MAHI TIME

from Coastal Angler Magazine | May 2023 | Florida Keys Edition

KAYAKER LANDS 102-POUND PADDLEFISH

By: Capt. Angelia Swanson

Spring is here and it’s an exciting time in the Keys. The water starts to warm, our time changes so our days are longer, and our mahi season begins. We start hunting organized weed lines offshore for those aggressively fighting big ones. While in the water, these beautiful fish are lit up with the most amazing colors you can imagine. Bright yellows, greens, blues, and even some amazing spotted ones. I have never seen two that were exactly the same. But you better get your pictures quick when they hit the deck because their brilliant colors will disappear before your eyes.

I’m always looking for birds circling and hitting the water’s surface because that is a great sign that the mahi are there. Big well-formed weed lines are also a fisherman’s paradise for trolling alongside. Sure, you will be constantly working to keep your trolling lines and lures weed free, but that one monster mahi makes it all worth it! When you hook a mad mahi that jumps and dances on the water’s surface on the way in, excitement and adrenaline take over. These fish are serious acrobats! Once you get that mahi relatively close to the boat, slow down on bringing it in and have your fishing partners ready with a baited hook. I’ve had many days that several more are following the first one hooked and the followers usually bite easily on the chunk bait casted in by a second angler. Don’t be shy! Drop that bait right in front of these followers. You’ll be surprised at the results!

When we can’t find nice, organized weed lines, we look for giant weed patches and have plenty of chunk bait ready (I like to use bonita) and start tossing that bait right beside the weed patch. You can draw the mahi right out from under that weed patch and start casting that same bait on a hook and line. This method has worked well for me, and it’s simple and effective. If you can get the little mahi or “schoolies” to show themselves first, keep at it. The bigger ones are below and are likely to show up as well.

So now I get to the current and dreaded subject of these so-called weed lines and patches. What I am really referring to is actually called sargassum. It is a brown algae that grows naturally on the surface of the water seasonally. The annual sargassum bloom in the Atlantic Ocean has increased by over a hundred-fold starting about a decade ago. That is a staggering number! Some blame this massive increase on fertilizer runoff. Some blame it on global warming. Whatever the reason, this year is going to be an unusual summer with a massive patch of sargassum heading for our East Coast, however, I pride myself on being the eternal optimist and time will tell what effect it has on our East Coast.

— Come out fishing with me by contacting me at: floridasaltycowgirl.com | 813-610-0078