Fort Lauderdale bottom fishing report for Top Shot Sportfishing Charters. We had a group of guys from all over the country on a work convention for this fishing charter. They were looking for a fun day on the ocean with some exciting Ft. Lauderdale fishing. First we stopped and picked up some live bait. Next we ran out to 100 feet of water just a few miles off the Fort Lauderdale beach and started trolling the reef. The first mate set out two deep planner lines and four surface lines. This is a good spread of baits when targeting all species ranging from King Mackerel, Bonita, Sailfish, Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi Mahi among a lot of other species. In addition to trolling we specialize in kite fishing, wreck fishing, bottom fishing, offshore and inshore trolling. The nice part about charter fishing in Fort Lauderdale is that we only have to travel a short distance to reach the fishing spots.
The next fishing plan was to head to a sunken ship wreck and bottom fish. Sunken shipwrecks are often hotspots for a variety of fish and offer quite the adventure. The sunken ship located right offshore of Fort Lauderdale has been a structure for many decades and a multitude of fish will school in and around the structure. The first thing as captain is to figure what is the best position to have the vessel. Choosing the right position around the wreck is crucial for successful bottom fishing. Once the boat is sitting in the correct spot ahead of the wreck the mate then starts to send down the live and dead baits. The bait hit the bottom and once the fish picked up the line the angler grabbed the rod and started fighting the fish. The excitement of feeling the initial tug on the line and then the ensuing fight with the fish adds a whole other level to the fishing experience. On light tackle the fish gave a great fight pulling drag and bending the rod. Once the angler got the fish up to the back of the boat the mate reached down and gaffed the Mutton Snapper. The Snapper went into the fish box. The Mutton Snapper is a great addition to the fish box, especially if it was well over legal size. They’re known for their delicious taste, making it a rewarding catch for the anglers.
Next the mate rigged up another bait and sent it down to the wreck. This time the rod bent over twice as much and started ripping drag. The angler grabbed the rod and started fighting the fish. I was thinking this is fish is going to be twice the size and it was, up popped an Amberjack.
Was caught on light tackle and gave the angler an awesome fight. We removed the hook, vented the fish and got a picture. The mate sent the AJ back in the water and swam back away. The surprise of the Amberjack on light tackle was a thrilling catch. They are powerful fighters, and catching one on lighter gear adds an extra challenge and excitement. We continued the process and proceeded to live and dead bait bottom fish around the wreck and continued to catch fish. Another Amberjack came into the boat and we released him. We also caught an Almaco Jack, Jack Cravelle and a few Yellow Tail Snappers.
Contact Capt. Dave Zsak with Top Shot Sportfishing Charters located in Fort Lauderdale next time you want to head offshore and experience a fun day catching fish.
Cell (954) 439-8106
Website www.topshotfishing.com
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