Spring is one of the hottest fishing months off southeast Florida, particularly Miami. In April and May, a major sailfish migration occurs along the coast. These are large breeding-class sailfish, not the typical 35- to 45-pounders common during winter. Add in a mix of large blackfin tuna, early arrivals of mahi and a sprinkling of wahoo, and it becomes difficult focusing on just one species.
All-in-One Solution
Sailfish purists concentrate solely on running up releases, whereas tuna fanatics live-chum and fish deep baits around wrecks and tight contour lines. Then, of course, there are those seeking mahi dinners. As for me, I go for them all with one can’t-miss drifting strategy.
With three dozen goggle-eyes and at least one livewell crammed with pilchards, we often head out of Haulover Inlet and turn south in search of current, solid rips and clean blue water. Given the breeze is usually from the easterly quadrant, and based on other common sea conditions, we’ll begin our drift at around 250 feet and slide into roughly 80 feet. Conversely, when that northwest wind blows, we’ll start at 80 feet and end around 250 feet. No matter the wind direction, our goal is to narrow down the depths where fish are most active and tighten our drifts accordingly.
Our three kite outfits are Penn Fathom 30 lever-drag reels, spooled with 20-pound mono. Two identical setups are flat-lined, weighted baits staggered between 50 and 100 feet deep. Then, conditions permitting, a mix of live pilchards and small goggle-eyes are surface-drifted on 20-pound-class spin and conventional tackle. Leaders are primarily 40-pound fluorocarbon, but modifications happen often.
We prefer drifting or slow-trolling when fishing. Given a slow and manageable drift, the boat positions sideways to a breeze and we can deploy baits. The goal is to provide the spread with enough soak time across various bottom depths and wrecks. Should the drift be quicker than we like, I’ll deploy a sea anchor to slow the pace. Our surface baits swim true, while the deep baits remain vertical with 10 ounces of weight.
Read Next: Guide to Spring Sailfish Fishing
Load the Shotgun
Consider this strategy to target sailfish, mahi, blackfins and wahoo simultaneously. We’ll primarily stick with 40-pound fluorocarbon leaders on all outfits, save for one deep rod with a 30-pound fluoro leader. Deep rods garner the most blackfin bites. Blackfins are hardware-sensitive, hence the 30-pound leader. If they’re biting good on 40-pound, we’ll switch out the other leader for more insurance against a sailfish wearing through it. Kite baits are perfect, as terminal hardware remains above the water’s surface.
With surface and deep baits spread out, we have the pelagics covered. At this stage, we’re “luck” fishing with king mackerel and wahoo on fluorocarbon leaders. Yet, we get lucky pretty often with inline circle hooks. Properly set, a circle hook lodges in the corner of a fish’s jaw, with its eye away from its teeth. We’ve landed large kings and wahoo this way.
A Metallic Flavor
To better the odds of converting king mackerel and wahoo strikes into catches while gambling against fewer strikes, rig a short wire trace to each leader with a small barrel swivel.
A wire leader increases positive hook-sets because it slides smoothly through a fish’s mouth. Mono or fluorocarbon leader is much thicker and prone to briefly being pinched in place when a fish jaws down on it. Even with sailfish, a wire trace shouldn’t impede successful hookups. A 3-foot length of 60-pound single-strand wire with a barrel swivel rated for 100-pound-test is a good compromise leader.
Go with all-wire traces, or try it on a couple of outfits. On a good bite, wire just might save a fish or two. If bites are slow, light fluoro is the key. Remain flexible with leader choice throughout the day.
There Will Be Adjustments
During a drift, I’ll periodically broadcast several live pilchards for chum, especially around wrecks. We’ve enticed blackfins, sailfish and mahi to the surface by live-chumming, some sails even right alongside the boat.
Keeping the two deep lines apart requires some forethought. With 10 ounces of weight, it’s a matter of staggering the depths, like at 50 and 100 feet, and distancing those rods. On my center-console, I fish one deep outfit from the cockpit and the other off the bow. Adding 16 ounces of weight to the deeper bait also helps to keep them apart.
The special terminal arrangement for the deep rods consists of a short Bimini twist in the 20-pound-mono main line, with a Bristol knot marrying it to 40 feet of 40-pound leader, followed by an inline circle hook. Separately, a 10-ounce weight is tied to a foot of 12-pound mono, with a small snap swivel at its opposite end. This is the quick-release weight.
When a bait is free-spooled out 40 feet, simply hang the open snap swivel between the legs of the double line, and don’t snap it shut. The weight will hang on the double line and remain in place. When a fish is played up to within 40 feet of the boat, the snap-swivel sinker rig is removed quickly. Now the angler can wind a fish right to the gaff for harvesting.
This tactic could apply almost everywhere when live-baiting pelagics—and even some bottomfish by sending bait near the ocean floor. We’ve scored mutton snapper and cobia by doing exactly this when inside of 130 feet of water.
Shotgun it this spring—you’ll likely be awed at day’s end with a mix of releases and dinner options.
