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!

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

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!

Fun Morning With The Lee Marks Family

Our friend Lee Marks booked the L&H for a half day of Miami charter fishing.  Lee, his three boys, and his wife came aboard one nice summer morning! We have known the Marks family for a long time and they have always been good to us so it was important to make sure his family was well taken care of! It was a short trip to the bait spot and the Marks boys sprung into action. The boys were obviously accomplished bait fishermen and had plenty of frisky live baits in our circulating bait well in short order. It did not take long for the L&H to reach the gulf stream and start searching for pelagic game fish! As we worked our way further offshore, the conditions continued to improve. "Left rigger!"  Someone shouted as the line came out of the clip and we were hooked up just like that. A nice mahi danced on the end of our Bullbuster fishing line as young Stefano battled the fish to boat side. With dinner in the fish box, we resumed our hunt and soon found another mahi for the boys. The patches of sea weed were teeming with life. Consistent action with good sized mahi kept smiles on every ones faces! A few hours into our trip, Hunter found himself hooked into a big rainbow runner. This fish was a strong fighter, but its excellent table fare would make the fight worth it. With the rainbow and a bunch of nice mahi in our icy hold, it was time to start making our way closer in. Then out of nowhere, I spotted a big mahi on the surface and had the boys get a live bait to the fish. The bait hit the water and immediately raced for cover in a piece of sea weed. Not to be deterred, the big, hungry mahi charged over and crashed into the weed trying to get the hapless bait fish. It was a beautiful sight to watch as the mahi made several attempts at the bait before finally plucking it from the sea weed. As soon as the fish felt hook it went airborne in an attempt to throw the hook. Then another big fish showed up, and was quickly hooked. Just like that, we had two big fish on and the both went in separate directions. The two boys battled the fish and after a little while, Hunter had his fish almost to gaff range. Just feet from gaff,  the big mahi made one last jump and threw the hook. Unfortunately after a tough fight, the other mahi got away as well. Thats fishing, you win some and you lose some! The boys did not seem to mind and were happy to know that these fish would be waiting for them next time! We had a great ride back to the marina, where our crew took pictures of the catch and cut up a bunch of tasty filets for Lee and his family! It was a fun day and we look forward to fishing with these guys again soon!

We Win the Pompano Beach Fishing Rodeo

Every year we fish the rodeo with my wife, children and a few friends.  It is a family oriented tournament and everyone usually has a good time.  The field is very competitive and we work very hard to get ready for the two day event. Finally after countless hours of preparation and days of bait fishing we were ready to go. Twenty to twenty-five mile per hour winds and ten foot seas greeted us the first day. Taking our time, we got to the area we wanted to start at and got set up. The day started slow and was very rough! We caught a few keeper kings and saw a big mahi that we didn’t get.  The very next drift we caught a weigher dolphin and things were looking up. Next drift, my daughter Laurel, had a nice fish that was acting like a tuna. After a while we could see Laurel did in fact have a big tuna and that there was a shark trying to get it. I feared the shark would bite the tuna and disqualify our catch. After a few nerve racking moments, the tuna decided to take its fate into its own hands.   Rather than getting eaten by the hungry shark, the tuna decided it would rather jump on the boats engine bracket and dry out! And that is exactly what happened!!!!!!!  Laurel’s tuna leaped on the bracket only to have my thrifty son James standing ready and quickly grabbed the tuna and threw it in the boat. Minutes later James had a big fish on that managed to get wrapped in a competitor's line. I tried desperately to get close to the other boat hoping James would be able to untangle the mess. It was just too rough we couldn’t get close enough and unfortunately the other boat broke their fish off and James was able to land another big tuna that would help us out in the standings! Later in the afternoon we added a couple more tunas that would give us our limit for the day! At the end of day one our team would weigh a limit of kingfish, limit of tuna and a nice dolphin which would be enough for us to be sitting in second place. 

Day two would offer up calmer seas and with a shorter day we would have to fish fast and make our bites count. Right away we caught a couple keeper kings including a nice twenty-five pounder for Laurel. Then we had a big king sky on the left long kite, but got the bait off the hook, before anyone could say a word, the  flatline took off with a big tuna. It was just one of those tournaments where most everything went right and very little went wrong. As my friend Louis says, “When it’s for you…it’s for you. We would finish the second day with another limit of kingfish and two big tunas! After waiting to weigh our fish and coming up with a total of way over three hundred pounds we were declared the WINNERS!!!!!!!!!  It was such an amazing feeling and I was so very proud of my family and my team!  We ended up Top Boat, Top Male Angler, Top Junior Angler and Top Family!!!! A great tournament with my wonderful family!!!!

Great Day For Newman Family

We had our friends, the Newman family, out for a full day of fun filled charter fishing with us on our charter boat, the L&H.  Our good buddy, Trevor, was joined by his father and brothers for what would turn out to be an action packed day of fishing out of Key Biscayne!  With an early start, our team was able to be the first ones to the bait spot and were thus rewarded with excellent bait fishing!  It was just about as good as it gets and in no time there were a couple hundred frisky live baits swimming in the L&H's large circulating bait well.  I pointed the boat south to where the best fishing had been the past few days.  When we reached the area, everyone was excited to see great conditions (beautiful blue water and strong north current).  It did not take long to start getting bites after the kites went out.  First a sailfish then a couple mahis and things were looking good!  As we battled the second sailfish of the day, I saw another fish grab the left short kite bait.  None of us on board were sure what we had, but all of us knew it was a nice fish.  The Newman brothers did great battling the two fish.  When the first end of our double came up, I could see that it was a real nice wahoo!  My son James reached out and gaffed the tasty wahoo and muscled it to the fish box!  Our efforts were then switched to the angry sailfish.  Again we were able to seal the deal and before long released the powerful billfish to fight another day!  After our double, the boys quickly reset and all the baits were back in the water.  From my perch in the tower I could see a frigate bird wheeling and diving several hundred yards offshore.  It was time to get out there and find out what the bird was looking at.  Before long, I had Miami's best charter boat in perfect position to intercept the migrating gamefish!  Seconds later I spotted a nice mahi, then another and another and another.  They were hungry, eating everything, and there were a lot of them!  Like a well oiled machine, our team sprung into action and began firing out more baits on our custom leeward rods and fin-nor spinning reels!  From my view in the tuna tower, high above the action, it was a beautiful sight to behold.  Everyone working together, hooking up and boating the nice size mahis, and repeating the process over and over.  In short order the guys had landed at least twenty fish all of them nice size!  It was not yet lunch time and the days catch was looking very good!  As we drifted north, the Newman family continued to catch fish and stay busy.  More mahi, a couple nice kingfish, a cobia and another sailfish were added to the tally and there were a couple mystery fish, we hooked on the kite that were eaten by the ravenous bull sharks!  By early afternoon, our anglers were tired from reeling in fish and decided to head in a little bit early.  I suggested we give it five more minutes.  Just then another big sailfish grabbed the left short kite bait and we were once again hooked up!  This one was Trevor's fish and he did a great job working the magnificent sail to the boat for a clean, healthy release!  It was a great ending to a great day of fishing with our friends the Newman family!

Great Family Fishing With The Kids

We went out on a family fishing trip with my wife Debbi, our three children, my dad, brother Freddie and his two kids (Jody and Hayden) along with our long time friend Jim Hendrix and boy did we have a good time!  After getting an early start, the L&H headed offshore.  Before the sun even broke the horizon, Debbi spotted a frigate bird off in the distance and as we got closer everyone could see hungry tuna feeding under the diving frigate!  Excitement mounted as we approached the school of fish and when we got into position, lines started popping out of the outrigger clips, rods began bending over, and reels and children started screaming from the pull of the fast moving tuna!  Five tuna pulled for all they were worth, but they were no match for the five eager children who battled the strong fish to the boat!  Before long, blackfin and skipjack tuna were coming over the rail and landing in the fish box!  Jim and Freddie stayed in the tower and kept up with the rapidly moving tuna school.  Multiple hook ups were the rule rather than the exception and Debbi and I worked feverishly to keep getting the lines out!  Before most people were even out of bed that morning, our crew of kids (most of whom were under the age of 10) had boated over twenty nice tuna to about fifteen pounds!  Everyone was having a blast!  As the sun continued to climb, the tuna became more difficult to catch so we decided to head further out!  Several miles offshore, I was watching the bottom machine when I watched the water depth plummet from 1000 feet to over 1200 feet in less than one hundred yards!  We had found a deep hole in the ocean floor out in the middle of nowhere!!  Freddie and Jim quickly spun the boat around to the spot I had now marked on our gps!  James readied a rig and we baited several hooks and sent them to the bottom with a large lead.  The instant our rig hit the bottom, we began getting bites!  The kids started taking up the fish with the help of an electric reel.  As everyone peered over the side, anxious to see what we had, we were delighted to see a full string of nice sized rose fish!  There was one on every hook!  We sent the rig down again, and this time with even better results!  Although I didn't think it was possible, we had a fish on every hook, but this time one of the hooks had two fish on it!!!  It was amazing!  We made a few more drops with great success and then decided to call it a day.  We headed back to the marina where we had pizzas delivered and took a bunch of photos with the kids and cut up lots of great eating fish for my brother, dad and family!!!!!