DOLPHIN

The fish are pelagic, meaning they travel in open water, don’t congregate around our coral reefs, and don’t establish or defend a particular territory. For the most part, these fish travel in schools of a few dozen up to several hundred fish. As one of the fastest-growing fish in the ocean – they reach sexual maturity at just four months – these predators can travel up to 60 miles in one day, which means they build up quite an appetite and are always on the hunt for their next meal. They forage on a variety of other fishes including squid, flying fish, ballyhoo, small jacks and even smaller mahi.

We categorize mahi based on their fork length, measured from the tip of their nose to the inner fork of the tail. These classifications range from peanuts (20 inches or less) to schoolies (20 to 30 inches), heavy lifters (30 to 38 inches), gaffers (38-plus inches) and slammers (over 40 pounds).

We target mahi-mahi in anywhere from a few hundred feet up to several thousand feet of water, typically 13 miles or more offshore. While offshore, we look for weed lines made from sargassum algae that have air sacs and float in large mats on the surface. In a best-case scenario, the sargassum weed lines are uniform and densely packed so you don’t have to constantly free a trolling bait from small bits of weeds. However, this is not always the case, and trolling through scattered areas of grass is sometimes necessary when left with no other option.

We also look for any type of floating debris or structure that might provide shelter for mahi’s prey items. Items like wooden pallets or discarded cargo nets create their own ecosystems by providing shelter for shrimp, crabs and jacks in the open water – all of which mahi love to target for their feasts.

Another telltale sign when targeting mahi are “working” birds. Our favorite birds to find offshore are frigatebirds. Mahi will chase their prey up to the surface, giving the frigatebirds a shot at an easy meal. Circling and diving birds will give fishermen a visual clue as to where a school of mahi may be feeding.

When trolling for mahi, a good spread consists of a rigged ballyhoo in each outrigger and two trolling baits such as a Billy-bait or three-inch artificial lure on two flatlines. I like to keep my baits out of the prop wash (air bubbles created by cavitation of the prop or the exhaust of the engine). Depending on the type of boat you are fishing from, the distance of your trolling baits will differ. Ideally, you’ll want to have your rigged ballyhoo a minimum of 30 feet behind your flatlines to avoid tangles in your spread when making a turn.