Offshore water temperatures have climbed to that magical 74 degrees and trolling for pelagic fish with either live or artificial baits is about as good as it gets. Many of our recent trips have included children of all ages from 6 on up. Parents and grandparents who take children fishing are bestowing upon them memories that will be never forgotten. There is a special familial bond that always occurs when kids are onboard. Fishing for Spanish mackerel has been exceptional . Trolling with #1 planers and small spoons allows the angler to experience the pull of the fish and the smile on the face of a youngster pulling on his or her first offshore fish and then marveling at the colors is priceless. Bonita are often mixed in with the Spanish mackerel and these hard pulling fish can be handled by kids by use of a deck chair with a gimbal or a rod belt for older kids. Catching, photoing and release of these fish helps instill in them a conservation ethic for the future. Barracuda have been visible on the artificial reefs and have just now become active. Several kingfish and bonita” lost their transmissions” e.g. got bitten in half. The look of surprise for both grown ups and kids who have never experienced this will result in tales among family for a long time. 
Red grouper, Lane snapper, white grunts and vermillion snapper are providing action in the 70 to 90 foot depths fishing on the Swiss cheese hard bottom areas. Squid and frozen sardines are producing well, but once the bite has started a live pinfish or hardtail caught on site will usually provoke a bite from a larger fish. A flatline with either a live or frozen sardine has provided kingfish on every bottom fishing trip recently.

ntaylor
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