07-10-2013, 04:02 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-10-2013, 04:29 PM by Tugboatcap.)
GULF Fishing. Ocean fishing would be on the East Coast of Florida. There is a big difference and if you say Ocean while on the Gulf and a native hears you, you will be corrected! 
Actually, Dolphin/Mahi Mahi are not rare at all! You just have to pick when it's been very calm offshore and a good grassline or trashline has formed. Mahi Mahi like to hang out under stuff in the shade. VERY good to eat and a blast to catch on light tackle.
King Mackerel usually run on the outter sandbar that forms near shore in the Gulf and trolling along that bar will usually result in at least one good size King during season.
Yellow Fin Tuna you catch around reefs and wrecks, usually in 50+ of water. Snapper you also catch in these same areas.
Wahoo and Cobia also like to run around grasslines and you catch most of them trolling along the line or over a good sized wreck.
Never been a big fan of Tarpon.
As far as Billfish are concerned, he won't be catching any off of Sarasota unless they go WAY out. The 50 fathom curve is nearly 200 miles out from Sarasota and you usually don't catch Billfish in less than 300+ feet of water. The reason the Pensacola/Destin, FL area is so popular for Billfishing is that the 50 Fathom curve comes in to about 75 miles offshore, the closest point in the US on the Gulf of Mexico.
Tugboat"Fishing Offshore of Pensacola Since I was 7"Cap!
Actually, Dolphin/Mahi Mahi are not rare at all! You just have to pick when it's been very calm offshore and a good grassline or trashline has formed. Mahi Mahi like to hang out under stuff in the shade. VERY good to eat and a blast to catch on light tackle.
King Mackerel usually run on the outter sandbar that forms near shore in the Gulf and trolling along that bar will usually result in at least one good size King during season.
Yellow Fin Tuna you catch around reefs and wrecks, usually in 50+ of water. Snapper you also catch in these same areas.
Wahoo and Cobia also like to run around grasslines and you catch most of them trolling along the line or over a good sized wreck.
Never been a big fan of Tarpon.
As far as Billfish are concerned, he won't be catching any off of Sarasota unless they go WAY out. The 50 fathom curve is nearly 200 miles out from Sarasota and you usually don't catch Billfish in less than 300+ feet of water. The reason the Pensacola/Destin, FL area is so popular for Billfishing is that the 50 Fathom curve comes in to about 75 miles offshore, the closest point in the US on the Gulf of Mexico.
Tugboat"Fishing Offshore of Pensacola Since I was 7"Cap!
[b][i]"It's always funny until someone loses an eye!"[/i][/b]
