I was wondering if anyone has fished for this sea species and are there charters, tournament, rallies etc? I have been hoping for an opportunity to fish for them.
never caught one but I have a buddy who gave me some that he caught. It was really good. As a matter of fact, the prep suggestion came from a BOC member here.
I love trolling for for dolphin & wahoo! If your looking for a good fight then look no further. Those guys have got some shoulders on them and are built for speed. I've never eaten any wahoo but dolphin is delicious. As for as tournaments I know they have various ones in FL throughout the year. I've never had the chance to fish any but I believe that a good portion of them have categories for various species of fish. Absolutely their are no shortage of charter boats that will go after these guys for you. If you've never been then I highly recommend going. You might want to get a group of friends together to help share the expense a little unless you just have money to burn. Most of the captains will have what they call a six pack license which allows them to take out 6 people besides himself and the mate. The last time I chartered a boat I want to say it cost use about 900 dollars (not including tips) and we ended up staying out like 10 hrs. Initially were some difficulties getting on the fish so the captain told us he felt bad about our rough start and wanted to know if we would mind if he kept us out there a little longer once we got on the fish to make it up to us. :big_smile: I always make it a point of letting everyone in the group know (some folks just don't know any better) that they need to take care of (i.e. tip well) the captain & mate since these guys work relentlessly all day trying to keep fishing coming in the boat. Just talking about it's making me starting to jones for some off that shore action.
If you are considering a trip to FL for dolphin you should go to the east coast if you have the option. The water is deep very close to shore there, as oposed to our gulf coast. The distance to deep water palagics like dolphin and wahoo is literaly 3 miles compared to 45 or 55 here. We get those species, but only after a loonngggg boat ride. The big dolphin are caught on the east coast.:sad2:
Seacat is dead on!!!In Louisiana they are a "bluewater" species. They come up from the offshore canyons caused by the Mississippi river sediment to feed like Tuna. Charter guides will work them in what is called the "rip". This is a "raft" of seaweed and other debris which moves with the tides. Dolphin hangout around the rip to tag bait fish like wahoo. Not a better eating fish in my humble opinion!!!
Another great place to go Dolphin fishing is down in the Keys.Islamorada is the sport fishing capital of the world.The reef dropoff is just a few miles off shore,so you don't have motor out for more than a few minutes till you drop in the lines and start trolling.They should be running through the Keys right now if I remember correctly,and the tournaments should run through the summer.You can go to www.fla-keys.com and go to calender of events.From there you can search Dolphin Tournaments, they run from April to July.Good Luck.
I use to fish for them when I lived in Calif. Live squid under a kelp paddy and blam. They are the best eating fish as far as Im concerned.
That is the ticket Mike. I caught my only Dorado while trolling for Yellowfin Tuna in Baja California. Awsome tasting fish! Jaime
We catch them all the time billfishing. Ive caught them from Cape May, New Jersey to Keywest. Most boats in the Mid Atlantic dont target them, but dont mind when the bite. Down in Flordia they are targeted when the sailfish bite dies off. I caught a few in January when I was in Palm Beach sailfishing. Like the other guys have said, if you find weed, wood, rope, or Bouys they stay around it and at times you can catch all you want. Hope you get to give it a try. They fight great and taste even better....
i have a dvd on fishing for them. picked it up for a dollar at walmart as well as a tuna dvd. looks like fun. and like the others suggest. fishing near kelp patties is where they hit them.:wink: and jamie baja is where this film was made.and dorado is spanish for dolphin. right?
They're one of the most beautiful fish when you first pull them out of the water.If you think they're pretty at the dock , you should see them when they're still alive,the blues , yellows , and greens really stand out then.And Ozzy , you couldn't be more correct , they are the best tasting fish out there. I lived in Islamorada for 7 years , and my favorite lunch is a Blackened Dolphin Sandwich at The Lorilei Restaurant.If you ever down there , they can't be beat!!!
like everyone else said, they are great fighters and great on the dinner table... we catch them in texas, but it usually takes a pretty long boat ride to fish for them. I would strongly suggest going fishing for them in places where the bluewater is a little closer. We catch most of our dolphin under sargassum pads, around shrimp boats, near structures such as drilling platforms and bouys, and occasionally in open water while trolling for marlin. Definitely a species worth catching!!
