June Spearfishing Report...fish, fish, and more fish!

June=Mangrove Snapper Trifecta

Well June is here and if spearfishing is your fix, then you should be out on the water everyday cause June has it all-just about!  As the strong spasmodic winds of March, April, and May have passed,  the calm Gulf breezes of June move in and with them come- pescados!

The calmness is delightful

All our spearfishing expeditions are action packed through June.  And it’s a good idea to keep all your indicators in check, as each Miami spearfishing guided trip can produce anything from a record mangrove snapper to a slammer bull mahi dolphin all within the same day!

One good indicator is the moon.  I’ve said it before the moon (a little more on moons in a minute) does some crazy things to fish and during May/Junes full moons this year around June 12-13 strawberry moon mangrove snapper headout to spawn- my telltale sign is when those big ass spooky mango’s leave our dock in the Florida Keys- these big mangroves  are headed to the reefs and humps for the spawn as well as that tasty spooky critter we call the Porgy  a distant cousin of our

the mama 'go's

European Dentex.  In fact, June is one of the best time to shoot a record slob Porgy during your spearfishing guided trip.  FWC  lists a few variety of Porgies but for our spearfishing tribe the Jolthead , Knobbed, and Sheepshead  (yes they too are considered porgy) Porgy are the target.  Nothing beats a fresh fried Porgy fillet and June is a great month to go spearfishing for them.  Ok back to the mangrove snapper spawn-  I like spear  fishing those waypoints with isolated humps and plates in the 30-40’ surrounded by deeper water, of course a good ledge wouldn’t hurt either.  Another often overlooked snapper spearfishing spot are those shallow wrecks that big snapper like…and keep a look out as some permits are still lingering around those wrecks on the second minor phase of their spawn.  But Gray (Mangrove) snapper aren’t

One Shot One Kill big mutton still around

the only snapper all frenzied up on our Miami spearfishing charters- big mutton and big yellowtail snapper or “flags” as they are called are hungry and aggressive as well….if you shoot a big yellowtail, give yourself a big pat on the back, as these delicious fish are a spearfishing trophy any day of the week!  On most of our spearfishing expeditions we’ll find that “secret” waypoint with the perfect structure, put out a chum block about 10’ below the surface (not just hanging over the side of the boat) and wait a few minutes before slipping into the water, sweetening up the chum block with some chunked Cuda or

BIG snapper off the wrecks

ballyhoo really brings them in!  Your spearfishing captain should be up to date on the bag limits as they will vary on whether you are in state  or federal waters  when targeting snapper, but it won’t hurt for you to be up to date on the currents regulations and amounts when spearfishing snapper as well.  More than once we have put spearo’s & speara’s on great snapper spearfishing spots and they have come up with smaller guys, rather than the slabbers (any mango over 3lbs), the spear fishing trick for mangrove snapper is patience.  When you first drop on structure the “mango train” of snappers will come in to greet you- the train consists of smallish pounder pan fryers snappers, but be patient, as usually the bigger slabbers are nearby

“feeling” you out.  Here's a great snapper spearfishing tip when you are on the bottom doing your aspetto scratch a few rocks (that scratching sound drives big snapper crazy) often this will bring the bigger boyz in from hiding.  Another great spearfishing tip for snapper is to look over your shoulder every so often.  Usually big snappers will sit, till you pass by them,  then they will cautiously follow behind you at a distance.  If this happens turn around and quickly chas’em down often these big slabbers will sit in bewilderment for a few seconds before bolting, so

act fast!CLICK!!!   

If the reefs are loading up on snapper.... then bluewater is Mahi’Time!

BEST BET: MAHI-MAHI, DORADO, DODO, DOLPHIN FISH, LAMPUCA…

all the same –MAHI

June's Best bet

If for nothing more than edibility and sheer numbers we’re calling Mahi mahi our spearfishing best bet for June (although the Grey Snapper gave it a run for its money)  A memorable spearfishing guided trip with a cooler full of Miami Mahi is

Mahi Mayhem

hard to beat, maybe it’s the lure of blue water (which is more often a game of drift and seek for hours with blanks drawn more often than fish on), coupled with the 100% success ratio of mahi- they are fairly simple to shoot, are abundant , and they grow fast….they are not too difficult to find. and are incredibly tasty…. mahi got our vote for best spearfishing bet for June.

Mahi are everywhere from Miami to the Keys and up and down the East/West Florida coast!  And if you have ever gone on a Miami spearfishing charter for mahi you know the action can be fast and furious as schoolie (fish b/t 3-7lbs) and gaffer mahi(7-12lbs) are eating everything in sight.  One thing to understand when spearfishing pelagics including mahi is they are migratory fish so they move around, where they are one day they may not be the next.  As June rolls in so does the closeness of the Gulfstream currents, in fact as of this writing it is just 2 miles SE of Fowey rocks…those warm currents bring in tons of baitfish and following them are pelagics-Dolphin, Wahoo, Kingfish, Tuna are all in the bunch and chances to get one spearfishing

Frigate are fish dials

increases drastically.  How to find Mahi while spearfishing...it’s been written countless times, but one more won’t hurt.   Any good spearfishing guide will tell you as well- head out beyond 400’ feet find some birds (I’ll be writing a blog on reading birds in/on the water soon , say stay tuned) that’s my first and best indicator when out on the blue spearfishing- I like a few birds cutting zig-zags up and down , that’s a good spear fishing indicator, and a swarm of diving  birds is another (dah)- or look for a nice tightly formed Sargassum weedline. or listen for the chatter on the VHF (that’s another good spearfishing

tip for mahi mahi).   Here’s is another bluewater spearfishing tip for mahi-one word-Flotsam!  Be it a large tree, a crate, we’ve even found a flipped over dinghy holding fish (this solitary structure usually will hold a nice bull slammer – a mahi over 20lbs-, and maybe his harem of cows!  Once you located that floating structure idle in slowly add some burly/chum….and quietly glide yourself into the water.  If mahi are around it shouldn’t be long before you have a few in the cooler.  Another often used spearfishing bluewater mahi trick is  keeping one hooked/tied alive in the water keeps the school around longer so packing a rod/reel might be a good idea…or tail shooting one will work too, as a regular client of ours manages to do consistently on our spearfishing charter.  June (May less so) is the month to be on the look out for those lone spear fishing record slammers and super

Paulo with a nice slammer

slammers- chances increase if you find a frigate  as these pelagic pescivores are usually following a big lone fish in the water. On our Florida Keys spearfishing charter we set ourselves up ahead of its path throw some chunks in and drop in.  A solitary flotsam as previously mentioned is another, slow and quiet is the spearfishing  trick when approaching  these type structures, you may not immediately see your quarry which more often than not is lurking 50-60’ below so take your time and look deep- slammers love those isolated pieces of “junk” floating in the ocean, and that’s another strategic spearfishing bluewater tip on Mahi.   So you  know to look out in the 400’+ depth range but reading the bottom also helps.  Uneven bottom, with valleys and peaks is what you want to look for, as these natural contours create rips that push currents up towards the surface disorienting bait fish providing an easy meal for bluewater pelagics.  That’s why the Islamorada Hump (here is the spearfishing waypoint GPS: N24-48.175' , W 80-26.674' W  at 294 ft)., also the 409 Hump (here is the spearfishing coordinate GPS : N24-35.5' , W80-35.5' W  at 409 ft.) as well the Marathon Hump (West Hump- here is the spearfishing numbers GPS: N24-25.528' , W 80-45.328'   at 516 ft.)  These are great spearfishing coordinates so register them, of course the absolute best spearfishing waypoints for mahi  are a secret closely guarded and divulged only on our spear fishing expeditions

Flasher decals

The best spearfishing equipment for mahi is a 100-120 cm double banded (or single) speargun, an enclosed track euro  that tracks fast with a reel or float/float line combo is ideal, no special bluewater spearfishing arsenal is required, actually your regular spear fishing reef rig will work just fine.  That’s another bonus towards our fish of the month!  One thing I like to do is add flasher decals to my freedive fins one of the best upgrades you can  do to your carbon fiber spearfishing fins.  This is a great spearfishing trick I’ve been using for years and is used by lots of guys that book spearfishing charters with us.  You can get ral creative with this decals which you can get  at places like Basspro shop.  Often pelagics are drawn up from the depths with these “fin flashers”, and it also keeps the fish focused on your dive blades

and not your gun lol.

I was going to talk about the moons influence on spearfishing, but I think that would be

Strawberry Mangrove Snapper moon

better as a blog in and of itself so let it suffice to say in June the full moon triggers the Mangrove snapper spawn, but  it will also slow the Mahi dophin “shoot” (as opposed to “bite” lol) as most of these mahi have been feeding all night….but just the same running opposite, a New moon (this month June 27)  will put the mahi on hunger mode in the early am so the best

A schoolie trifecta

spearfishing guides in Miami know to be out on the blue as the sun rises.  Yes we do have some favorites for each of our Haulover, Miami Beach, and Key Biscayne spearfishing charters, and June as you have read has some spearfishing favorite fish too, but there is a lot more fish in the ocean to be speared-AMEN broda.  Grouper are in full game and although a bit wiser they are still plentiful.  The first reef

running along Miami beach and Haulover usually has some big fat blacks, and if you shot one at a certain spearfishing coordinate one year, chances are another one is there now, at least that’s how it works for us on our spearfishing guided tours.  Red grouper are also around, and they too are a bit wiser (hard to believe huh).  Here is a spearfishing tip for red grouper- if you find an isolated rock a bit off the main reef structure approach it slow and steady, high chances a fat red grouper  owns it,  Miami red grouper love those big solitary rocks that sit a few feet away from the main structure…and make sure you mark that spear fishing waypoint sometimes within a week a new red grouper will fill his place.  Its no surprise that Florida has the spearfishing world record red grouper hopefully we’ll get you on one on one of our Miami spearfishing guided trips, we know where they live! In fact last year on a personal spearfishingKayak guided charter trip, I put a speara on a 14 pound Red grouper she slammed with  one of our stone staff pole spears, off of Bear Cut in Key

Red Grouper "STONED"

Biscayne…this fellow was on a rock surrounded by sand, then grass about 30feet away from the main structure On our offshore spear fishing charters aside from the big player, mahi  you’ll likely see a few kingfish and wahoo thrown into the bunch…when the spearfishing target is Kingfish and wahoo- make sure your spearfishing gear is ther best and the toughest as most of these pelagics will put it to the test, you’ll find Kingfish /Wahoo over wrecks especially the bait laden wrecks….there are some great coordinates of wrecks in and off of Haulover Beach, Miami Beach, and Elliott Key that lay  in less than 100’ of water….good spearfishing captains have those coordinates, but the best spearfishing captains have the “less public” wrecks that are pelagic magnets!    And while we are on the pelagic topic don’t forget that Blackfin tuna are also out there tearing it up, so keep that on your fish to shoot list as well- you’ll often find them over deep structure following the bait.    

So June is a great month to be out on the water spearfishing….and with these quieter winds and plentiful fish…it just doesn’t make any sense not to be!

Till next spearfishing report, tight bands, straight shafts, and smooooooooth triggers! 

Tone 

http://www.settingsteelspeargear.com/

Spearfishing REPORT: APRIL....a charter spearfishing trip in April can score big results!!!

Big Cobia is our BEST BET for April

Roberto Ruiz out Palm Beach and crew with cobia'galore

It isn’t a secret; April can be one of the best months to shoot or spear fish in Florida-period!  As the spring months roll in so do the fish in our Miami and Florida Keys water.   But it doesn’t stop there, all over, up and down both of our coasts-East and West- Cocoa Beach, Jupiter, Palm Beach, Sebastian, Venice Beach, St Petersburg, Naples, Sanibel Island and the Treasure Coast….fish are on the move and the spear fishing charters, are getting filled up fast.  Sure April can be one of our windest months, especially Easter week, which can see winds up to 30 mph, not exactly the best weather for a spearfishing tour, but if you play it right and pick your days you can very well have one of the best spearfishing charters of the year!!!  If you are truly after a trophy cobia, amberjack, kingfish then book your spear fishing expedition well in advance, as April has all these brutes off of wrecks dotting both our coasts,  

Jared & Friend  outa Big Pine with some trophy Kings

as well as on the edge of our outer reef which runs along the entire Florida Coast.

If it’s some reef spear hunting you are looking for, make sure to tell your spear fishing guide, because April is sure to please-whether it’s a spearfishing excursion in North Miami’s Haulover, a guided spearfishing trip off the patch reefs in Key Biscayne, or a short spear fishing trip off off Soildier key- muttons are starting to move in (as the May and June spawns are just around the bend), and big hogfish snapper are still hanging around in numbers…..and mammoth grouper (lets not even go there), just a month away (so mark your grouper holes  And while we are talking about guided spearfishing trips in the Florida Keys let’s

Slob mutton, sleep,sleep.

not forget Blackfins are starting to hold up of the humps in Marathon….and another spear fishing world record can be had for sure, hopefully it’ll be on one of our spearfishing charters…chum and they will come!

Florida Hamachi... yum

now)!What about the Florida Keys favorite- Yellowtail snapper? Any of the best Florida Keys reef in 50’-60’ with good current, and a nice chum slick will hold some flags, and some big mules (big Florida Hamachi), hanging in pairs- if your budding up (and you should be) keep the mule you shot in the water, but off the bottom, his buddy will usually circle around long enough for your partner to shoot him too!

Know the telltale signs and read the bait!

Chartered bluewater spearfishing continues to boil into Apri!!!  Mahi are starting to show, what they lack in quantity they make up in quality.  Big bulls are on the loose, the trick is to go out 3-8 miles on light winds (from the SE ideal) and find the birds- a frigate perhaps, or a even a small weedline or floatsum….drift towards it and chances are they’ll be a nice slammer or two 30-40’ below…if you booked the perfect spearfishing trip….this would be the best spearfishing   Keep your eyes on the water…April for some reason makes fish hungry as the water warms up and if you book the best spearfishing captain for your next spearfishing trip, then he/she should know those telltale signs of fish breaking the surface when you’re out on a bluewater spearfishing charter.  On the edge of the first   On one of our spearfishing   Rather than heading in (which would have bummed out my Colorado guests) I made the   This are narrow “alleyways” connecting the bay to the ocean, marked by underwater channels.  It was one of the best spearfishing charters of April as Dad and his 17 year old son filled a cooler with slabbers (big mangrove snapper) up to 6lbs…and get this- in 12’ of water, the bottom of the channel was 16’!

Slabber mango trifecta

expeditions, last April, week of Easter we were spearfishing patch reefs in about 18’ water and the wind spiked.
call to run in to a few areas around Key Biscayne & Government Cut and Haulover I call the creeks.
reef where the color breaks baitfish jumping the surface could be due to cobia, which start their migratory run in April (and its been one of the best years for guided cobia spearfishing thus far)…if its further out it could be a Kingfish wolf pack in hot pursuit of ballyhoo, on the edge or over structure spearfishing trophy experience-right on!kingfish is common on
any spearfishing excursion during April and May. Finally the shallow patch reefs both on the Gulf side and ocean side are starting to get busy as the big mangrove snapper start to occupy it for their coming months of romance, and same holds for the Permits and African Pompano which will soon be headed out to their offshore wrecks (remember both off these can ONLY be shot in federal waters).

Good cuda, brings in the bulls

BEST BET: COBIA COBIA COBIA.  If your going to book a spearfishing expedition for April-Cobia should be on your spear fishing wish list.  Lots of Cobia are moving along our coasts-right now.  You can find them on wrecks, artificial reefs, markers/buoys http://www.floridasportsman.com/sportfish/cobia/#.U2MNV1eI12w   If you see mantas or a huge loggerhead check below as you’ll often see a cobia or two trailing.  If a spearfishing adrenaline rush is what you seek have you spearfishing captain chum and burley (barracuda is  

Roberto on a Cobia=Bull Shark=Cobia

This type of spearfishing is very technical and not for the faint of heart.  It should be coordinated with 2 or more spesro’s in the water each watching each others back….bull sharks aren’t exactly friendly, and can be very unpredictable.
great) some big bull sharks up of a wreck, this is a sure way to find cobia…find the bulls the cobia will follow!

So whether it’s a bluewater spearfishing charter, or a reef spearfishing outing of a lifetime… April has it all!

 

Till next spearfishing report, tight bands, straight shafts, and smooooooooth triggers!

 Tone

http://www.settingsteelspeargear.com