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+--- Thread: Excellent Dolphin Fishing and Throw In Some Tarpon Too!! (/showthread.php?tid=142405)
Excellent Dolphin Fishing and Throw In Some Tarpon Too!! - KnotNancy - 06-22-2004
Dolphin fishing continues to be excellent. The trend for the past several days is that the fish have been in much closer. Also, some very good news is that for the past two days, we have been finding much better weedlines and large weed patches versus only scattered grass areas and scattered lines. Although I have run out as far as 20 miles, all of the dolphin action I have found has been in the 5 1/2 to 11 1/2 mile range. All of my trips have started by running SE from Haulover Inlet and have covered the area as far south as Government Cut and north to Hollywood.
Saturday's (6/19) half day trip with Fred Jager, his daughter Priscila, and two business associates had us finding the fish twice during the morning. The first time was in scattered grass 11 miles SE of Haulover. After making a run out to 20 miles and finding a very clean ocean, we moved back toward the Government Cut area. At 10 miles out from the Sea Buoy, we found several birds working the ocean surface very hard. Out went the dolphin juniors and within minutes we were hooked up to an 8# bull. Several buddies followed him to the boat and we added 3 more fish to our catch. We had no more action after that despite finding a very large weed patch area off of the Twin Towers.
Sunday's (6/20) half day trip was Santiago Abraham treating his Dad to a Father's Day dolphin trip. Also along was his Mom and a friend. All the dolphin activity took place between 6 1/2 to 7 miles out. The first area was a larger weed patch by itself. The action was fast and furious for a short period of time. The next area was a large weed patch mixed in amongst a scattered grass area. At this patch, the action was intense. Afterwards, we searched to the south and out to 12 miles and found only light scattered grass areas and no further action.
Monday's (6/21) trip was of the afternoon/evening variety. Tom Mathias, his wife Debbie, daughter Morgan, and business associate Jim Wurth from Denver, Colorado wanted to catch some dolphin for a fish fry and then challenge the might silver king after dark. At 12 miles out just south of Haulover, we worked a very good weedline with no action. Running south in search of better conditions, a free jumping sailfish had us trying to bait it. The sail showed itself several times, however it never could seem to find our baits. Continuing the search, another weedline was found and the juniors went out. At about the time that the line was beginning to break up, the red/black junior got hit and Jim boated an 18# cow. Back to the line and trolling north with it produced nothing. Moving back south along the opposite side of the line, several birds put us on a school of fish and by the time the action stopped, we were off Hollywood. While running to Government Cut to tarpon fish, we found 3 very large patches within a half mile area. The first area gave us a few fish, the middle area held none, and the third area gave us a few more. It was now time to give full attention to tarpon fishing. The drift was so slow that we had to use floats to keep the baits from snagging bottom. Bug spray was a welcome relief to keep the mosquitoes and no seeums away. Finally, we got the hit we were looking for. Jim got his first taste of fighting a large (110 pound) tarpon that didn't know the meaning of quit. We hooked up on the south side, the fish ran to the main channel where we went back and forth across the channel several times. Next it was avoiding a tug pulling a barge and several boats making their way both in and out of the Cut. The fish then decided to take us on a tour of the north side of the jetties. By now about an hour had gone by and Jim had touched the leader several times only to see the fish swim away at will. It was time for reinforcements to take over. Morgan got her turn pulling on this stubborn fish. Her goal was to get the leader to touch. Several times, it came close only to disappear as the fish made another powerful run away from the boat. This only made her more determined and it paid off in the end. She got the leader up in to the rod and the celebration began after releasing the fish.
Dolphin season has kicked into high gear and we are getting very close to the end of our tarpon season. Give me a call and we can do either or both. The action is GREAT!!!
Captain Dave Kostyo
Knot Nancy Fishing Charters
305 620-5896 Charter
305 732-2628 Beeper
www.knotnancy.com
nkostyo@bellsouth.net
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