Tunas rule the reefs in December. This is an exciting month for drift fishing on the reefs of Fort Lauderdale. Blackfin tuna, skipjack tuna and even a few yellowfin tuna will get caught this month. The tunas are on the reef chowing down on schools of pilchards, ballyhoo and threadfin herring. Whip jigs are really effective this time of year for tuna and kingfish, and I’m getting great tuna bites on butterfly jigs as well. Tunas love a fast moving bait so don’t be afraid to jig hard and fast. The more aggressive you jig, the more aggressive the bite you’ll get. Another good tip is to troll a small, streamlined lure on the way out to fishing grounds. Last year, a lucky angler aboard the Catch My Drift caught a 90 pound yellowfin tuna just outside the mouth of the inlet in only 30 feet of water by dragging a jelly belly lure behind the boat. Tunas come in a lot shallower than you may think to chase food.
Night snapper fishing continues to be excellent. Mutton snappers bite very good during December, big ones and small ones. We’re already catching some really big muttons on our night trips, with several this week over 15 pounds. Big mangrove snappers are also biting this month, especially on the shallow spots in 20 to 30 feet of water. Some of these grovers are pushing 5 pounds. Cubera snapper are rare to catch, but December is the month that they bite too. Cubera are the largest of any snapper we catch and average anywhere from 20 to 60 pounds. You need heavier gear to catch them though. Try throwing down a live grunt or yellowtail on a heavy stick as you never know what you may catch.
Good luck fishing this month everyone. Sea ya on the water.
Capt. Paul Roydhouse
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