What’s Biting?

Summer means mahi madness off South Florida. Warm currents and summer squalls create perfect conditions for mahi fishing, concentrating debris and weedlines into fish highways. While mahi roam year-round, summer consistently produces the best numbers, with both “schoolies” and hefty bulls over 30 lbs showing up in good numbers. It’s not unusual to see dozens of fish around the boat once a school is fired up.

How are we catching them?

Trolling small to medium ballyhoo rigs, brightly colored skirts, or artificial lures like chuggers and jet heads along weedlines is the classic way to cover ground and locate mahi. Mix up trolling speeds and run zig-zag patterns along weedlines to trigger reaction strikes and cover different depths.

Once a school is located, the game shifts to keeping the fish close and engaged. Chumming with cut chunks of sardines, ballyhoo, or squid can keep mahi circling the boat for extended periods. Pitching live baits like pilchards or threadfin herring often gets the bigger fish fired up.

Spro jigs are an outstanding choice for pitching to mahi. Their fast sink rate and flashy colors are perfect for probing beneath floating debris or getting quickly to visible fish deeper in the water column. Tip them with a small strip of squid or bonito for added scent and action.

Advanced anglers also carry vertical jigs or butterfly jigs to drop beneath the weedlines and attract fish holding deeper. A quick lift-fall retrieve often sparks aggressive strikes.

Casting small topwater plugs like poppers around floating debris can draw explosive strikes from larger mahi, especially early in the morning or late in the day.

Pro Tips:

• Leave one fish hooked in the water next to the boat when you hook up. Mahi are highly visual and often stay close to a lit-up fish.
• Double or triple hookups are common if you’re ready. Keep multiple rods rigged with Spro jigs, chunks, or live baits.
• Match the hatch: Smaller mahi often prefer small baits, so downsize your tackle and lures if the fish seem finicky.
• Polarized sunglasses are essential for spotting cruising mahi and hidden debris from a distance.
• Always check small debris like buckets, logs, or even palm fronds. Big mahi often lurk under the smallest patches.
• Color matters: Change lure colors frequently if mahi are following but not striking. Sometimes neon greens, pinks, or blues make the difference.
• Mark productive spots: Save GPS marks on weedlines or debris fields. Often those same areas produce day after day until conditions change.
• Use fluorocarbon leaders for stealth, especially in clear summer water. 30-50 lb fluorocarbon is a good balance between invisibility and abrasion resistance.
• Don’t overfeed them: When chumming, toss small amounts at a time. Dumping a big handful can fill fish up and push them off the bite.