Log
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Apr 19Fish Species During Summer in Miami
Summer Fishing on the Way! The global circumstances definitely put a dent in spring fishing but that doesn't mean we won't be getting out on the water soon. Summer fishing is right around the corner! With calmer than average weather and great fishing, summer is definitely a great time of year to get out on the water. I'm sure we all need some H2O after all this time indoors. Fish Species during Summer off Miami Sailfish are still prevalent during the right conditions during May and June Sailfish start to lean out during June and July but during the right conditions, sailfish are a possibility year round In addition to sails, kings, blackfin tuna, and more frequent the edge through the end of June. Kite fishing can still be productive as late as July but you really need current and some wind. Dolphin fishing should pick up during June and July and are the main species we target during summer Dolphin are usually arriving ...
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Mar 18Still Open for Spring Fishing
Yes, We're Still Open! There is no better time to get outdoors for a private fishing charter. Our boat is thoroughly cleaned between every trip and our crew is healthy. The fishing is stellar this time of year with sailfish, blackfin tuna, kingfish, and more. A private fishing charter to catch dinner is an example of social distancing at its finest. Spring Fishing in Miami Spring fishing during March, April, and May is the best time of year for quality and quantity of fish. The sailfish are still around in numbers along with a variety of meatfish ranging from mahi to cobia moving along the edge. In addition, wreck fishing should be heating up during the next few months with amberjack, grouper, african pompano and more. One of our favorites, permit will also be staging to spawn shortly. There is no better thrill than catching permit on light tackle. With blistering runs and multiple hookups being the norm, permit fishing is icing on the cake while fishing during ...
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Feb 26Best Time of Year to Fish Miami
I get this question a lot and to be honest, we have great fishing year round. The answer is rather subjective because your definition of great fishing may largely depend on your preference. For some people, catching 60 dolphin on a warm summer day is the trip of a lifetime. Others might want to knock billfish off their bucket list and could care less for meat. Personally, I love catching billfish and the by-catch while kite fishing always keeps things exciting. If I had to pick 2 months of the year to fish, March and April would be my top choice. Flags symbolize the number of sailfish released during a trip. This is one of many double digit days we have had during spring. Springtime off Miami Spring is a stellar time of year with a great mix of variety, quality, and quantity of fish. We definitely have slower days when the current is lighter than expected or the wind direction is less than favorable but overall spring time can be ...
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Jan 18Wintertime Kite Fishing
Kitefishing For Sailfish I get the question every day... What do you catch this time of year? Winter in Miami is a great time of year with short runs and a lot of diversity. We predominantly target sailfish during the winter but luckily kitefishing is an approach that involves live bait and light tackle. Unlike trolling for other billfish such as marlin that require big lures with heavy tackle, kite fishing is a light tackle proposition. What is Kite Fishing? Kite fishing involves using a kite to suspend baits on or near the surface. Our boat is custom built for this technique so we use electric reels to fly 2 kites simultaneously behind the boat. On the line tethered to the kite we have clips that we use to attach the rods we use to actually fight the fish. We use 20lb class conventional reels with 6 foot rods for kite fishing and like to fish 6 baits at a time on the surface. When a fish eats the bait, the clip pops, ...
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Oct 28Monster Swordfish in Miami
It's not always the fish you catch that make memories. More often than not, the fight itself is what sticks with you. We've caught plenty of swordfish up to about 400 lbs, bluefin tuna to 700lbs, blue marlin to 400lbs, giant sharks, and more. Our list of "impressive catches" is pretty extensive. Either way, the list of epic losses is probably just as long. I've had plenty of epic fights during my career fishing. Some have ended with the fish of a lifetime in the boat and many have ended with fish stories. Before even talking about our recent catch, let me talk about a few fights that didn't go our way. Below you'll find our top 5 most epic losses. 500+ Pound Swordfish- This was an epic fight back in 2012. We hooked the fish toward the end of our trip and proceeded to fight the thing until it was close to sunrise. The fish jumped 5 times but we just couldn't get a clear ...
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Aug 31September and October Fishing Forecast
Great late season dolphin fishing The dolphin fishing went through a serious lull in July. We were definitely catching a few dolphin on average but it wasn't red hot by any means. Fortunately the dolphin season seems to be finishing stronger than it started. We have had quite a few limits toward the end of August and caught plenty of fish in the 20-40lb range. This was a great summer for "slammer" dolphin for us. We have been putting a decent number of bigger fish on the docks. Blue Marlin off Miami! Blue marlin are a rare occurrence while fishing off Miami. We usually see a few each summer and we had one customer lucky enough to catch a 200lb class blue during the last week of August. You really never know what you're going to catch out there and this fish was a welcomed surprise. The fish came up on a hookless daisy chain teaser before switching over to a ballyhoo. Kris nailed the ...
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Jun 13Dolphin Fishing Miami
Dolphin Fishing Charters Miami Summertime means mahi-mayhem in Miami. Dolphin go by a number of names just to make sure people are adequately confused. Dolphin are actually dolphin-fish. These fish grow quickly and congregate in large schools offshore especially during the summer. To be clear, we are not out there trying to kill Flipper. Dolphin-fish are fish, not porpoises. We do not kill mammals. The scientific name for dolphin is Coryphaena hippurus. The Hawaiian name for dolphin is mahi-mahi which means "very strong." In Latin America, these fish are often referred to as Dorado. In the southeast United States, we usually call them dolphin or mahi. Dolphin Fishing off Miami is a year round affair but summer is definitely the best time. Below you'll see a picture of a fine specimen. Difference between Bull and Cow Dolphin Mahi-mahi are one one of the few species of fish that have distinct characteristics based on gender. Male dolphin have square heads like the one pictured above. Cows on ...
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May 1May Fishing on Fire
April Fishing Recap April was a stellar month for sailfish. We spent most of the month live baiting with the kites which yielded an average of 3 sailfish per trip. We had 8 days where we caught more than 10 sailfish per trip. Our best day yielded 24 sailfish out of 30 bites which is red hot. The sails were a bit late this year but we'll take it! The sailfish bite should continue to be decent all the way until June. Wreck Fishing during May Wreck fishing has been pretty solid. May is probably the best time of year to wreck fish overall. Amberjack frequent most of the deeper shipwrecks accompanied by a few grouper for which the season just opened. In addition, the permit spawn continues on the shallower wrecks until about mid May. Permit fishing is only really possible on a full day but these fish are definitely worth the chase! Permit are a catch and release fishery. These fish are picky and only really like to eat live crabs. Pound ...
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Jan 22Kite Fishing Charters Miami
Kite Fishing on the Edge January and February are a great time of year off Miami. South Florida is unique because it is one of the few sections of coastline in the continental United States where we have a short run to the fishing grounds. Just 5 miles off Miami's coast is an area we call "the edge." During winter most of the fish are concentrated on this drop off in 100-300 feet of water. Unlike summertime where we often run 10-20 miles offshore, we have the luxury of catching bigger fish closer to shore during the winter. With this being said, half and 3/4 day trips are more than adequate this time of year. A good day of kite fishing starts with having a livewell full of frisky live baits. Here at Double Threat Charters, we take our bait fish very seriously! We have 8 bait pens around the boat which we try to keep stocked with the best bait time or money can buy. In our slip we ...
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Nov 30November Fishing Report
November Fishing Report: Looking to get out on the water this weekend? Check out what we’ve been catching off Miami to maximize your success. The fall fishing has gotten off to a slow start, with the usual migrations of blackfin tuna, mackerel, and sailfish a little behind schedule. Don’t fear, there is still plenty of action to be found offshore if you’re willing to switch up tactics. The live bait kite fishing has been slower than to be expected, even when the optimal conditions of blue water and north current are present over the reef. Trolling has been more productive than live baiting, especially in the shallower depths. The migrations of baitfish such as ballyhoo, sardines and herring are finally starting to arrive. Predatory fish know this and are moving in shallow to capitalize on the abundance of bait. Keep an eye out for showers of ballyhoo on the oceanside flats and patch reefs. It’s not uncommon to ...
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Oct 11October and November Fishing Report
October is a bit of a transition month off Miami with conditions changing by the day. With the tail end of dolphin season upon us, the answer to a successful trip doesn't necessarily involve punching it way offshore. In fact, some of the best fishing during October usually takes place from the edge in 100 feet of water out to 1,000 feet.A variety of factors influence where and how we fish during fall. With the summer doldrums coming to an end, we are often met with moderate east and northeast winds during the fall. In addition to an onshore flow of wind, there is usually an influx of bait on the reef in the form during this time of year. Ballyhoo, mullet, and spanish sardines, begin to amass in serious numbers and there are no shortage of predators in hot pursuit. Fishing Bait Showers Nearshore With more wind and moe bait, dolphin, tuna, kingfish, and more can all be caught shallower than 500 feet during fall. On many days, we even see ...
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Aug 31September Fishing in Miami
The kids are back in school but summer is by no means over. This summer has produced consistent fishing and we expect that September will be no different. Fall is definitely around the corner, but now is still a great time for dolphin fishing. In addition to mahi-mahi, kingfish, wahoo, blackfin tuna, and more are on the edge. Half Day Fishing Charters During Summer Fishing during the summer is usually productive if you are in the right place at the right time. On half day trips, we are usually limited to about a 10 mile range offshore. On some half days, we bolt offshore and look for dolphin. The decision to whether or not we run offshore is usually dependent on the weather as well as the fishing during the days prior. Dolphin fishing can be time consuming as you cover ground trying to find concentrations of fish. During half days we have a limited window so it's go big or go home if we target dolphin. If ...
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Jul 10Fishing During July in Miami
July Fishing Miami July is the middle of summer for us in South Florida. As far as the weather is concerned, we can usually expect calm seas during most of our trips. During the "summer doldrums," we are often graced with high pressure, calm winds, and warm weather. Usually the seas are two feet or less. There is almost always rain in the forecast but this weather is usually isolated. Thunderstorms usually flare up in the afternoons during summer. These systems usually form over the Everglades and on most days we don't even see any rain offshore. We get questions about the rain during summer on a regular basis but it is rarely an issue. Overall, summertime is a great time of year to get out with the family. With calm seas and great fishing, summertime fishing in Miami is hard to beat. A Typical Summer Fishing Trip Wreck Fishing On an average trip during the summertime we usually run straight offshore. We sometimes make a quick ...
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May 23Fish Species During June in Miami
Fish Species During June in Miami Summer fishing is upon us! We have had a great assortment of fish offshore. Depending on the conditions we have had shots at sailfish, mahi-mahi, kingfish, grouper, blackfin tuna, amberjack, and more. I'll do a quick breakdown of some of the different species we can expect this time of year. I'm going to talk about blackfin tuna, mahi-mahi, and amberjack. Feel free to check out the links for other fish we expect this time of year such as sailfish and kingfish, on our target species page. Blackfin Tuna Fishing Miami One of our favorite fish to target this time of year are blackfin tuna. This time of year, blackfin averaging 20-30lbs migrate along our coast. These fish are most easily targetted in the early morning and afternoon during low light conditions. They prefer feeding on live bait fished off the kite or with light leader on a flat line. We usually catch our tuna while kite fishing in 120-200 feet ...
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Apr 9Spring Fishing 2018
April and May Fishing Miami I'll be honest, this winter wasn't the best we've had. We averaged a few sailfish per trip and had plenty of good days but it wasn't the season we hoped for. Fortunately, spring is here and the bite has picked up tremendously. Historically, springtime fishing off Miami has always produced. We have had 3 double digit sailfish days during the last month. We caught 12 one day, 10 the other, and 14 on the most recent trip. In addition, we have had nice kingfish around, amberjack, permit, and more. With a nice mixed bag and plenty of sailfish around, we can definitely say that spring is here and it won't disappoint. Sailfishing During 2018 The kite fishing has been very steady since March. We have caught 155 sailfish so far this year out of 75 charters. We have averaged about 2 per trip but have had some stellar days as well. Sailfish are a lot of fun and make a great introductory billfish. They are very photogenic ...
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Dec 1Winter Fishing for Sailfish, Dolphin, and more
Temperatures have been much more mild ranging from 65-80 degrees. With this cooler weather, many of the fish have moved closer to shore as they migrate to the south. We have been catching sailfish, mahi mahi, kingfish, tuna, grouper, and morel The great thing about fishing during late fall and winter is that we don't travel far to find the fish. We usually end up successful even on shorter half days. most off our fishing is done within 5 miles of shore which isn't a bad commute for a boat that cruises at 20 mph. Kite fishing is the go to method for fishing this time of year. This technique involves live bait, light tackle, and is very hands on. The great thing about kite fishing is you never know what will be your next bite. The sailfish have really shown up but there are also mahi, kings, and more around. This keeps things interesting while live baiting. Winter is always an exciting time of year off Miami. When ...
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Jul 24Summer Fishing on Fire
This summer has been great for mahi and swordfish!
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Sep 22Fall Fishing in Miami
Stellar Fishing with the Onset of fall September has a reputation for being a slow month of fishing off Miami but I strongly disagree. It can be a great month for mahi mahi offshore. In addition the swordfishing begins to pick up, blackfin tuna begin cruising in 300-1000 feet of water, and kingfish swarm the reefs. The sailfish bite really starts to pick up around September and we also have shots at wahoo, amberjack, snapper, and more. We saw great fishing this past August and September. The mahi fishing wasn't the best we've seen but we did have plenty of good days. We also caught countless blackfin tuna, kingfish, vermillion and yelloweye snapper, some wahoo, swordfish, and more. Epic Week of Early Fall Fishing in Miami This last week in particular was one of the best weeks of fishing I've experienced off Miami and it happened in September of all months. Over the course of 4 trips, we caught 5 swordfish to 150 pounds, an estimated 300 pound blue marlin, a sailfish, over 40 dolphin ...
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May 10May and June Miami Fishing
May Fishing off Miami Spring of 2016 has been another great season as anticipated and the fishing has continued to stay strong. During April we caught countless sailfish and had quite a few days with big kingfish, mahi, amberjack, cobia, swordfish, wahoo and more. The quantity and quality of fish per trip was definitely pleasing to our customers. We had a lot of multiple hookups, sailfish almost every trip, and packed plenty of meat for our customers to take home on most of the trips. May and June Miami Fishing should be just as good. Spring Fishing during May Although April is behind us, we still have the end of spring and early summer to look forward to. The blackfin tuna showed up in numbers during mid April and we have been catching them almost every trip. The fish have been averaging about 20 pounds but we have caught plenty in the 25-30 pound range and even boated a few over 30 pounds including this 34 pounder below. Blackfin tuna are hard ...
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Jan 6Miami Winter Fishing
Sailfish Are Here- Miami Winter Fishing We live in a special place. Winter in Miami is not like the same as the rest of the country. "Cold fronts" merely drop the temperatures into the 60s and give way to sunny skies and great fishing. With the Gulf Stream keeping water temperatures well above 70 degrees during even the coldest months, our fishing stays consistent year round. With each passing cold front, more and more fish are pushed south along our coast giving way to excellent fishing and a great opportunity for our northern neighbors to escape the cold should they take a trip down here. This season has been great so far and winter of 2016 should continue to produce like all the years prior. December Fishing is definitely a consistent time of year. Kite Fishing During Winter During summer and fall we typically find ourselves using a variety of techniques to adapt to changing conditions. During a single charter we might troll, bottom fish, sight fish, and ...
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