[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s been nice to see the large schools of thread-fins just outside the inlet in the mornings. Use Sabiki rigs and load up on bait before heading offshore. Just about every fish, you could hope to hook, will readily gobble a thread-fin down. If you’re after kingfish, you can make a stinger rig and slow troll. While at anchor, toss a couple baits out with your reels on a bait runner, and wait for the drag to scream. Here’s a tip, hook the bait in the nostril and let the stinger hook dangle. The bait will swim naturally and live longer. When you’re out in the deep water dropping for grouper, the thread-fin is a great bait. In fact, you can bet that big amberjacks are going to race the grouper for the baits. Now if you have an amberjack coming up, keep an eye out for schools of banded rudder fish, that follow the AJ’s up. Go after these guys with spinning rods with (you’ve guessed it) thread-fins! One last bit of praise for the thread-fin, on a recent trolling trip for dolphin, while bringing a big bull to the boat, many other dolphin came up to the boat. While we had chunks of fish cut up for just such an event, the fish turned their noses up at it. It was only after we tossed in live thread-fin that a feeding frenzy ensued.
Trolling continues to be productive but it’s not as red hot as it was in late April. If you find some trolling opportunities in the 160 to 300 foot depths and tons of boats are working them, push a little farther out and look for areas that haven’t been worked as hard.
The yellowfin tuna guys have been doing okay and even if it’s slow for the tuna, they usually kill the dolphin out there. All that fun starts about 70 miles out. Pick your days wisely and be careful out there!
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