Port Canaveral Offshore – April 2025

April is here, and this is the time of year to brush off the “Maui Maui” fishing tackle, as the only cool fish to catch and eat in the ocean will come alive. (According to my good friend, Robbie. LOL!) Hopefully we see a little better run than we did in 2024 because, let’s face it, last year wasn’t a great run.

Anglers will need to venture out past the normal 70- to 90-foot reefs to find their action as the shallower reefs will slow to a crawl. No worries though, because the deeper waters will be holding the fish!

The usual amberjack haunts will have its share of action. Use big live bait on a 3-way swivel with the appropriate weight. Heavier tide will require heavier lead. Croakers, spots  and grunts work best for these arm-shredding beasts. Bunker do work, but tend to spin in heavy current and either cause a tangle, or the jacks just won’t want to touch it because they’re smarter than we think. Don’t be surprised if you catch a few grouper as well as it’s their spawning season and we all know that you catch the most grouper between January 1 and April 30. Use proper care when releasing them back.

Dorado fishing. It can be the time of your life or you could question yourself on why you bought a $100k boat or just filled your friend’s boat with $800 of fuel. Last year we just never got the full run. Those more adventerous ones went to the “O Side” and came back in with huge hauls which means they just never crossed over to the western wall. Look for the usual—temperature breaks, weedlines, color changes, and mass quanities of flying fish. Bobo trolling works in a pinch, but you’re just spinning your wheels. I can’t stress enough to follow the food chain! As far as what baits and skirts work best, I personally think it doesn’t matter. I like all natural, so I run all naked baits. Every now and then I’ll send a chugger back to make some noise, but my success rate is much higher on naked ballyhoo. Use teasers, dredges, bowling pins…anything to create a bait school effect.

Let’s cross our fingers for a good April mahi-mahi run!