I did not fish inshore at all the past week. This report is for offshore fishing only. Nearly everyday this week was spent trolling in 250+ feet of water. The mahi bite was slower than the previous week, but with patience we were able to find at least one gaffer for the box everyday. Mahi are aggressive opportunistic feeders, which is one reason they will eat at night during a full moon phase. With the new moon this week, I am hoping for dark nights, and angry hungry mahi during the daylight hours. A large sailfish was caught and released last week, in about 300 feet of water at about 9:30 am. I highly recommend finding a way to get at least one of your baits down deep. Ballyhoo with chugger heads was the go to, but I have been having more luck with strips rigged onto number 8 trolling hooks with sea witches and squidlies. This combination is also deadly for big kingfish on the planer rod at the inshore reefs. If using this trolling rig for big kings, rig with wire leader instead of monofilament leader. The weeds offshore were really scattered all week, making trolling a constant battle of keeping lines clear of weeds. As soon as I could get free of weeds and get everything swimming properly, the beautiful sound of drag screaming would hit my ears. I recommend having all baits rigged, brined, and ready to go the night before to save time out there so you can use it to keep your lines free.
Toward the end of the week, winds began to remain consistent out of the southeast, and weeds started to gather more. I am hoping to find a more defined weed line this week but it might be a long shot with the shifty winds. Bottom fishing went well at steeples. Scamp grouper, snowy grouper, almaco jack, and of course red snapper were all seen throughout the week, some multiple times. I have been trying new cut baits and this week the hot ticket seemed to be bonita chunks. Seas look to remain in the 2 foot range most of the week, with a small jump at 2-3 foot towards the end of the week. Winds look to come from the west/northwest on Tuesday at 5-10 knots before shifting south/southeast for the end of the week. The gulf stream is 42 nm east of Ponce Inlet. Be safe out there and bring foul weather gear for those summer storms. If you see me around stop and say hello, I always love to learn new things from other fisherman. Thanks and have a great week y’all.
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New Smyrna Beach & Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Reports
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April 2021
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