With the holiday season approaching fast, it’s hard to believe we are nearing the end of 2014! During the course of December we will continue to have cooling air and sea temperatures, providing a much needed break from the summertime conditions. In response to this weather change, the offshore bite should light up. Sailfish season, which began in November, will continue to provide anglers plenty of tail walking, drag screaming action. The sailfish use cold fronts to aid their southerly migration, and their numbers will continue to grow this month as they migrate through our waters. This is the time of the year when anglers from all around the world come to “Sailfish Alley” aka South Florida to specifically land a sailfish! If you are looking to catch a sailfish, it is important to pay attention to the wind direction and the barometric pressure. Many anglers believe northerly winds get the sailfish feeding but it is also due to high pressure. The offshore bite will be red-hot with stable high pressure conditions. After a couple days of consistent pressure, you have a good chance of catching a mixed bag so plan accordingly! The bite also turns on before approaching cold fronts and rain, so keep this in mind when planning a fishing trip this month.
Mahi Mahi will also be migrating south from the northern states with the help of cold fronts. The mahi mahi should range from 6-30lbs, with larger fish not uncommon. Blackfin tuna, in the football size range will start to show up as well. Trolling feathers and squid pups between 200-400ft will be your best bet to catch some fresh sushi! The bottom bite should also produce great table fare. During the month, mutton snapper, yellowtail snapper and trigger fish will be the best species to target on the reefs and bottom structures. Live bait or dead sardines will be the bait of choice. If your fishing the wrecks and reefs, you may also catch a king fish or cobia which are around in smaller numbers. Keep in mind, NE winds bring the bait and pelagic closer to shore. Bait will gather at the mouth of inlets and areas with a fast moving current. Use the wind to your advantage and fish closer to shore with a NE wind.
Last month, we caught quite a few sailfish bump trolling live mullets, blue runners and goggle eyes. We also caught our share of bottom fish out of the Palm Beach Inlet. I fished with Capt. Chris Perry and his sons Jett & Chase aboard “Choppy,” who have numerous tournament wins under their belt! We caught our share of schoolie dolphin between the depths of 100-250ft while bump trolling live goggle eyes. We then targeted the bottom fish, and used squid and dead sardines as bait. The mutton bite was on fire, and we boated 5 muttons within the first hour. We also caught a keeper red grouper, yellowtails, mangroves, and vermillion snapper. It was a great trip with nonstop action all day! Be safe during the holidays anglers and try to get out there and catch some fresh fish for dinner!
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