 We are very lucky to live in Fort Lauderdale where the Fort Lauderdale fishing grounds are productive year round and the weather conditions are favorable 90% of the time.
Leaving the dock at Bahia Mar it’s a short ride through the intercoastal water way and within 20 minutes we are fishing in Fort Lauderdale. The general rule is for every mile and half offshore it gets about a 100 feet deeper. Most of our fishing off Fort Lauderdale is in 100 to 400 feet of water.
The weather during the winter is in the lower to mid 70’s and 80’s and during the summer months, it gets hotter with mid 80 and 90 degree weather. The frequency of rain showers is common in the months of May, June, and July and typically are short in duration. The rain lasts 15 minutes to an hour at the most and then it is back to Ft Lauderdale fishing fun. The winds are commonly from the easterly direction and they usually blow at around 5 to 15 mph much of the year.
The Atlantic Ocean off the Fort Lauderdale coast gets to be crystal clear and you can see your baits go far down under the surface. Each day is different though with current and bait schools, but on an average day we have some current, wind and crystal clear water which makes Fort Lauderdale a very productive area to fish.
Where to fish is the next big question? Do we go offshore or fish inshore? Using live bait or troll ballyhoos? Fort Lauderdale fishing means many different types, styles, and tactics that anglers may choose to try or use.
The deciding factors on what we target are based on current conditions whether that is the current, baitfish, wind, or water color. For example, if it’s early March and the wind is blowing 12 mph out of the east, we would use live bait. It would be a good call to head out to a productive area that has good bottom (reef and or wreck structure) and set up in a depth of water from 130 feet to 200 feet of water that holds the cleanest blue water. With 6 live baits on the surface and one or two deep, there is a good chance to catch a sailfish. Fort Lauderdale sailfish are caught year round, but the very best time to go Fort Lauderdale sailfishing is January, February, March, and April.
A decision to head out to Fort Lauderdale offshore waters would be based on good weedlines, for example if the wind has been blowing consistently for a couple days you can expect strong currents to form offshore. That creates a weedline. The weedline may also hold floating debris (weed) and that will ultimately be a home for bait, which would make this a prime area for Mahi-Mahi and Wahoo. We can fish offshore in Ft. Lauderdale anywhere from 6 to 15 miles and target Mahi-Mahi, Wahoo, and Tuna. The depth of water we fish offshore is from 600 feet of water to about 1,000 feet of water. The better months for offshore Mahi fishing is the summer months of May, June, July, and August.
Fort Lauderdale inshore fishing is very productive anywhere from Hollywood to Fort Lauderdale. When fishing the inshore waters of Florida we are usually fishing in anywhere from 75 to 175 feet of water. The most common types of species fishing inshore are King Mackerel, Bonito, Spanish Mackerel, and Barracuda. We use a bait called seawitch with belly strips.
They are best used on a downrigger or planer trolling 6 knots. On the surface we troll Ballyhoo. The bite can be very consistent and is fun action catching Smoker Kings (what we call 30lb or bigger King Mackerel) and Bomber Bonito. The best part about inshore fishing in Fort Lauderdale is because it is close to port and the action is a great way to start the trip.
When you are ready for your action packed Fort lauderdale fishing excursion we hope you will contact Top Shot Fishing. |
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