Want to share your Dolphin tactics?

[pmagrady]

I have had a few newbie boater owners/fishermen ask me to take them out and show them how to fish for dolphin. They discover what a fishie area looks like and how to set up a simple spread. You know, all the normal stuff. The most important thing I show them is how to drop back to catch that fish that hit and missed.

Many striking fish will hit a bait and then come back to eat it while the bait fish is stunned. If your bait is hit, but keeps moving forward, the dolphin may not find it again.We keep trolling, but the fisherman on the rod that got hit will put it in frees pool after a miss. This lets the bait stop and start to drift down. As you know, you have to keep your thumb on the spool to keep it from over running. I have them pay attention to the speed of the spool. If the spool speeds up, you may have a fish. Let him have it for a few beats and then engage the drag and wind him in. The newbies love being able to catch "the one that got away".

[OReely]

Try dumping grass clippings and twigs around the chum jug. When you return to it, you may be pleasantly surprised as to what even large dolphin will consider as suitable "cover". It's an old Florida Keys guide trick.

Had a friend years ago that used to put out sheets of newspaper. Laid out three or four sheets together. Worked pretty well the couple of times I went with him. I never did it on my own trips, just seemed kind of wrong putting "trash" in the water. But since grass clippings are biodigradable....

[rchanner]

Had a friend years ago that used to put out sheets of newspaper. Laid out three or four sheets together. Worked pretty well the couple of times I went with him. I never did it on my own trips, just seemed kind of wrong putting "trash" in the water. But since grass clippings are biodigradable....

I agree....I wouldn't put anything in the water that I couldn't recover.

[sprockets]

I have had a few newbie boater owners/fishermen ask me to take them out and show them how to fish for dolphin. They discover what a fishie area looks like and how to set up a simple spread. You know, all the normal stuff. The most important thing I show them is how to drop back to catch that fish that hit and missed.

Many striking fish will hit a bait and then come back to eat it while the bait fish is stunned. If your bait is hit, but keeps moving forward, the dolphin may not find it again.We keep trolling, but the fisherman on the rod that got hit will put it in frees pool after a miss. This lets the bait stop and start to drift down. As you know, you have to keep your thumb on the spool to keep it from over running. I have them pay attention to the speed of the spool. If the spool speeds up, you may have a fish. Let him have it for a few beats and then engage the drag and wind him in. The newbies love being able to catch "the one that got away".

MrPat - You have a message

[shameless]

hi all, first post and maybe some help to someone one day, when on the darkside,(chunking) and you see some dolphin in the slick but not too aggresive try to use your saltwater washdown to create some commotion by spraying figure 8's. the dolphin will soon become very active

[eliteftlaud]

hmm never thought of that one. good tip! and if it doesnt work, spray down your buddy when he's not looking and then quickly turn off the washdown switch!!

[Ice Cream Man]

When bottom fishing we always have a light line on a float drifting behind the boat from the t-top.........

Always have pitch baits rigged & ready ..........

Topwater plugs will get their attention, too ..........

Storm or Calcutta 6" rubber shads ( used for Stripers ) trolled close to the boat work ......

Yozuri Deep Diver - flat line position about 10 yards produced our best Mahi yesterday......

Down waste your time fishing during a full or new moon ( like we did yesterday )

Hope this helps ......... ICM