Blue Marlin and Limit of Mahi with Lucky Noel

Noel has been fishing with us for a while and always seems to have good luck and today would be no different. After a quick stop at the bait spot and loading up with fresh baits the L&H headed into the gulf stream to do some Miami Charter Fishing. After a short run, the crew set the spread and we began searching for offshore gamefish. Suddenly I spotted several mahi swimming below the cobalt blue water of the gulf stream. "Throw out here!" I ordered as the crew cast live baits with pin point accuracy and without hesitation. Noel and his crew sprang into action and began working on the fish. Like a well oiled machine, our team fished the school and before long had over twenty-five mahis in the box. As we resumed the hunt out anglers cooled off in the L&H's air conditioned salon as the others scanned the beautiful South Florida waters for more signs of fish. By mid morning we had enjoyed consistent action with more dolphin both trolling as well as sight fishing. Just before noon, I spotted a truly large school of mahi and just like before the gang sprang into action. All of the sudden a big bull dolphin swam up looking for something to eat. We delivered a perfect cast to the big fish and we hooked up immediately. By now several other boats were close and trying to get in on our school. I decided to chase after the bull and let the school swim off. After a tough battle, the angler boated the big bull dolphin as well as the three more we needed for a six man limit. With sore arms for everyone and a limit of mahi in our icy hold, it was time to head inshore and try some wreck fishing. When we arrived at the spot a live blue runner was sent down tho the bottom in 210' near an old shipwreck. Somehow the bait got hung up and the crew broke it free. From my perch in the tower high above the waters surface, I could see a big black shape follow the bait up to the surface. BLUE MARLIN! I quickly yelled as the crew quickly cut the lead off. The marlin did a half circle and engulfed the hapless blue runner right in front of our eyes! I leaned hard on the throttles and raced the L&H in reverse to get the leader and a quick release on the jumping blue marlin. The leader hit the tip and everyone went crazy as the lit up fish swam away to fight another day. We had just released a blue marlin while wreck fishing off Miami! What a day!! A blue marlin and limit of mahi to 35lbs for Noel and his group! It was another great day of Miami Charter Fishing!!

Back to it!!

We have been off the blog for quite some time, but we are back to it now!

Everything is well the the David Family and the L&H.
The fishing has been very good as of late and the summer in general has been good for the dolphin. There have been some nice wahoos and the occasional tuna on the reef as well. The sailfish have started to begin making their presence known and we have been catching them trolling natural baits. We are looking forward to the fall season of Miami Fishing Charters where we see bigger mahi and wahoo and the sailfishing will be improving all the time!
Stay tuned for more posts on our blog and don't forget to follow us on instagram! @landh_sportfishing

26 Sails

With west winds out of the north and clear skies everyone was excited about what the day aboard the L&H might bring! We left the dock eager with anticipation and as we crossed over the edge the conditions looked promising. As soon as the baits went out they were bit immediately. First, the right short, then right middle and just like that our team was hooked up to a double header sailfish! Both fish danced across the surface of the water as the morning sun peered over the horizon. Our anglers successfully released both ends of the double header sailfish and the action would remain hot for most of the morning. Singles, doubles and triple header sailfish were the norm rather than the exception and the crew stayed busy releasing fish and resetting the lines. Around midday the action slowed and we moved up the line a few miles. Once again the kites were set out and the sailfish came up to feed! With several multiple hookups, we had released 10 sailfish before the wind completely died. Two helium balloons were used to help keep the kites aloft. I decided to run back to where we started in the morning in hopes of catching sailfish number 20. It was the right move! In the last half hour of the day, our crew successfully released 7 sails to bring the total to 26 sailfish releases for the day! It was an outstanding day of sailfishing aboard the L&H and a day our clients will not soon forget!

Mahi And Tuna Action For The Thomasoz Family

We had the Thomasoz family aboard the L&H for a full day of Miami charter fishing. Our plan was to catch a few live baits then get out to the edge and see what the day had in store. Bait came easily and in no time we crossed the edge and were greeted with good conditions. Without hesitation, the crew deployed the baits as the L&H slid comfortably over the clear, blue waters just offshore of Miami.  Minutes later both long outrigger baits were inhaled by a pair of nice mahi mahi. After a short battle, both fish were boated and we resumed our search. As soon as everything was set back out, a pack of ravenous mahis crashed the party and reels screamed and more nice fish took to the air! This time four fish were hooked up and all anglers were busy doing battle. More fish began showing up and the talented crew wasted no time hooking them! For nearly twenty minutes, everyone stayed busy with nonstop mahi action. For most of the morning, the Thomasoz family enjoyed good success with nice sized mahi mahi, much to the delight of everyone on board! Around lunch time the skies grew darker as the weather began to deteriorate with the presence of an approaching front. Finally after putting thirty good sized mahis into our icy hold, they shut off. There was still plenty of time left in the trip and the crew continued to work hard and try and find more fish for the Thomasoz family. After switching up a few things and changing our methods just a little bit, we began getting bites once again! This time it was blackfin tuna that started coming in with consistency! Multiple hook ups were the norm rather than the exception and once again all four family members stayed busy fighting these strong fish with light tackle!  As the afternoon wore on, the weather continued to get nastier. Storm after storm rolled through as the L&H continued fishing. It was in the middle of one of these rain storms that a sailfish charged in and ate one of the long outrigger baits. Unfortunately after a few jumps the fish spit the hook. By late afternoon the tunas were biting very good and it was just about one after the other! As soon as the lines were set, they were bit! Everyone was having so much fun that we all but forgot about the weather.  The tuna fishing was as good as we had seen in a while so we hated to leave. Finally our team pulled the last fish over the rail and headed for the dock! It was a great day of fishing with mahi mahi and tuna action that had everyone sore from reeling, but very happy with coolers filled with tasty fillets for all to enjoy!

Busy Afternoon Half Day

It was a windy, fall, afternoon half day and our trip was only four hours. With some frisky live baits swimming happily in the large circulating bait well, I decided to head straight to the edge and get right to it. As the boat slowed down just past the edge of the reef, the baits went out and we were fishing in no time! Our guests for the afternoon were from the mid-west and were happy to catch anything.  Suddenly a decent sized mahi charged in and ate out long rigger bait. I made a turn to go back through the area and another good sized mahi mahi came racing in on my bridge rod. The fish swam behind the skipping bait for a few seconds before committing to it and we were on again. Happy with our quick start, we continued to work the area. This time when the rod bent over it was from the pull of a good sized kingfish. Customers, crew and captain alike were enjoying the immediate success as the L&H pounded the spot. Suddenly I saw a sailfish closing in on my bait dragging from the one rod I was fishing from the fly bridge. The fish tried the bait, but missed. Not to be deterred, the hungry sail came from behind with even more determination. When the sailfish grabbed the rigged, natural bait I dropped back for several seconds to make sure the feeding billfish had time to swallow the bait. Upon feeling the sting of our sharp hook, the beautiful sail took to the air and raced for the horizon. Everyone grabbed a rod and began clearing lines as fast as possible so we could begin to chase the fleeing billfish that was now several hundred yards away! After a tough battle we had the fish along side the boat for a few quick pictures and a healthy release. Quickly the lines were set back out and the hunt for gamefish resumed. Out in the deep, a frigate bird swooped down to the waters surface, a sure sign that a feeding gamefish was not far behind. When we reached the spot where the frigate was diving, I could see a couple sailfish chasing bait only a few feet below the waters surface. Maneuvering the L&H into position, and presenting a live bait was just what the doctor ordered and one of the hungry sailfish casually swam up and engulfed the hapless live bait. By now everyone knew the drill and quickly cleared the other lines so we could chase the fish down. Shortly thereafter we had our second sail of the day alongside the L&H for a quick release. With only a little time left, it was time to start working our way back in. Just before taking the lines out of the water and heading for the marina, I spotted yet another sailfish chasing bait on the surface. For the third time in only a few hours, we were hooked up to a brilliantly colored, majestic sailfish! This fish determined to get away, greyhounded at a feverish pace across the clear, blue water! The L&H performed that familiar reverse rumble as we backed down in hot pursuit. Finally after covering a lot of ground we caught up to the now exhausted sail and made another successful release. On the way home our home, our clients enjoyed the air conditioned salon as they reflected on another great day of sport fishing off Miami aboard the L&H!

The Cruz Family Comes From Orlando To Fish On The L&H

Our friends from the Cruz family have been following us on Instagram  (@LANDH_SPORTFISHING) and decided to come fish with us for the day! Driving down from Orlando, the family and friends passed hundreds of other charter boats so we wanted to do everything in our power to make sure the trip was worth it for them! Looking for action on the edge of the reef to start the day was the first order of business. Moments after the first lines were set, they were bit. Only minutes after getting started, the Cruz crew boated a nice kingfish. Continuing to work the area, bites kept coming and the family and friends enjoyed good action most of the morning with nice sized kings and smaller bonitos. Suddenly a frigate bird swooped down to the surface of the calm blue water. Up in the tower I could see the dark color of a feeding sailfish underneath the whirling frigate. Quickly, James presented a bait, but unfortunately the sail was not interested in what we had to offer and slowly sunk out. By now the action on the reef edge had slowed and it was time to head further offshore and begin our search for pelagic gamefish in the vast gulf stream. After a while, I spotted a big piece of floating debris off in the distance and was very optimistic about what might be lurking below! Much to our dismay, the possible "fish haven" was completely barren, void of any life, bait or gamefish. Seeing that, it was time to switch gears and try a different technique. Not far from an area where our crew had enjoyed some successful deep dropping, that seemed like a good spot to start. Conditions were fair as our baited hooks plummeted to the ocean floor far below. Bites came rather quickly, but we were having trouble hanging on to them. Finally the stout rod warped over and bounced violently from the tug of a nice sized fish over thirteen hundred feet below. The team worked the fish to the surface and much to the delight of even-one aboard it was a nice barrel fish! Things were looking up as we ran back to the spot to hopefully find another. This time as we waited for a bite on the bottom, the surface bait went off. One of the Cruz group set the hook and a beautiful mahi mahi took to the air! I quickly ascended the tower to get a better view of the situation, hoping to spot another fish! "More Fish!" I shouted down to the cockpit, and no sooner had the words left my mouth, more baits were presented!   All of the sudden we had a few nice mahis hooked up and our team worked together to avoid tangles and get the fish to the boat. Everything worked out the way we hoped and all of the colorful, tasty mahi mahi made their way to our variety filled fish box. With all the attention to the surface action the bottom rod was getting good bites, seemingly unnoticed! It was time to take it up and find out what was on there this time. From the strain on the reel it was obvious that we were tied into something good. This time a variety of great big rose fish and barrel fish. We made a couple more drops and added a couple more barrels for good measure before starting to fish our way home. By now the wind had really picked up and the seas were building. On the way back the Cruz's boated a couple small tunas for good measure. Even though we were faced with some adverse conditions, our friends made the best of it and ended up with a great variety of good eating fish. Back at the dock after a long day at sea, we took some pictures of the catch and filled the cooler with bags of fillets for the family to enjoy back home in Orlando!

Ronnie And Richie Have A Great Day

Our friends Ronnie and Richie have been fishing with us several times in the past few months.  We really appreciate the fact that they keep coming back to fish with us so we wanted to do everything in our power to insure they had a great time!  The day before the trip, our crew caught bait and worked on all the gear to make sure everything was in good order. The L&H got an early start and headed straight to the fishing grounds. Lines were set as the sun was coming up, but unfortunately no early bite today.  After pounding the edge for a while it was time to work our way farther offshore. Finally we got a good bite on the long rigger and Ronnie went to work. From the way the fish was acting I was pretty sure it was a tuna. Not long after, Ronnie had a nice blackfin tuna to gaff! Continuing offshore, it wasn't long before I spotted a big weed line on the horizon! The area looked great as the crew began to pick away at smaller size mahi. Traveling south and into the current the conditions kept getting better and better. Birds, bait and game fish all cruised the weed line and it wasn't long before bigger and bigger mahi began to show up. Richie and Ronnie battled the hungry mahi and the action was nonstop!  The fish were all ten to twenty pounds and these scrappy fish put up a great fight on light spinning gear! For a couple hours, the team was having a mahi mahi free for all! It was so much fun, everyone was having a ball! I knew we were getting close to the limit so I had everyone take a break and cool off in the air conditioned salon! A final count revealed we were one fish shy of the limit! Ronnie quickly added another fish to our tally and it was time to try something else. We headed back inshore to try some deep dropping! Conditions were less than favorable, as the current was very strong! Nevertheless we decided to give it a try anyway. It was nearly impossible to fish, but somehow we were still rewarded with a few rosefish for our efforts. By now it was early afternoon and with a box full of fish everyone agreed it was a good day to head in a little bit early. The guys relaxed inside the cabin on the way home after another great day of Miami charter fishing on the L&H!

Sports Grill Guys Are In The Meat

We took our friends from the Sports Grill for a full day of Miami Charter Fishing!  These guys fished with us a few months ago and had a great time.  We got an early start, pulling out of Crandon Marina in Key Biscayne, FL just before 7:00 am.  The guys relaxed in the air conditioned salon on the way to the bait spot. Because of the early start, the bait was very cooperative and the L&H was on its way offshore in no time!  It was only a short ride to the gulf stream and with a lot of sea weed in the area, it looked fishy! Only minutes later we had our first fish, a nice mahi that Paulie hooked on a live bait. As we continued south, our team started finding more and more fish. Before long, every one was hooked up and with dolphin behind Miamis Best Charter Boat! As more and more of the tasty mahis made their way to our icy hold, the days catch continued to grow. At one point, as the guys were catching school sized fish, a nice one, over twenty pounds showed up. Before anyone was able to do anything, Paulie delivered a perfect cast and hooked up. He fought the fish flawlessly and had the tired mahi boatside in short order. By early afternoon everyone had caught plenty of fish and with the wind picking up we decided to go in and try kite fishing. Our goal was to see if we could get lucky and add a tuna to the tally. There was a lot of seaweed on the edge. That in combination with the sun’s glare in our eyes would make it tough to fish the kite. None the less we put everything out and were soon fishing with twelve live baits in the water. Twenty minutes later, Eddie hooked a big fish on the center kite!  From the way the fish was acting we were pretty sure it was a tuna. The Sports Grill guys know how to fish and Eddie had the fish at the boat rather quickly.  They now had nice tuna to go along with some fresh mahi. A little while longer, another big fish was hooked up and this time it was dads turn. After a fun fight, dad was able to add another nice sized tuna to what was already a great catch! By now it was starting to get late and everyone agreed to start heading back! Back at Crandon Park Marina we pulled out the catch, took some photos for our guys and cut up a bunch of fillets for everyone!

Jake Martin catches his 1st White Marlin!

Jake Martin and his dad wanted to do some Charter Fishing so they booked Miami’s Best Charter Boat!  My son James was the mate for the day and our plan was to head offshore to the gulfstream.   A few miles offshore we put out the lines and began trolling.   About fifteen minutes later I saw a billfish behind the right long outrigger and I went to yell down to James.  When I looked down, James was ready with the rod already in his hand.  The fish rolled on the bait and James made a perfect drop back and we were on.  Everyone quickly cleared the rest of the lines so we could start to chase the fish!  When we got everything clear the fish had a lot of line out and it was time to chase it down. Jake began to get line as the L&H backed down in hot pursuit! James did a great job coaching our young angler as he battled the feisty billfish! The fish was still on the surface so we backed down hard to get close. As we charged back I could see the leader and then … I could see the fish, it was a beautiful white marlin!! White marlin are very rare and this was the first one we have caught in a while. The marlin faught hard and would go down deep for a little bit and then come up jumping! We took our time and the young angler did great. After a tough fight we were able to get the marlin by the bill. James was able to pull it in the boat for some quick photos before releasing our white marlin back to the sea unharmed!! What a thrill!!! It was so exciting, but now it was time to move on and find something else. A few miles further out I saw a big mahi on the surface and James made a perfect cast to the fish. The mahi raced over, inhaled the bait and took off jumping. Again, we started backing up and as the L&H performed that familiar reverse rumble it quickly closed the distance between the big dolphin and the end of the gaff! Moments later, James reached way out, made a perfect shot and hauled the big mahi over the rail! We resumed the hunt and started finding nice sized mahi more and more frequently! Our team was working like a well oiled machine as more fish found their way to our icy hold! As the day wore on, our catch continued to grow as we steadily picked at fish all day. Near the end of the trip the team added a few bigger dolphin to finish off what was already an outstanding day of charter fishing on the L&H!!!

John Gets His First Sailfish And Then Some

Our friends at Gaffed Up Magazine referred John and his dad to us to try and get the boy his first sailfish! The trip started out a little shaky as we had some battery issues, but the father and son were patient as we worked on the problem.  It wasn't long before we were up and running and headed out to sea.  There had been some fish out front so we didn't have to go very far before putting the baits out.  About forty minutes later a sailfish came to the right long kite bait and John dropped back and hooked the fish.  The sailfish took off for the horizon and bullbuster kite vis mono dumped off our fin-nor reel.  Our young angler took his time and did a great job fighting the fish.  After a while we had the fish at boatside and were able to release the fish unharmed.  I was so excited to get that fish especially after the rough start we had.  Once again the baits went back out and this time we did not have to wait long before another hungry sail came our way.  Just like before, John hooked his own fish and did a great job of fighting it.  With two sailfish already, the father and son team, were on their way to a great trip.  The current was pushing us north and when I saw a free jumping sail, I knew we were going to be in position to get a bite.  Seconds later, a lit up sailfish, came racing in on one of our kite baits.  For the third time today, John dropped back, hooked and released a nice sailfish.  We had a little time left, so I pushed out to a wreck that was near by.  Right away, a big sail came up, but this time John let his dad catch the fish.  Dad must have been watching his son, because he made quick work of the sailfish and we let it go to fight another day.  Just then the deep line bent over and John grabbed the rod and began to fight the fish.  This time it was a big yellow jack that we were hooked up to.  We put the fish in the fishbox and headed for home!  It was a great day of fishing with John and his father and we look forward to seeing them again soon.

Robert Kauffman Has A Great Day

Robert Kauffman, from Greenwich, CT fished with Miami Charter Boat L&H for the first time this week. We wanted to do all that was possible for Robert to have a great day, so me and the boys left at 4:30 am and got a bunch of bait before the sun came up. As we came back to the marina, Robert was just getting there so we loaded him up with all of his gear and off we went. Robert has never caught a sailfish before, although he has seen others catch them, so that was the first priority of the day. We ran to the south and were the first boat to cross the edge. There was a nice edge with beautiful water and good current so that is where we set up. Right away a sailfish came up, but didn't bite. Then we got a sail on the right middle and it started jumping all over, but somehow the line got tangled in the reel and the fish broke off. Not long after that, Robert hooked another sailfish on the left middle and this time everything went according to plan and our angler had successfully released his first ever sailfish! The baits went back out and shortly thereafter, we were hooked up to another feisty sail. After some great runs and jumps, Robert had his second sailfish of the day! We set back up, but this time a passing sailboat nearly took out our entire spread so it was time to try something else. I steered the L&H to a shipwreck, but unfortunately luck was not on our side and we lost a couple nice fish. From there we headed north and all the sudden I spotted something chasing flying fish.  Jim quickly put out a bait and hooked a nice mahi. More and more fish started showing up and before long we had several of them  hooked up and jumping all around. The fish were biting good and we quickly added fifteen mahi mahi to our icy hold! Jim spotted a frigate bird a couple miles away and in no time we were again battling mahis! Although there were not as many in this school, Rob was still able to boat a half dozen more of the mahi mahi! Everyone agreed to spend the rest of the time kite fishing, so back up went the kites and the baits back in the water.  Almost immediately, a big sailfish came and devoured the right middle and once again Rob was hooked up!  Then another sail ate the left middle and at the same time another fish on the left short!  Robert now had three sailfish speeding off in different directions, but with all of the fish he had already caught, I knew he could handle the triple. He took his time with each fish leaving the other rods in the holders. After he released a fish, Rob would just grab another rod and go back to work. Just twenty minutes later, we released the third fish of the sailfish triple header, all by the same angler!!!  It was a tremendous accomplishment and all of us were thrilled! Very quickly the baits went back out and again we got bit right away. This fish was on a flatline with our new fin nor reel loaded with bullbuster tenacity mono.  The fish made a long blistering run and I kept expecting to see it jump, but it never did. I knew it was a nice fish and after a tough battle, Rob had a thirty-five pound kingfish at gaff! Just then, another sailfish grabbed the right middle kite bait and our star angler for the day quickly got to the rod and hooked the fish! Just like she had done many times throughout the day, the L&H performed that familiar reverse rumble as we chased the angry sailfish. After getting the leader and releasing Roberts sixth sailfish of the day it was time to head for home. We were all impressed with what a great job that Rob did today and we had a great time fishing with him! Can't wait to get you back out there, Robert, thanks for a great day!!!!!

Seven Different Species...One Action Packed Day

If I had to make a nickname for our good friend Tom it would be the "Lucky Fisherman"!  He is from Bolivia, but whenever he is in town, Tom likes to go charter fishing on the L&H!  Today he took a few of his buddies along to help with the angling duties.  Tom likes to try different fishing methods throughout the day and that was our plan of action.  The bait fishing was good and while the guys were catching them, Tom stayed busy catching nice sized spanish mackeral!  When we hit the edge the water looked good and it did not take long to start getting bites.  At first bonitos, then a nice king and a few cudas.  It seemed as if we could hardly get the baits out fast enough before they were eaten.  A nice big sailfish grabbed one of the kite baits, took off jumping and stripped off a bunch of the bullbuster kite vis 20 pound mono that we were using!  After the initial jumps, the fish went down and refused to come up.  After a forty minute battle we found out the reason why.  The sailfish had become tail wrapped and came up to the boat backwards and lifeless.  This was not a sight any of us wanted to see, but instead of letting it rot on the sea floor we decided to take the legal size fish and have the meat smoked.  Way to the south I could see a frigate bird hovering in the same area and decided to investigate.  As we got closer, I spotted some nice mahi under the bird and the boys began casting live baits to the fish.  In no time we had mahi jumping all over and more fish began to show up.  We were in the middle of a pack of boats and everyone seemed to be watching as the L&H pulled nice fish over the rail at a feverish pace!  After boating twenty or so of the great eating mahi the bite slowed so we put the kites back out.  Unfortunately no more action so it was time to try something else.  There was a rocky ledge a few miles away and that would be our next stop.  Tom and his friends dropped cut bait to the bottom and started catching nice vermillion and yellow-eye snapper and even a decent sized grouper.  While this was going on we fished a couple live baits on the surface and added a couple more mahi to our growing tally!  One of the snappers came up bitten in half and Tom dropped it back attached to a wire leader with a big hook to catch the culprit!  Seconds later the rod bent over and he got a good fight out of an angry black tip shark that we would later release unharmed!  After fishing for a while at that spot we moved offshore to try our luck with golden tile fish.  The first spot produced a few nice tiles that were now resting in our icy hold!  There was another spot a few miles north and on the way we trolled a few artificial lures!  Less than a quarter mile from our next fishin hole, two rods bent over and line peeled off the reels!  The fish stayed down deep and I was sure we had a double header of tuna!  My guess was correct and a few minutes later both tuna were successfully gaffed and put in the box.  The tilefish were biting at the spot and it didn't take long to finish up the limit.  It was time to start trolling home, but when you fish on Miami's Charter Boat  the day is not over until the last rope is on securing the boat to the dock!  Today was a great example!  Just before putting the boat on plane and running for home, I spotted a sailfish free jumping and raced to get in position to bait the sail.  I slowed the boat and baits went out.  Seconds later two fish rose to the baits and just like that we were fighting a double header sailfish.  It was a fun fight and Tom got great pictures of the fish before we released both of them in great condition to fight another day!  It was another action packed day of sportfishing with our good buddy Tom!

Danny And Family Get In On Some Action

Our friend Danny took his brother in law and two nephews out for a full day of charter fishing on our  Miami charter boat the L&H!  With a west wind I was not sure how the fishing was going to be, but   for as long as I have known Danny he has been good to me so I wanted to make sure he had a great day!  The bait was a little slow, but after a while we managed to get enough.  We started out trolling to the south and missed a few fish and finally managed to land a nice tuna.  After that, the plan was to put the kites up and see what would bite.  The conditions were less than desirable, but everyone remained optimistic.  Not long after the baits were out a nice sailfish came to the left middle,  grabbed the helpless baitfish and took off jumping toward the horizon!  Unfortunately during the ariel display, the angry sail managed to break the leader.  The disappointment was short lived, however, as we started getting good action on our deep lines.  First a few small jacks, then one of the boys hooked something much bigger!  Line melted off the fin-nor spinning reel and the young angler held on for all he was worth.  After a tough battle, Danny's nephew hauled in a big kingfish!  We were back on track!  Our crew continued to find steady action with the sub-surface baits including another nice king and a decent cobia that was destined for the dinner table.  Around mid day we got bombarded with a barrage of bites all at the same time!  From the way the fish were acting I could tell they were bonitos, but none the less watching four anglers try and fight seven fish was good fun! All of the sudden one of the bonitos came racing at the boat with a big bull shark right on its tail!  My quick thinking crew rapidly hooked the shark rig up to the ten pound bonita and threw it right back over the side.  Within seconds we were bit and the bullbuster braided line melted off the gold fin-nor reel!  Danny was going to have to fight this beast as it was too large for his young nephews!  After the big shark took off on the initial run, Danny put maximum drag on the fish and was able to get the 350 pound bull to the surface in about a half an hour!  The boys were able to get some great underwater footage of the fish (using an underwater camera on a long pole) before we released it to fight another day!  From there I took us to a shallow reef where the boys had non stop action with barracudas on light tackle!  When the bite slowed on the reef, our plan was to head back offshore and try dropping for golden tilefish.  These fish are excellent eating and we catch them in very deep water.  This is a type of fishing that Danny loves to do and is very good at so I knew he would be excited.  When we arrived at the spot the conditions were good and it didn't take long for us to start hooking up!  As expected, Danny had the hot hand and he caught more than anyone.  In less than an hour we caught our limit of golden tiles to around fifteen pounds and decided to call it a day!  Our guests enjoyed a nice smooth ride back to the marina in the comfort of the air conditioned salon!  Back at the marina we took some photos, had plenty of laughs, and cut up a bunch of fish for Danny and his family to enjoy!  All in all it was another great day of fishing and fun on Miami's Best Charter Boat, the L&H!!!

Josu Gaubeka Has A Great Half Day Of Miami Charter Fishing

Our friend Josu, who has fished with us on Miami's best charter boat, the L&H, several times before was back out to do it again.  Josu often fishes with his family, but today he was joined by some business associates.  After catching some live bait we decided to start the day off doing some kite fishing.  Only a few miles off Key Biscayne, there was nice blue water and a light current.  While we were setting out the baits, a hungry sailfish came and ate the right middle kite bait, then two nice sized dolphin engulfed the two other live baits dangling from our fishing kite!  While all of this was happening, another feisty Atlantic sailfish attacked the left middle kite bait and just seconds later a large dolphin rushed in to devour the only bait left in the water!  Just like that, our group of four fishermen were hooked up to five big fish, all at the same time!  I maneuvered the L&H over to the first big mahi and Jim gaffed the colorful fish and put it in the fish box.  Then minutes later the second mahi came over the rail and shortly after that the third mahi joined his companions in our icy hold!  Now it was time to concentrate on the sailfish.  I backed our charter boat toward the frisky billfish and before long both fish were released unharmed to fight another day!   It was a terrific start to Josu's day of charter fishing and the L&H was just getting warmed up!  Jim quickly reset the kite baits and almost as fast as the baits were going out, they were getting eaten by hungry gamefish!  Two more sailfish were released and a few more good sized mahi were brought aboard.  Then Josu got a big bite on the deep line and everyone knew that this was going to be something different!  After a good fight, our angler hauled a beautiful twelve pound mutton snapper into the boat!  It was beginning to feel like one of those days where we could do nothing wrong.  Another multiple hook up yielded a few nice size tuna to our growing catch and as Jim put the last stubborn, sushi quality tuna in the box some more mahi mahi swam up.  The customers quickly started casting out live baits on our custom leeward rods with fin-nor spinning reels and in the blink of an eye there were mahis jumping everywhere.  We were able to catch most of the fish in the school and now it was almost time to head back to Crandon Park Marina.  We agreed to reset the baits one last time and give it a few more minutes.  As luck would have it, we found ourselves hooked up to another triple header.  This time our group of fishermen found themselves battling three different species.  Another nice mahi came aboard, the fifth sailfish of the day was successfully released and our friend Josu put the icing on the cake when he reeled in a gorgeous grouper that had taken a live bait suspended just off the bottom!  I continued to ride the tower on the way home searching for just one more fish.  Just seconds before turning the L&H west and heading for home I spotted two big mahi swimming in only forty feet of water.  Like clockwork, two baits went out and both fish were hooked up!  After some acrobatic jumps by the wonderful mahi, both fish were gaffed and added to our nearly full fish box!  Everyone onboard enjoyed the smooth, calm ride back to the marina.  When we arrived at the dock, with sailfish release flags flying high, Jim and I took some photos of our guests with the days catch.  After that we cleaned and packaged a bunch of fish for our guests to take with them!  I was truly a great half day of Miami charter fishing for Josu and friends and just another example of why the L&H is Miami's best charter boat!