One of the most appealing aspects of fishing in South Florida is the variety of species there is to choose from—but none call anglers to the water like the dolphinfish. A dolphinfish (or mahi-mahi), is arguably the most popular offshore game fish available to Florida anglers, highly regarded for both its spectacular coloration and its superb edibility. These fish are aggressive and acrobatic on your line and nearly always willing to strike. Their voracious appetite makes it easy to catch them on a wide array of tackle—and trolling both live and rigged dead bait, casting or trolling artificial lures, even fly fishing, will all produce results.
Dolphin are always a welcome sight chasing your bait down, and right now is the best time to target these fish, as they are in the midst of their northward migration (which typically peaks from May through June). While dolphin are available to some extent year-round, the spring migration offers the most consistent chance to run into significant numbers of these brilliant predators. During this season, dolphin are most commonly found using the northbound Gulf Stream current to their advantage. The edge of the continental shelf from 100 to 200 feet deep provides a highway for travel, where anglers will typically encounter migratory pelagic fish including dolphin.
Setting up along this ledge is a great starting point. On a busy weekend, however, when the ledge gets crowded, your odds for success diminish here due to the increase in pressure (along with the likelihood of other boats reducing the number of fish passing by). If you expect the competition from other boats to be heavy, another option is to run farther east into the deep in search of any obvious current edges, rips, or the resulting weed line that these edges often produce.
Locating an edge offshore, then running southbound into the current along the edge, can be very productive. Finding a significant patch of sargassum weed or any other floating object (such as wood or other debris) will often get you in the game. These floats provide cover and habitat for bait-fish, which in turn provide a meal further up the food chain. Cruising these lines looking for a patch with plenty of baitfish swimming in close proximity to the cover will regularly produce a bite. Any floating object holding baitfish that are staying tight to the cover and unwilling to stray from the security it provides is a sign that predators are close by. Devote some extra effort here by cutting chum and watching it sink, which often brings dolphin to the surface.
Know Your Limits
Not too long ago, it was common to see coolers stuffed full of small school-size dolphin, which often ultimately went to waste. Measures are now in place to prevent this excess, and strict bag and size limits apply. Florida allows anglers to harvest up to five dolphin per person with a vessel limit of 30, while each fish must measure at least 20 inches to the fork of its tail. When the action gets hot, remember to exercise common sense and take only what you need.
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