Miami, Florida - Offshore

By now, everyone should have had their fill of this heat. Extremely warm temperatures has been making angling uncomfortable, especially during the mid-day. However, there are still plenty of fish out there to make it worth your while. Dolphin continue to make their presence offshore, although not in the numbers that were common a month ago, but still enough to make a few meals. They are being followed by birds and you will still find them under boards. The days are getting shorter and the fish will begin to respond to their instincts and begin a migration south. As we get into September, even though our temperatures will be near boiling, our friends to the north will start experiencing a slight cooling of their temperatures and thus a cooling off of their waters. Fish will notice this and start to make their way south. This movement may last from September through December, but the first signs of it will begin in a few weeks. When Dolphin return they probably will have added a few pounds and should be on the heavier side than when they went by us in June. Fisherman looking for something different should try their hands at Swordfishing. This is a nighttime endeavor and can be a good way to beat the heat. A surprising number of anglers have been successful. Captain Ray Rosher, owner of the Miss Britt, had a recent charter out Swordfishing and hooked a monster that almost dumped all the line off his reel. The hook finally pulled but he described it as a hectic few minutes. Typically Swordfishing can be slow and quiet, when all of the sudden, in the middle of the night, your quiet fishing world is interrupted by a screaming drag from one of you reels. Rosher did catch a smaller fish he estimated around forty pounds the night before which he released. You can contact him at 305-596-0419. In September you will begin to see more Ballyho on the reef as they make a migration up the Florida Keys. You will commonly see the Ballyho boats working them hard off Ocean Reef Yacht Club. Cero Mackerel will be following right behind them and they can be caught if you anchor and chum along the reef and use a live Ballyho or even better a live Pilchard for bait. The area north of the whistle buoy off north Key Largo is very good in about 60 feet of water. We commonly think of a Pilchard as a winter time bait in our area, but you will be surprised that they will start to make an appearance as early as September in the southern parts of Biscayne Bay. Look for diving Terns around the Featherbeds and along the outside of Elliot Key. A cast net is a must. The Pilchards will be on the move so you have to get into position quick to throw a net over them. I use a 12 foot castnet made by Calusa Nets. You can find their nets at Crook and Crook Marine in Miami. (305-854-0005) On Thursday nights, from 7pm to 8pm, at the Old Cutler Raw Bar, South Dixie Highway and SW 184 Street, come listen to “Fishing South Florida Style”. This is an hour long live radio show hosted by Mike Pace, Captain Rob Fordyce, Captain Marty Locke, and Captain Mark Houghtaling. Offshore and inshore fishing topics are covered during the live radio broadcast, and you can pick up a few tips from the radio hosts after the show. You can also catch the show on Thunder Country 100.3 FM. Captain Mark Houghtaling wants to hear from you. Send him your latest catches and pictures to15920 SW 85 Ave. Miami, Fla. 33157, or E-Mail him at [email protected]. Capt Mark also has a charter fishing service ,you can call him at 305-253-1151 or check out his web page at http://www.magicfin.com For free safe boating and personal watercraft classes call the Coast Guard Auxiliary at 305-820-8411, or the United States Power Squadron at 305-238-4807