Jay Mesnekoff of Boynton Beach, Florida was rigged and ready when a school of dolphin or mahi mahi, showed up at boat-side while the Lady K was fishing for vermillion snapper. Mr. Mesnekoff used a light spinning outfit and a chunk of sardine to toss at the fish while the school swam around the Lady K. A total of 4 fish were taken from the school of six and Mr. Mesnekoff displays the beautiful Bull or male dolphin, which weighed in just under 10 pounds. Wonderful catch Jay!
Large kingfish are still making a showing off the coast of Lake Worth and Boynton Beach. Nu Nguyen of Lake Worth, Florida caught this 26 pound “smoker” kingfish while fishing a triple hooked sardine on a knocker rig. The fish was caught in deep water near the end of a drift, eating Mr. Nguyen’s bait while he was reeling in. Kingfish love moving baits and will quite often hit a bait while it’s being deployed or while reeling in. Jigging your bait softly will also entice one of these speedy torpedoes to hit a bait, making fast runs of up to 30 MPH, therefore it’s imperative that your drag is set properly.
Kingfish migrate up and down the Florida coast year-long. They have a preference for water temperatures above 68 degrees F. Kingfish migrate south in the winter and back north during the spring. Kingfish spawn during the summertime, both in the Atlantic and off the Gulf of Mexico. They are common to 20 pounds and the Florida state record is 90 pounds. They may attain a length of 5 to 6 feet. Their diet consist mainly of fish, squid and shrimp. Kingfish have amazing speed and jaws lined with razor teeth. They are a good food fish which can be grilled, fried or baked when under 10 pounds. The larger fish are commonly smoked and processed into dip.
Every day is a new adventure offshore, bringing surprise catches and sometimes rare sightings of endangered marine wildlife. Seize the day and plan your trip aboard the Lady K.
