Another April has arrived and amberjack action around artificial reef areas is awesome! Amberjacks have fully inhabited our local shipwrecks and have made their homes for the Spring. If you want to catch action on big fish and quick, go to the wrecks and drop some live baits down and see what you get. Amberjacks, grouper, cobia, barracuda and sharks are all stacked up around these wrecks in 200-350ft of water. Dropping live baits, dead squid/cut bait and even jigging works very well for these bottom gamefish.
Groupers are biting exceptionally good this month, but you’ll still have to wait until May 1 for them to be in season. It’s great to be catching them so well though. The off-season on groupers has really helped them make a dramatic comeback. The story is, if you want action, hit the wrecks.
Whenever you are fishing in April, be on the lookout for dolphin. Mahi-mahi dolphin fish come in shallow in the Spring months, into as shallow as 100ft of water regularly. Whether you’re trolling the reefs or bottom fishing on a shipwreck, always be ready for a school of dolphin to pop up out of nowhere. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been bottom fishing and suddenly saw dolphin swimming under the boat out of nowhere. If you’re strictly after dolphin, trolling offshore is still the best bet for finding them in big numbers. Floating debris, low-flying frigate birds and weed lines are the best places to fish near to for dolphin offshore. Another cool technique is slow dragging live ballyhoo in 150-400ft of water and you may also catch sailfish or tuna doing that.
April is an outstanding month for fishing in Fort Lauderdale. No matter what you do, you should come home with a good catch.
Tight Lines!
Capt. Adam Reckert
New Lattitude Sportfishing
(954) 707-2147
www.newlattitude.com