By: Capt. RoanZ
This is the month for trolling for those beautiful dolphin also called mahi mahi, and dorado depending on where you’re fishing for them. There is no better lure for these wonderful creatures than our winged Squabble Jig. Whether you are trolling these jigs or casting them they crush dolphin and other species like blackfin tuna, sailfish, kingfish, bonita, barracuda, wahoo, cobia, stripers, and I have a couple people that use them for fluke up in New Jersey. We make these jigs with heavy duty Mustad Ultra point hooks Two Octopus skirts tied and bonded together in three sizes and six eye catching color combinations in ½ oz, 1oz, and 2 oz. depending on trolling speeds and depth you want to achieve. Most popular is the 1 oz for trolling and the ½ oz. for casting. Colors Pink Tiger, Dolphin, Blue/White, Blue/Pink, Black/Green, and Black/Purple. Dolphin show up on each coast of Florida in early summer but we primarily target them in the Florida Keys and all along the East Coast. We catch them in the Gulf of America but usually beyond the 60-mile mark and even better past 100 miles out. The primary technique for using the Squabble jigs is to troll them around any type of floating or drifting cover or around and over any structures like the towers of wrecks or humps. In the Keys it has become popular to run and gun as they call it. The captains will run at speed until they find some type of target. Either birds or flotsam or dense weed line with defined edge and large patches. Flip two rods out with two different colored jigs usually 1 oz or 2 oz and troll past or through your targets and if you hookup, have a couple backup rods rigged with ½ oz jigs ready to cast to any fish tagging along with the hooked ones. Keep a hooked dolphin in the water to keep the schoolies within casting distance. Repeat process until you’re tired of catching them. Love dolphin on the grill and great to smoke and make smoked fish dip out of. Easy fish dip recipe: use any good smoked fish like fresh dolphin, then sweet onion, dill, pinch of sugar, ground pepper, cracked pepper, horseradish mustard, hot sauce and mayo. Just that easy. Combine dry ingredients first then you’re wet. Let sit at least 4 hours before you serve.Rich and Roan would like to invite you to check them out at one of the local Bait and Tackle stores like Mikes Bait House, Marco Island Bait and Tackle, Estero River Outfitters, Kraken Tackle of Ft Myers and The Bait Shop of Lake Placid or check them out online at www.reelnautical.net or drop us an email: reelnautical239@gmail.com