[dropcap]A[/dropcap]pril is here and so will be the mahi. This is the time of year when the cooler water temperatures will start receding back to the north and mahi will be starting to come through the area from the south. Mahi are always in the water off the Treasure Coast, but with the fish working their way north, there will be even more and bigger fish in the area. There will be a lot of fish caught in the 30- to 40-pound range and some upwards to the 50-pound range.
Mahi are a great fish to catch with their spectacular aerial display of jumps and beautiful colors, a few in the fish box will make for a great day. To end a day of catching, the mahi will make a great dinner!
Trolling is the best method for finding and catching mahi. Your best bet is to have some fresh rigged ballyhoo and, if available, live bait, such as greenies or sardines, for trolling or pitching. If you have not heard about any specific depth, these fish have been getting caught (which can change from day to day) I find it best to start your search from 80 to 100 feet depths and proceed on out. Drop some rigged ballyhoo and/or baitfish type lures into the water and troll these baits while looking for birds diving, weed lines or any floating debris. When anything you are searching for is located, make one or two passes with your trolled baits and lures. If any mahi strike your trolled baits, you may want to switch to live baits if you have some and troll them at a slower speed. More times than not, mahi will take frisky live bait over dead bait or lures and at a slower speed, it is great excitement to watch these fish eat your bait. When you have mahi hooked up, keep a watch for others to be near and have another rod ready to pitch a bait to them.
Preferred tackle would be 30-pound set-ups with 30-pound mono. The mono line is best used for trolling to absorb any stretch from a hook-up while the boat is moving. If using ballyhoo, you can use up to 80-pound leader due to faster trolling speeds since it won’t be seen as easily. If you are using live bait, 50-pound mono leader is quite sufficient and less visible. This is a great time to find the bigger mahi, so get out there and hook ’em up! Be aware of the rules and regulations and be safe on the water.
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