Life in the Florida Keys gave me a lot of surprises when I moved to Key West 30 years ago. The first time I was invited to go "Dolphin Fishing" I thought we were going to catch Flipper. Then when I saw dolphin on the menu at a restaurant I couldn't believe people ate dolphin. I thought Key West people were truly crazy. I finally gave in and agreed to go dolphin fishing still thinking we were going to fish for the dolphin I saw at Sea World. It seemed odd and I was surprised it was legal bet hey, "When in Rome do as the Romans do". Luckily I saw mahi-mahi mounted on the wall of the local bait shop and my friend pointed at it and said let's catch a few of those. We did just that and I was "Hooked on dolphin fishing".
The spring and summer months (April – September) bring plenty of Florida Dolphin Fishing throughout the keys. Typically the summer time is the most consistent for these bad boys although they have been caught year round. I'm not sure which I enjoy more, the fun of catching them or the pleasure of eating them.
There is usually a mix of smaller ‘schoolie’ fish along with bigger ‘bulls.’ Bull dolphin are the male fish with a more square head, and the ‘cows’ are their female counter parts. Nothing compares to getting into a good school of dolphin with every rod on the boat screaming drag at once!
Dolphin in the Keys are often caught trolling baits and lures. While blind trolling in deeper water your always ‘in the game’ when trying to catch a big dolphin. However often times captains will run around and look for birds which are following schools of fish and bait, and are a good indicator of where to fish. This style of fishing can often put you on the fish faster than just blind trolling. Our captains know what to look for to find them.
When throwing baits to a school of dolphin, often times dead bait is used, though occasionally fish are picky and it helps to have some live pilchards or the like. Shallow draft boats are best for keeping up with where the live bait is to give you the best shot at getting nice fish. When trolling the frozen ballyhoo work as well as anything.
One rule when in a big pack of dolphin is always leave one in the water (usually a schoolie, smaller fish) in order to keep the rest of the school following you. You often will see dolphin jumping when they know they are hooked, which is very impressive.
Now that you know dolphin fishing has nothing to do with Flipper or the dolphin you see at Sea World come down to the Florida Keys and catch some dolphin. They are one of the most fun fish to catch and are delicious to eat. You get the best of both worlds. As long as you're here, let's look at some homes for sale. You too can live in the Florida Keys.
Gary
