The vast schools of bonito that had overtaken the reefs during the past couple months have finally passed through. We’ll see them again around July next year, but I am really looking forward to some good kingfishing again. Kingfish reign the reefs in October. With much less competition from bonito for food, the kingfish have a lot more available baitfish on the reef to feed on. We’re seeing some smoker kingfish hitting the dock, more and more often. Most of the kingfish we catch this season average 6 to 8 pounds, but a few will be monsters that we call smokers and will weigh anywhere from 15 to 40 pounds. Flatlines and whip jigs are the best bet for hooking into the bigger kings. Swimming in the same waters and feeding on the same stuff, we get some good schools of blackfin tuna moving through this time of year. Throw out a small trolling feather or cedar plug on the way out to fishing grounds and you just might hook into a blackfin tuna or something else. Tunas come in really close to shore, sometimes right into 20 feet of water. Sailfish are also beginning to show up on the reef. We’ll catch quite a few sailfish drift fishing over the next couple months.
Snappers bite off and on throughout the year here in Fort Lauderdale. Hands down, the best snapper fishing is at night. The yellowtail bite has been excellent for us this month. During the fall and winter months, yellowtails move in shallow, so we fish mostly in 30 to 45 feet of water. Anchor up and chum like crazy and the snappers will come. You’ll catch mostly yellowtails at night, except the few nights surrounding the full moon, when the mangrove snappers come out of the woodwork and tear it up. We’re catching some small chicken muttons too. On some trips, a cobia or two might be caught. They are beginning to make their move down our coastline.
There’s a good bite going on out there so get out there and do some fishing. Sea ya on the water.
Capt. Paul Roydhouse
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