Long Island (Bahamas) Fishing Report and Forecast: February 2016

Yellowfin tuna caught on live bait off of Long Island, Bahamas. PHOTO CREDIT: Reel Addictive Charters.
Yellowfin tuna caught on live bait off of Long Island, Bahamas. PHOTO CREDIT: Reel Addictive Charters.

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ebruary is here and it is a great time of year to catch a variety of pelagics in Long Island. The wahoo bite is strong this time of year but have also had success catching yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi and swordfish. We seem to observe most of the action around three to four days before the full moon. There is a surprising amount of yellowfin tuna in certain areas of the drop off, but they can be hard to locate as there are often no birds this time of year. Having the marked spots for these drops are key to success. Traditionally we use live bait for them, but make sure to have all your live baits rigged with wire leader for the multiple wahoo bites that will otherwise cut you off. Sometimes we will catch a few yellowfins with the wire, but we mostly drift the first few times with wire to get rid of the wahoo before we put the fluorocarbon in the water for the yellowfins. Having a pile of pre- made wire leaders is key for success. Our typical wire leader rig consists of a two-foot section of coffee color #6 and #7 size wire depending on the bait and 4/0 to 7/0 size short shank live bait J style hooks along with 130-pound Spro power swivels. Live bait fishing is always a successful and sporting technique to employ. For anyone fishing Long Island in The Bahamas, they are bound to have some memorable experiences.