The seas are finally starting to calm down and that means summer fishing is here! This is my favorite time of the year to fish as the weather is better and the fish are plentiful. I put my trolling rods away and enjoy the art of live baiting throughout the summer.
Offshore past the 80-foot reef you can find weedlines in the calmer water anywhere from 120 to 1000 feet of water. These weedlines will hold mahi mahi and wahoo. I like to catch live bait in the morning either pilchards, greenies, or sardines and float these underneath those weedlines. This usually proves effective when targeting those game fish. There is always the possibility of catching a sailfish or two as well.
On the 80-foot reef you will find plenty of kingfish and cobia, as well as a stray mahi mahi or two. I use the same technique here as well. I will slow troll live baits on top and usually one or two live baits on a downrigger anywhere from 30-to-60 foot down. This allows me to fish all the strike zones of the water column and dial in on where the fish are. Once I figure out what water column they are in I will target that area more throughout the day.
Bottom fishing will be in full effect as the nighttime mangrove snapper bite in 60-to-80 foot of water is getting better and better. The lighter weight and leader you use, the more bites you will get. Look for areas with nice two-to-four foot changes in depth/rocks for the most success as these snapper will be swimming up and down the reef searching for food. In the daytime patience is key. Once the snapper find your baits around their rocksm, you will catch them as fast as you put your baits down.
There will be plenty of fish to be caught in 30-to-60 foot as well. Look for cobia and kingfish around the artificial reefs and wrecks. I will use live bait around these as well. In the summer it is hard to beat live bait fishing. If you cannot find any live bait, you can also troll Rapala deep diving lures that dive anywhere from 25-to-30 foot. This will prove successful catching kingfish around these reefs.
Stay safe and tight lines!
FORECAST BY: Capt. Colton Hester
Sonna Girl Fishing Charters
(772) 293-5342
colton@sonnagirlfishing.com
www.sonnagirlfishing.com
