Double Digit Sailfish

We had a group of clients from out of town aboard the L&H to do some Miami Charter Fishing. After catching some live bait in Biscayne Bay it was time to head offshore into the gulf stream and try some kite fishing. Shortly after setting the baits, two sailfish appeared and were both hooked and jumping behind the custom 46' Hatteras, L&H. Both of our anglers did great, making for two successful sailfish releases to start the day! Later on that morning the team added some bonitas and another sailfish to the tally before the current died. With deteriorating conditions the captain headed the boat up the coast toward Key Biscayne. It was looking very promising and as we slowed the boat and set the baits back out. Strong north current and cobalt blue water were the conditions we hoped for and I knew more sails would rise up soon! Over the next hour and a half we caught 2 more double header sails and a single giving us a total of 8 for the day so far. All of the sudden a pack of sails came up behind the boat. In short order we were hooked to a quad! Unfortunately 2 of the fish got away but we managed to catch the other 2 and ended the day with an awesome 10 sailfish releases while charter fishing off of Miami Beach aboard the L&H.

Blue Marlin, Tuna and Mahi..What a Day!!

We had couple from overseas on the L&H to do some Miami Fishing. The weather was beautiful. With flat calm seas and cobalt blue water our custom 46' Hatteras seemed as if it was gliding effortlessly into the gulf stream. Off in the distance I could see birds circling and diving with fish crashing below. "TUNA!!", I yelled to the crew as we approached the feeding gamefish. Without hesitation the lines were set and they were bit immediately! The couple sprang into action and began catching nice size tuna one after another. Doubles and triple headers of the gamefish were the norm rather than the exception and our Bullbuster mono was doing the trick, even with heavy drag. In short order, our team put a dozen nice tuna in the L&H's icy hold. From there there crew reset the spread and we resumed our hunt. From my perch in the tower, high above the surface of the water I spotted a big fish closing in on the right teaser! "BLUE MARLIN!!!", I shouted with enthusiasm. the big blue marlin charged the teaser and lunged after it time and time again with each attempt at the teaser, more aggressive than the previous! With perfect light and crystal clear blue water the now angry blue marlin was completely lit up, giving me (and everyone else on the boat) one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen off of Miami! The fish teased all the way in and continued lunging after the teaser, even after it was hanging from the rigger! The crew presented the pitch bait with precision and accuracy and the hungry blue marlin engulfed it. I put the L&H in reverse and the Cummins engines came to life as we charged backwards after the greyhounding marlin. Our angler did an incredible job as we chased the fish all over the ocean. Finally after several incredible series of jumps and some other maneuvers we had the 300lb marlin at boat side for a clean release. It was truly an incredible catch from start to finish and one I won't soon forget! We continued fishing and before long started catching nice mahi-mahi. The mahi action remained consistent and before days end we added a bunch to the fish box including a couple of 25lb bulls! It was an unforgettable day and just goes to show that you never know what will happen when you step on board the L&H for a day of Miami Charter Fishing!!

Great Morning Trip with The Briestra Family

The Briestra Family has been fishing with us on the L&H for quite some time. We always look forward to seeing them and especially enjoy their oldest boy, Noah. Noah is always very excited to do some Miami fishing and he always sports his L&H t-shirt with pride.
The weather was nice as the L&H cruised into the cobalt blue waters of the gulf stream. Once the fish finder read 1000 feet of water below us, the crew set the lines and we began to search for signs of life. It wasn't long before we found a nice weed edge. Several other boats had found the same edge and were running out in front of us. Ignoring the others, we continued trolling and searching to find the fish. Off in the distance I spotted a single tern circling and diving, a good sign of hungry gamefish below. We followed the bird for a while but as we got close it flew away. We continued toward the spot where the bird last was. Then a single flying fish jumped up off in the distance. I quickly steered the L&H toward the fleeing flyer and looked down into the water to see what had spooked the baitfish. "I got em!" I yelled to the crew, "get ready". It was a big school off nice sized mahi, migrating to the south. I can't believe everyone ran past these, I thought to myself as the team began casting out baits to the big school of fish. It was game on! Before long Ben and his family were all hooked to nice fish. Noah could hardly contain his excitement as he battled fish after fish to the boat and eventually to the L&H's large fishbox. Dad was firing out baits, hooking the fish, and passing the rods off to his family! It was such a pleasure to watch from my perch in the tower. With other boats complaining on the radio about no fish it became obvious we had made the right decision not to race down the edge! We stayed with the school for over and hour. Exhausted, Noah continued to reel in the mahi one after another! Even though he took a couple short breaks, Noah would be the one to put the lions share of fish into the icy hold! When the crew signaled to me that we were close to the limit,  it was time to let the rest of the fish keep going and head the L&H toward shore. Ben and his crew retired to our air-conditioned cabin to cool off for the smooth ride back to the dock. Upon arrival at the marina we took some pictures of the catch and filleted up a bunch of mahi for Ben and his awesome family to enjoy! It was another awesome day of Miami Charter Fishing with our friends the Briestra Family aboard the L&H!

What a Day

With winds out of the north, our plans for the day were to take a look offshore and then hit the edge in the afternoon. Our clients for the day were eager to do some Miami charter fishing so it was off to the gulf stream. Once the L&H reached 1000 ft of water off of Key Biscayne I spotted a lone frigate bird off in the distance. As we got closer, the blueish color of a nice mahi caught my eye. Quickly I instructed baits to be presented as more and more fish began showing up. For the next twenty minutes the team worked together to put 25 nice mahimahi in our icy hold. Once we got going again the left rigger took off screaming. Our angler did a great job and after a good battle we added a nice wahoo to our catch. Now it was time to turn our attention to the edge. The conditions were perfect for tailing sailfish and it wasn't long before we started seeing them. For the next few hours we rode around looking for sailfish and casting baits when we found them. Multiple hookups were the norm rather than the exception and by 4:00pm we had released 12 sailfish. Time was running out on out day so we decided to put the kites up for a little bit. Kite fishing proved to be the right decision! In short order we caught two nice blackfin tuna and 3 more sailfish. What a day of charter fishing on the L&H! Dolphin (mahi), wahoo, tuna AND 15 sailfish!! #springfishing

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!

Max Gets A Shot At A Big Mako

We had our friend Max out one sunny afternoon for a half day of charter fishing. The weather was gorgeous so the plan was to head offshore and see what we could find. About seven miles offshore, we had a double strike! Two rods bent over and started screaming! Moments later two big dolphin erupted from the calm, blue water of the gulf stream. Max had his hands full as he battled the first fish to gaff.  With the first end of our double header secure in the icy hold it was time to turn our attention to the second fish! Unfortunately, after long battle, the scrappy mahi shook its head and spit the hook just a few feet from the boat. Nevertheless we had secured dinner for Max and resumed our search. With promising conditions, I suggested we try some deep dropping. Arriving at a spot chosen some thirteen hundred feet above the ocean floor, the rig was sent to the bottom. The team  did not have to wait long for a bite! The rod bent over sharply from the pull of a nice fish almost a quarter mile below and the fight was on. One of the coolest things about deep dropping is the fact that one can never be sure what kind of fish will come up! As everyone peered down into the calm, clear, cobalt blue waters of the gulf stream there was something extremely large at the bottom of our rig. When it got closer, the shape all of us were looking at was a big mako shark eating the fish that was originally hooked. Without hesitation, we pulled what was left of the mangled bottom fish quickly into the boat. The angry mako circled around the boat looking for the rest of his meal. Immediately, the remainder of the fish went back over the side, except this time it was attached to a heavy duty shark rig! The brilliant blue, short fin mako shark circled the bait relentlessly, but refused to eat it. It seemed as if Mr. Mako could tell something was not right with the rest of its meal. For several minutes, we watched as the mako circled its prey, a truly amazing sight! It would go out and come back in then go out and come back in over and over again. Finally, the pointy nose mako shark could not help himself any more and swam casually over and engulfed what was left of the deep water bottom dweller. Line slowly came off the reel as Max free spooled to give the shark plenty of time to swallow the bait. When he engaged the reel to strike the fish, the big strong hooks dug in and the speedy, streamlined mako shark was off to the races! Line came off the reel at a blistering rate as the shark raced for the depths. The crew and I readied gaffs, a harpoon, and tail ropes fully aware that we could possibly be in for a boat side battle! Much to the dismay of everyone onboard, the clever shark rolled itself up in the leader and parted it off. Just like that the fish was gone. It was a tough break, but we were thankful to have seen the fish in its natural habitat. After regrouping, we ran back to the spot and caught several nice barrel fish. We managed several more nice mahi on the way home to finish out another exciting day of sport fishing on the L&H!

An L&H Type Of Day For Gus And His Guys

Gus and a couple friends booked the L&H for a full day of Miami charter fishing!  The South Florida weather was beautiful as we steamed offshore at sunrise.  Our plan was to try the edge first then work our way from there later in the day. As soon as the L&H crossed over the edge, the lines were set and they got bit immediately! This was a great start to the day as the sun was barely up over the horizon and our anglers were tied into hard fighting fish. The first fish to come in were feisty bonita. The action continued as the morning wore on much to the delight of the captain and crew! When the dust settled, the quick stop on the reef, netted us several bonitos and a few nice sized kingfish! Now it was time to head offshore to the gulf stream and try our luck further out. Only a few miles from the reef edge, the left short went off and we were once again hooked up! This time a nice wahoo was at the end of the line and after a nice fight, the fish was gaffed and put in the fish box!  Time to get going again and see what else the day had to offer. From my perch in the tuna tower I could see a big weed line off in the distance! Excitement and anticipation were the feelings I had as we headed for the weed line! It looked so good, there had to be some hungry mahi in our near future. All the conditions were right and it did not take long to spot the first mahi! A frisky live bait was presented to the colorful mahi as it cruised under the sea weed looking for an easy meal. The mahi raced over and engulfed the hapless bait fish and we were once again hooked up! Then up from the depths more and more fish started showing up.  Soon Gus and the gang were all busy hooking, fighting and eventually landing nice sized mahi mahi!  The weed line was full of fish and we had it all to ourselves! I slowly cruised the L&H down the line finding fish almost at will! All of the fish we were seeing were nice sized and every once in a while a big fish would come into the mix! The crew was working together like a well oiled machine! With perfect conditions for sight fishing it was almost too easy! After a couple hours I was sure we were close to the limit and decided to stop the boat and count the fish to make sure we did not have too many! We pulled all of the mahi out of our icy hold and just as we expected we had our limit of ten fish per person! Now it was time to try for something else! Since we were in twelve hundred feet of water, some deep dropping was the perfect tactic to try next! The crew quickly shifted gears and got out our deep drop rigs. By the time everything was set up we reached the first spot! As our anglers relaxed in the air conditioned cabin, the lines were sent down. Today was one of those days where everything that we tried seemed to work and the deep water bottom fishing proved to be no different. Immediately after the baits it the bottom we started getting bites. This time it would be the brightly colored rose fish that would fall victim to our baited hooks. Several drops were made and in short order the team added nearly fifty rosies to our nearly full fish box! By now it was starting to get late and time to head home.  As I steered towards home, a big school of blackjacks caught my eye. Why not have some fun with light tackle, I thought to myself, as I maneuvered into position. The guys broke out the little rods and artificial lures and put a hurting on the scrappy fish. We use these fish for a variety of things and even though we caught a bunch of them very quickly, none would go to waste! With the box full and our anglers exhausted it was yet another awesome day of charter fishing off Miami aboard the L&H!