Fishing in Fort Lauderdale during the month of April is always action packed. The Barracuda are stealth inshore, the shipwrecks are full of fish and the Game Shark bite is solid if bait is presented properly. How could you go wrong?
Florida experienced a record-breaking winter and man, are we glad to welcome the warm weather! The sunshine is now consistent along with the 80-degree afternoons we missed so much. The seas didn’t necessarily agree with us for the first few weeks in April, but we’ve seen a big change and calmer seas as the days go by. The Atlantic Sailfish stuck around for a majority of April, but the bite has slowed down considerably. We’ll just have to wait until the season kicks off for that satisfying slap out the of rigger.
Game Sharks have officially moved on in. February to June is prime time to go big game Shark fishing in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. Hammerhead Sharks, Mako Sharks, Tiger Sharks and Thresher Sharks are just some of the biggest fish caught off the east coast and Fort Lauderdale comes in at #1 for the bite. Head offshore to 300 ft of deep blue water, drop a fresh, bloody Kingfish head on the bottom and your chances of tugging on one of these bad boys is likely. With the Lady Pamela II new and improved suspended fighting chair, you won’t be disappointed during the fight. Just imagine, fighting a fish as big as you within feet from your feet. Once hooked, average encounters last more than an hour, leaving you with a very soar arm after a stellar catch. Game Sharks offer the ultimate offshore challenge. This month, we’ve gotten up close and personal with a handful of Hammerhead Game Sharks; they are by far one of the coolest fish in the ocean.
The shipwrecks are always active in the springtime. Amberjacks, members of the Jack family, are predominantly found in Florida. Amberjack fish are known to be voracious predators that forge over reefs and wrecks in small groups. AJ's, sometimes called by locals, are powerful fish and seem to know what to do when you least expect it, like run straight into their favorite territory, a wreck. The Amberjack is no doubt a powerful fish; not so much a fast, long distance runner, but more like a powerful short sprinter who runs straight down before heading into cover; they guarantee a fight.
Surprisingly, the Cobias haven’t been hitting as nicely as we’d like. The wacky weather we’ve dealt with, the fish are dealing with as well. The Lady Pamela II has landed a few nice Cobias this month and hopefully the bite improves. I’ve heard of scattered Cobia schools, but they haven’t moved into Fort Lauderdale as of yet. Talk about good eats, Cobia is one of the tastiest fish in the ocean and we look forward to the bite.
Between 200 ft and 500 ft of water, the Wahoo are feeding on blue spoons with pink/white seawitches and fresh bonito strips. Wahoo fish are best known to sport fishermen for their speed and high-quality flesh. They are handsome looking fish with their razor sharp teeth and are one of Florida’s prize game fish.
The Mahi – Mahi have been hit or miss lately. One day you’re heading back to the dock with a 30 lb’er and a few smaller ones to fill the cooler, the next day there isn’t a Dolphin fish in site. Generally, by the beginning of April, the Mahi have popped in and by the end of April their swimming in herds offshore. We are expecting the bite to pick up any day now. We are all craving fresh Dolphin.
Lately, the wind has been blowing out of the west in Fort Lauderdale. With that said, Swordfishing conditions have been far from perfect. However, on April 20th, the winds were considerate enough to turn around and allow for a comfortable Nighttime Swordfishing charter. The bite was almost instant. As soon as the sun settled and the squid hit the water, the fish turned on. We got our Swordfishing fix with four nice Broadbill’s in the ****pit and we were back at the dock by 1:30 AM; we even got a few hours to sleep before heading out for an 8 AM start. The Swordfish ranged from 100 lb’s to a 150 lb’s. Now that we got a little taste, we will definitely be back offshore for more.
