stacked fish on the bottom. Upon stopping the trolling lines, something hits one line. Whizzzzzzzzzzz. It was huge and it was charging the boat. Jack reeled as fast as he could and I brought in the other lines. Unfortunately, whatever it was spit out the hook before we could see it. On Little man's first bottom catch - a black sea bass - we had a Green Sea Turtle that same round and round his line. I don't know if he had been rehabed and unafraid of humans or what. He surely thought we were his friends and Jack had to shoo him off like a stray dog. Here is the video of that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ovOqUJCgrw This video does no justice to the size. It must have been over 4 ft wide and a couple-few hundred pounds.

Both kids picked up some more black sea bass and Little Man then got his big hit which turned out to be a large lizard fish. Here is that video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp1zy7gbOd8 Don't you just love the fishing technique?

There may have been some nice fish down there but we were having trouble with a fast current and couldn't stay over the site for long.

We trolled back in and as Jack said, there wouldn't be another fish for the ice box the entire rest of the day. Another man at the dock said he didn't see a fish all day. Another boat had only 2 tripletails to clean. They may have stayed close to shore for those.

I will add photos to this site when Jack gets back home with the camera. He took a bunch of work friends out today for more trolling.