The bite is on off the coast of Fort Lauderdale this month.  May is about over and the June fish are here.  Lots of schools of small dolphin are going to be showing up offshore and the tuna/wahoo bite is going to be on this summer.  Right now though, there is some great action to be had off the reefs and wrecks of Ft. Lauderdale.  Sailfish started snapping this week again, and what a great year on sailfish we’ve had already.  This is perhaps the best sailfishing this late in the season I have ever seen off the South Florida coast.  We aren’t getting the winter numbers of sailfish out there, but we’re still catching plenty.  On 4 charters this week,we’ve caught double header sailfish by either trolling artificial lures or kite fishing.  They are moving through and very aggressive. 

Sailfish aren’t the only fishing biting out there on our deep sea fishing charters.  Golden amberjacks are heavy on all the wrecks and you’ll be lucky if you can even get your bait to the bottom.  These fish are big(40-60 pounds) and they are very, very aggressive.  There are some larger groupers around the wrecks this time of year and also cobia, but its not often a big amberjack does not grab your bait first.  The amberjacks are showing up on just about all the artificial reefs we have off Fort Lauderdale, but there are some really big ones on the wrecks deeper than 250 feet. 

I almost had a really cool fish story to tell you all about on a daytime swordfishing charter we ran the other day.  Rod and Adam went out and did a few daytime drops for swordfish the other dayy.  The bait was down maybe 15 minutes and got slammed by a huge fish.  After a 45 mintute fight, the fish got close enough, they guessed the weight of the fish at about 200 pounds.    As soon as Rod grabbed the leader, the fish took off on a sick run which resulted in him pulling the hook.  It was a heartbreaker for everyone aboard.  They tried some more drops and a little fishing into the night, but no luck.  It was almost an awesome trip. 

There have been some smoker kingfish around on the reefs also.  The drift fishing boats are coming in with king mackerals, blackfin tuna, and a lot of snappers.  The drift fishing has been improving immensly from what it was like a month ago.  Its been great action on all 3 trips, especially the night trip.  Lots of yellowtails and mangrove snappers being caught on the night anchor trips.  Most of them 1-3 pounds, but a few of the mangroves we’ve been catching lately are upwards of 5-6 pounds.  Now thats a big mangrove snapper.  A few 20+ pound kingfish have been brought in on the day fishing trips.  I’m looking forward to a great summer.   

Yahooooo!  It was a helluva Friday night swordfishing trip this week.  After the last 3 trips of only getting a few bites and NO boated fish, this weeks trip, we finally got a couple.  The Friday night swordfishing trip on 3/14/08 was when we got these huge ones.  It was a nice night out there, good weather and a full boat.  We got our first bite in the first 20 mins.  It was a huge fish, probably about a 180 pounder.  We got him in the boat and you could hear the cheering for miles.  It was a helluva fish and it took 1/2 the boat to fight him in.  Well, we were aways from where we wanted to be, so we pulled up the lines and made a run to the south to set up again.  With baits set out again for a while,. we hear Kevin yell, “theres’s one on the surface back here!”  Everyone immediately ran to the back of the boat.  Kevin pitched out a live tinker mackeral and the swordfish swimming next to the boat swam  over and grabbed it quickly.  Kevin freespooled to the fish for 20 seconds and locked it up and started winding.  Nothing, and we came back with a bare hook.  Capt. Adam quickly pitched out a dead tinker mackeral that was all rigged up.  Amazingly, the swordfish came right up to the boat again and took the bait.  Adam freespooled to the fish for a bit, locked up and started winding.  Again, nothing and we came back in with a bare hook.  One of the customers that fishes with us every week had a rod ready to go and pitched a bait out as well.  The swordfish, who still had not been hooked, swam up a third time and took the bait.  This time, the customer got him on and hooked him good.  I don’t know if Captain Adam and Kevin were having a bad night or if it was just 3rd try is the charm, but we were laughing about it the whole way home.  The second fish ended up being an 80 pounder, give or take a few pounds.  Both fish were very fat and fought hard.  The second fish we caught took the entire other half of the boat to catch it, so everyone that came got to fight, land and take home some swordfish.  It was a great trip and the swordfish have been biting good out of Fort Lauderdale this week.  There are still some spots left for this week’s Friday night swordfish trip, so lets’s get out there and catch some sword fish! 

The Friday Night Open Boat Swordfishing trip, this past Friday night, was a blast.  We only had 6 people, but everybody paid a few dollars more so the boat could go out.  The seas were rough that night on the way out to fishing grounds.  We got broadsided twice by a huge wave.  That was what it was like for about the first half hour, and if it had continued like that, we probably would have turned back.  Well, as we got out farther, the ocean started laying down and it got really nice out.  The waves were only like 4′ when we stopped to fish, which isn’t bad on a boat as large as Catch My Drift.  Well, we started sending out the baits and low and behold a big mahi mahi starts jumping not too far from the boat.  He was jumping straight for us, so Capt. Adam quickly grabs the gaff out of the rod holder and snabs up the fish.  It was about a 20 pound mahi mahi.  So Capt. Adam actually got to catch the first fish that night.

Once we had all the baits out again, we get a nice bite on the tip line.  Hooked up!  We fight the fish up to the boat in about 10 minutes.  It was a windy night and we were getting pushed away from the fish, so the fight was twice as hard.  When we got him to the boat, the fish was a couple inches short so we released him.  So, we set back up and after a little while we get hooked up on something really nice.  Now this was a big fish.  It was stripping line off the reel almost as fast as the fish last week did.  We don’t usually do this, and only had a few people on the boat so it was easier to do, but we reeled everything in and chased the fish down.  We got the fish up to the surface and when he came into range, we harpooned him.  It was a sweet shot.  Adam ran down from the wheelhouse and stuck the big flying gaff into him and brought him aboard.  It was a slob of a swordfish.  The fish probably weighed closed to 200 pounds. 

By then, it was time to go in.  We caught 2 for 2 that night on swordfish.  The swordfish are biting out there.  The week before this trip, we had 6 big swordfish on the line, but only managed to catch 2 of them.  The bite has been red hot, so hopefully this week and next week, we’ll have a good Friday Night Swordfishing trip.  Sea ya out there on the water.

Well, I forgot to give a fishing report for last Friday Swordfishing trip and man it was a doosy!  Well, as soon as we got out there and got our first bait in the water, ZINGGGG!!!  Big swordfish, hooked up!  We caught the fish in about a 1/2 hour, good fighter.  I forget the forklength, but it was about an 80 pounder.  A short while later, we get another bite.  Swordfish hooked up again.  This fish we caught quick, probably only a few minute fight.  The fish was undersized, so we released him.  We get set up again and Wammo!  Another big fish.  The fish is coming to the boat for the first few minutes of the fight, so Adam thought it was a smaller fish.  When the fish gets just so we can see the light in the distance, he takes off.  The fish takes a run from hell.  He striped off line so fast off that 50W that the drag was actually smoking.  There wasn’t much line left on the reel, we could see the knot on the bottom of the spool and we still had a lot of lines out still fishing so chasing the fish down was not an option.  As if we didn’t have enough going on at the time, one of the other lines on the boat get a bite and its another BIG fish.  This fish starts screeming line off too.  We had this fish on an 80, but it was spooling us as well.  Well, we were about to get to the knot on the first fish, so Capt. Adam tightened the drag a nudge.  Immediately the hooks pulled, a total bummer.  A few seconds later, we pulled the hooks on the other fish.  It was heartbreaking to loose those 2 fish, no telling what they were.  They were probably a couple of huge swordfish, but we never got to see the fish.  You never know, could have been a giant tuna or a huge mako shark.  We’ll never know.  It would have been sweet to catch one or both of them though.

All that action wasn’t even the end of it for that night.  We got 2 more fish on that evening, but pulled the hooks on both of them.  Well, we brought one back home, so everyone had plenty of swordfish filets to take home with them.  It was a great night last week, very exciting.  2/6 on swordfish, with one brought in and one released.  Let me apologize for not putting the camera on the boat the night they went out.  I forgot to before the trip and I’m kicking myself now for not having any photos of the swordfish.  These photos of the hammerhead shark hanging were from our Friday night swordfishing trip 2 weeks ago.  We didn’t catch any swordfish that night, the fishing was slow.  But we did catch this monster hammerhead shark.  Here’s a photo of the 2 guys that caught the fish, what a nice one.  We’re going out swordfishing tommorrow night, so I hope the fishing is as good as last week was.  We’ve still got a couple open seats if anyone wants to go on Friday Night’s trip.  This last photo is a big grouper we caught on one of our sportfishing charters.  Its about a 25 pound black grouper that we caught bottom fishing around one of our shipwrecks here in Fort Lauderdale.  The sportfishing has been good in South Florida this past month and we’re getting into my favorite time of year to fish.  Let’s go fishing!

Wow, what a night.  The swordfishing was good in Fort Lauderdale last night, that’s for sure.  We actually had 2 swordfish trips last night.  One was out Friday night swordfishing trip on the Catch My Drift.  The other was a private swordfish fishing trip on one of our 6 person sportfishing boats.  We caught a whole bunch of swordfish and man was it an exciting night.  Both boats did great and caught them out there.  Here’s the story…

The Out of the Blue headed out of the inlet at about 4PM.  2 guys chartered the boat privately to themselves for a swordfish trip.  Capt. Eric and John were the crew on that trip and they were eager to go out there in search of the grandaddy of all the big game fish, Broadbill Swordfish.  Capt. Adam and Kevin were the crew on the Catch My Drift last night and they left the dock at 6PM.  The conditions were good last night and the weather was beautiful.  We couldn’t have asked for a nicer evening.  Capt. Eric and Capt. Adam put their heads together and consorted with eachother about what to do this night and where and how best to get some bites.  They decided on a plan of action and both boats had their baits set.  The boats were about a mile away from eachother, but both were fishing the same line of longitude, so both were about on the same drift.  They were set up on a small current edge they found. 

Capt. Adam on the Catch My Drift was the first to get a bite.  He hooked up with a monster of a fish.  The angler fought the fish for a long time and man, what a fight. When the fish came up to the boat, everyone guestimated him at about a 200 pounder.  The crew was all set to gaff the fish and everything was in place.  As soon as Capt. Adam grabbed the leader, the fish went balistic and started thashing wildly.  The fish was at the pulpit of the bow when he began to wire him, but suddenly swam fiercly to the stern.  Capt. Adam was literally dragged the full 85 feet toward the back of the boat.  He held on as tightly as he could, but there is no man in the world stronger than an angry 200 pound swordfish.  Before a gaff could be stuck into the fish, we pulled the hooks.  It was what we call, a Palm Beach Release.  DANG!!  Well, the rules state that if a mate or captain touches the leader, then it is a caught fish.  It wasn’t an intentional release, but heck, it was a great fish and we had it right at the boat.  And man, what a beautiful fish.  It was huge.  Fortunately, not long after, we got the hooks into another fish that night.  Later on, we caught a 100 pound swordfish that we got into the boat and brought in.  Everyone on the trip was ecstatic and everybody got to take home a ton of swordfish steaks.  It was a great Friday Night Swordfishing trip on the Catch My Drift. 

Capt. Erik had his own adventure that night.  Not one, not 2, but 3 swordfish caught on his private swordfishing charter.  He was set up a mile or so away from the Catch My Drift, pretty much along the same line of longiture and the same drift.  One of the fish was a small fish and had to be released.  The other 2 swordfish caught were both keeper sized and they got to bring both fish back to the dock.  One of the keeper swordfish was about a 70 pounder and the other was about a 110 pound fish.  There were only 2 guys on the charter, so each person got to catch their own swordfish on the trip.  It’s not often when 100% of the anglers get to land their own swordfish on a swordfishing charter.  The swordfish were certainly snapping out of Fort Lauderdale last night.  What a great couple of trips.  I wish the swordfishing was as good as it was last night every night.  Well, you can’t catch them if you never go out and try for them.  Swordfish are biting out of Ft. Lauderdale right now guys.  If you’re looking for a good time to go out there and catch swordfish, now is an excellent time.  We still have some room on next week’s trip.  Make sure to make reservations early.  Sea ya out there…

The Friday night swordfishing trip was a blast last night.  We had a full boat and all the guys were a lot of fun to fish with. The weather was beautiful, not a wave in the ocean and just a light breeze.  We ended up just getting one bite, but it was a good bite.  The fish didn’t bite until 1:15 in the morning, just before we were about to clear the lines to go home.  The swordfish put up a good fight and everyone was jubilant that we finally got one.  Fish was about a hundred pounder, 91″ overall.  It’s not everyday that we can go out there and come home with an 8 foot fish.  When we got back, we filleted the fish up and everyone that went got to take lots of swordfish filets home for dinner.  There was dinner for everybody.  It was a great night of swordfishing and next week should be good fishing too.  I love fishing on the week after a full moon and the week after that.  We should have good swordfishing out here in Fort Lauderdale for the next few months, so get out there if you can, the fishing is hot.

We got a swordfishing charter at the last minute last night.  It wasn’t on the books at all and these guys came up and said take me swordfishing right now!  Capt. Johan grabbed some squids and ran offshore a ways to swordfish territory.  The fish hit at about 11:30PM and took a huge run of line.  He definetly didn’t come in easy, thats for sure.  Fortunately for us, the fish got hooked right in the perfect spot:  the corner of the mouth.  Swordfish are notorious for getting off because the hook pulls through their soft jaws.  Well this one was hooked good and after a grueling 25 minute fight, we got the fish in.  The angler who caught him had never caught a swordfish before, but he took instruction from the crew great and got the fish in within record time.  The fish was about a 150 pounder but he fought like a 200 pound one.  There were so many swordfish steaks, the guys didn’t have room for them in the cooler they brought, hahaha.  The cooler was overflowing, and that was only after half the fish got cut up.  So they left the other half for the crew to stock their freezers with and give to friends, thanks guys.  The Fort Lauderdale swordfishing has been going great.  Our past 2 trips for them we’ve come home with big ones.  No matter what anyone says, the swordfish definetly bite better at night, even though day time swordfishing is the new thing.  A lot of the guys going out in the day are coming home skunked.  Thats not to say you can’t catch a daytime swordfish.  In fact, I really enjoy the new daytime swordfishing.  But its not as red hot as people are claiming.  The simple fact is that swordfish come up to the surface at night to feed.  Daytime they are on the bottom resting and only feeding on the occassional squid that happens to drift directly past them.  At night, swordfish are swimming all over LOOKING for something to eat.  Anyway, the swordfishing is good right now and I highly  reccomend a night time swordfishing trip.  They are the biggest fish out here to catch and what a prize when you come home with one.  Cya out there and schedule a Swordfishing Charter now! 

We went out on the Friday night swordfishing trip last night and it was fun.  The weather wasn’t bad at all and we had a nice group of 12 fishermen.  Anyway, we went out to the 50 line(lat/long line that we like to fish on) .  It looked sweet.  There was a great little 1/2 a degree temperature change there and the drift couldn’t have been more perfect for us.  Capt. Adam had high hopes of us crushing them.  Well, we did get a couple nice fish on.  The swordfish we caught was a nice 80 pounder and we missed as well.  It wasn’t as red hot as we were expecting but any night you catch a swordfish is a good night so we weren’t complaining.  Dan, one of our regular swordfishermen that fishes with us regularly on the trip brought his daughter with him.  She ended up being the lucky angler who caught the fish and she did a great job of getting him in.  Pretty work to everyone that came last night and we hope to have you back with us again.  Thanks a bunch…

The Friday Night Swordfishing trip is BACK!!! and better than ever!  We had a couple weeks where we didn’t make it out due to foul weather but the weather is much nicer these days.  With seas about 2-4′ we can easily get out there to swordfish grounds when the smaller boats can’t make it.  That gives us the whole ocean to ourselves.  The swordfish bite wasn’t red hot this week, but we did manage to catch a nice one. 

We started the trip at 6PM, like we usually do and headed out 15 miles offshore to swordfish territory.  It was Capt. Adam and Kevin as crew for the trip.  The water was a bit choppy, but plenty fishable, especially on an 85′ fishing boat.  We put out our squids and blue runners on the first drift and not much happened for us.  We did catch a nice barracuda.  Not the desired species, but a nice cuda none the less. 

About 11PM, Capt. Adam decided to set up for the second drift.  We hooked into a nice shark.  After fighting the fish for a little while, he ended up biting through the leades and cut us off.  We never got to see the fish.  So on the 3rd drift, one of our regulars, Dan, fishing with his daughter and friend, put down a rigged mackrel on a wire leader so that if a shark did bite us, we would catch it.  The bait was supposed to be a 300′ bait for us, but when we got down about 150′ the swordfish ate.  They saw the light stick near the bait shooting up to the top of the water.  Bammo, Hooked UP!!  We fought the fish for about an hour before we got him to the boat.  A beautiful fish at about 62″ forklength, an estimated 120 pounder. 

That was the only swordfish we caught that night, but after sitting in on the swordfish trip the last couple weeks it was a great trip.  Everybody that wanted fish for dinner got to take a bunch home that night.  This Friday should be a good trip.  The water is going to be a bit choppy but it should be calmer than it was last week.  Give us a call if you want to go out on Friday’s trip. 

Check this out.  Now, there are a few trips a year that really astound me, and this trip last night absolutely did for me.  Our luck on our swordfish trips lately has been kinda down these past few weeks.  The past few Friday nights hasn’t been that good for us.  Last week we fished the Sword Lords Tournament and we hooked into3 fish, but unfortunately pulled the hooks on all 3 fish.  Needless to say, our luck has been down for about 3 weeks now.  But we were due.  We were due for a good trip and last night was it!  We slammed them.  Caught 5 swordfish on our trip last night.

The first fish we caught was small, so we brought him close to the boat, and cut the line.  He was small and definetly not a legal fish so we released him.  The drift was funny last night and it was difficult to put our lines out there.  As we were resetting the lines from the first fish we caught, we got another bite.  We caught that fish, set the lines out again and Bam!  Immediately got another bite.  The fish were biting last night.  I don’t think we actually ever managed to get all the lines back out again during the entire night, the fish were biting so good. 

We ended up catching 5 swordfish last night guys.  So far, in the year and a half we’ve been running the Friday Night Swordfishing trip, this has been our best night on numbers of fish.  Fort Lauderdale swordfishing is going off and we weren’t the only boat to catch them either.  I heard a few other boats catching them too, so swordfishing is hot right now.  Of the keeper sized swordfish we caught, the smallest was about a 50 pounder and the biggest was a 64″ forklength fish, estimated at 140 pounds.  Awesome night for us guys.  We’re headed out again next Friday so we’ll see you all out there.  Good luck…