Islamorada Sea Horse Off-shore Report:
We have been catching Sailfish daily. Most of the sailfish action has been on the edge of the reef in 220 feet of water or less. Slow trolling live Ballyhoo off shore has been very productive. Drifting or slow trolling with kites has been great when conditions are right. Many Sailfish have been caught in shallower water on the sandy edge of the reef while they are chasing schools of ballyhoo. Sailfish have been chasing ballyhoo into shallow depth as little as 20 feet. These fish are easy to spot since they are almost completely black when they are chasing ballyhoo. Sailfish often change color depending on their mood. When chasing bait fish they usually become a very dark, almost black. This is super exciting sailfish action when these great fish are in shallow. They are sometimes tough to catch when they are chasing baits at high speed. The trick is to get to them before they fill up. If you can get your bait really close to their face before they eat your chances are very good for a hook up. There are times when the Sailfish slows down from chasing ballyhoo and begins to look for more fish to eat. At this time a scoop of pilchards will sometimes distract them from the Ballyhoo and you have a real good chance of catching one. If the Sailfish appear to settle a little deeper place the hook in the pilchard’s belly. This will make the pilchard swim down and increase your chances of hooking some of the more leery fish. Remember not all sailfish behave the same. Be prepared to switch up tactics when chasing these fish. Fishing like a team, Driver/Spotter, bait man, and anglers working together will increase your chances of catching more Sailfish.
