Pictured here is our Long Island based crew holding a big swordfish caught aboard the "Lisa B" last week. Lots of swordfish have been caught in the 200-to-300-pound range which makes for an epic fight. Anglers from Miami to Palm Beach have enjoyed excellent swordfishing as the migration bait pattern is located right off the coast. We are not seeing a lot of squid which at times we do but most of the fish are filled with viper fish and snake mackerel. The best bait over the last several weeks has been the squid tentacle and bonito belly. The best of the bite has been between 1600 feet and 1800 feet of water. Most of the fish right now are being caught up off of the bottom several hundred feet. The best bites are coming on the buoy rod that we position much higher up. The bait moves closer to the surface during the night and has been positioned 200 to 400 feet off the bottom during the daytime. If you are going to spend time and money in pursuit of a broadbill swordfish I would highly recommend fishing one or two buoy rods higher up off the bottom. Some anglers only fish one rod near the bottom which is lowering your chances of a bite. 

 

Close to shore anglers have been catching a few king fish and a few wahoo. Wahoo fishing has really backed off since the full moon. The fish that are being caught are in the 20-pound range which is small as an average but the occasional 60 pounder is still being caught. Wahoo fishing will improve around the next full moon. 

 

The mutton snapper fishing has been pretty good around the patch reefs and wrecks. Fishing live bait on the bottom seems to be the ticket right now. Live ballyhoo makes an excellent mutton bait. You can fish from 100 to 125 feet on the bottom anchored up. We will fly a kite and or put out flat lines with live bait while we sit and wait for the snapper bite. Lots of anglers are catching the occasional mahi-mahi and sailfish while fishing live bait on the top. 

 

One thing to be conscious of right now in the winter months is the weather in the gulf stream. Lots of guys are traveling to Bimini and other locations in the Bahamas in pursuit of wahoo. Just because the ocean looks smooth near shore by us does not mean for any reason that it is not really rough in the Gulf Stream. Check the marine weather for offshore conditions, not land conditions! Most people look at their local weather to gauge a marine forecast and that is a no-no.

 

Good luck and get tight!

RJ Boyle 

 

For an up-to-the-minute fishing report tune in to Big 105.9 the Paul Castronovo Papas Pilar fishing report Friday morning at 6:20 AM. You may also call the shop RJ Boyle Studio at 954-420-5001.