DOLPHIN

In Miami, we can find dolphin/mahi (or dorado whatever you want to call them) throughout the year – with the summer months recognized as dolphin season.  But, anybody can have a great dolphin day at any given time of the year.  The most consistent months are June , July and August and that is when most fishermen head offshore in search of weed lines, rips, color changes, floating debris and bird activity – which are all great signs that dolphin could be in the area.  The main fishing tactics when targeting dolphin are trolling with rigged ballyhoo, flying fish or bonito strips along with small lures and feathers.  Or running and gunning, which is covering a lot of ground in search of debris and signs of fish.  The larger fish are usually in pairs or small packs while the smaller fish can be found in large schools – hence the name schoolies.  Aboard the Thomas Flyer we like to have some live pilchards or cigar minnows in the bait well along with some bonito or ballyhoo chunks ready to cast or pitch once we have located the fish.  Typical tackle is light trolling outfits and medium to heavy spinning tackle rigged with 50-80 pound mono leaders and 4-0 to 6-0 hooks.  The few dolphin that have been caught in the last week have been anywhere from 100-800 feet of water.   And the shallower depths they have been caught on live baits intended for sailfish.  And in the deeper water they have been under frigate birds chasing flying fish to the south.  The bite should progressively pick up as we get into June and July.