Every Man’s Billfish

From slow-trolling dead baits to kite-fishing with frisky gogs, a Sailfish Alley veteran recaps South Florida sailfishing.

It was a beautiful fall day in the early 1980s when I saw my very first sailfish. I remember the light northerly breeze as we trolled across the crisp four-foot seas. We had already boated nearly a dozen gaffer-size dolphin. I was ecstatic. This time though as the right rigger popped, I noticed not a neon green shape behind the baits but rather what looked like a black bill slashing through the spread. I dropped back my ballyhoo and locked up the size 20 Penn International the moment it got engulfed. The energized fish vaulted into the air and put on an aerial display more amazing than anything I’d ever seen. From that very moment, I was hooked!

No winter issue of any Florida fishing magazine would be complete without an article devoted exclusively to sailfish, and for very good reason. The Atlantic sailfish is one of the world’s greatest game fish. With a sleek build and high energy, they are renowned as one of the fastest fish in the sea. Although it is extremely difficult to measure top-end speed of any large pelagic, marine biologists have determined that Atlantic sailfish can achieve bursts of speed in excess of 60 mph! In my opinion, sailfish are the most majestic game fish in the entire ocean and watching a school of hungry spindlebeaks deteriorate a pod of baitfish is one of nature’s finest furies - unlike anything else that you’ll ever witness.

Sailfish circle and corral bait pods, often called “baitballs,” and take turns slicing through the pack picking off wary prey one by one. While these aggressive billfish use their large sail-like dorsal fins to contain and control the helpless forage, frigates and other ravenous sea birds can be seen diving and picking away on the surface. The fiasco is an awesome spectacle and quite a sight to behold. Sometimes the hot bite is so explosive and the fish so aggressive, it’s hard to beat the fish to the rod. On other occasions, sailfish are painstakingly picky and make you work brutally hard to trigger a single strike. Regardless, once hooked, their explosive speed and acrobatic agility becomes clearly evident as they effortlessly take to the air. On light tackle, tail-walking sails are big fun, but be sure to properly revive them for a healthy release as they are a vital asset to the South Florida sport fishing community.

Thanks to conservation measures, sailfish continue to play a huge role in the lore of big game fishing. Their abundance in relatively accessible water and the fact that they can be caught on a variety of tackle make them every man’s billfish. While they are often an angler’s first billfish, they are always a worthy adversary. Although sailfish can be found well offshore, the majority of the population passing through southeast Florida frequent depths ranging from 50-250 feet with the prime 50 mile long stretch paralleling Palm Beach to Ft. Pierce commonly known as “Sailfish Alley.”

The close proximity of the Gulf Stream and its northward flow of warm water, attract abundant sources of forage. Hot on the baitfish’s heels are hungry sailfish. For tackling these tail-walkers, relatively light conventional and spinning outfits have become the norm as they allow the acrobatic aerialists to show their stuff. Sailfish are a migratory species with the bulk of their run occurring off our coast during the cool winter months.

Of the various ways to target sailfish, dead bait trolling is the most traditional. The only trick is making your dead baits appear as life-like as possible. Our daily rigging routine here in Stuart is pretty similar to what other sailfish experts practice around the globe. We incorporate a mullet dredge on one side of our spread and some sort of ballyhoo dredge on the other. We often adorn our dredges with Sea Witches and Jr. Ilanders to help attract curious fish into our pattern. Along with a spread of small ballyhoo rigged on 7/0 circle hooks and 60lb. mono leader, we are ready to go ‘catching.’ We fish some of the baits naked and some with color skirts. A big part of the enjoyment associated with dead bait trolling is experimenting with variations of teaser and bait combinations. I’ve noticed that when baitfish are prevalent, ballyhoo seem to attract and hold the sailfish’s attention more than any other bait. Bulky mullet teasers seem to be most effective under normal conditions when bait is scattered.

Off Southeast Florida, locating cooperative sailfish is as easy as finding diving birds and surface busting baitfish. Feeding flocks of frigates often light up the radar screen and lead to explosive action. Color and temperature changes will give you a place to start if more obvious signs are not apparent, and paying attention to the current and tidal conditions also helps locate fish. With properly rigged baits, smooth, clean drop-backs help capitalize on the opportunities. You’ll quickly realize that the combination of these efforts reinforces the idea that successful sailfishing is truly a team sport.

As the skill level of crews and anglers has increased, the work required to out-fish others has also increased exponentially. You will often see eager crew members moving baits through the spread; sinking baits past teasers and trying to trigger strikes when things are otherwise slow. Like any other sport, the team that puts in the most effort is the one that is often rewarded for their hard work. As more effective dead bait trolling methods continue to evolve, the work load will also greatly increase. Evidence is already seen in the fact that boats leaving the dock today do so with coolers containing twice as many teaser baits as hooked baits. Consequently, mates are working harder than ever before to be competitive.

Although trolling dead baits can be productive there is no question that live bait raises more fish. It does not matter if they are slow-trolled or dangled from a kite, pilchards, blue-runners, goggle-eyes and threadfins are simply irresistible to hungry sails. Here along the Treasure Coast, we’re not as refined in the art of live baiting as some of our angling brethren to the south. Although we occasionally kite-fish when conditions demand, from my personal experience, I know that when fish move south of our inlet where the drop off is more pronounced, they seem to funnel into certain depths. This is when live bait becomes the most effective method.

Slow-trolling live bait allows anglers to cover more ground but when sails are depth specific, kite-fishing will prove to be a much more effective approach. Kite-fishing allows anglers to present their baits in a totally different manner than slow-trolling. Since the main line is directly hooked to a release clip on the kite, baits can be dangled directly on the surface where terminal tackle is less visible to line-shy game fish. Also, the splashing bait on the surface perfectly mimics flying fish and wounded prey and effectively attracts hungry game fish from far away. Another advantage to kite-fishing is that it allows anglers to fish multiple baits. Southeast Floridians typically fly two kites, with two or three baits suspended off each and an additional three or four flat lines fished off the up-wind side. Securing a sea anchor off the bow helps slow the boat’s drift and allows synchronized crews to keep their baits in prime depths for longer periods of time.

Although many argue the effectiveness of circle-hooks –vs- J-hooks, when fishing live baits off kites, the benefits of circle-hooks far outshine those of J’s. By providing consistent hook-sets in the corner of the jaw, circle-hooks prevent fish from being hooked in the throat or vital organs where they might endure a life threatening internal injury. Circle-hooks facilitate an easy and stress-free release which undeniably minimizes trauma to the fish. If you are new to circle-hooks, remember two key points. Circle-hooks set themselves so there is no need to set the hook, and when rigging your baits, be cautious not to bury the point of the hook in any bony or hard structure.

While kite-fishing is highly effective, it does require serious equipment and serious know-how. Sea anchors, electric kite reels and multiple kites for various wind conditions are necessary and can add up to a substantial investment. Kite-fishing is fairly complicated so don't expect to go out there on your first outing and set up two kites with six lines and a sea anchor. You will undoubtedly go through a serious learning curve that will be frustrating and physically demanding before you effectively learn how to manage your spread. Kite-fishing enthusiasts have been perfecting this method for decades so don't expect to become an expert overnight. With practice, dedication and hard work, you, too, will get there.

In my angling career, I’ve been extremely fortunate to fish with a number of great anglers and awesome mates. Quality crew members who work hard make this awesome sport that much more fun and rewarding. Even though I've witnessed hundreds of anglers catch sailfish, it will always be something I thoroughly enjoy. Currently, I am running the Challenge, a 51 ft. Bertram out of Palm City, Florida, owned by Mike Fogel. I am lucky to work on a charter boat owned by someone who loves to fish. With sailfishing just now heating up, what could be better?

Dead Bait

·         Most effective offerings include ballyhoo, mullet and fresh bonito strip/Sea Witch combo.

·         Rig ballyhoo with a small egg-sinker under the nose, circle-hook and 60lb. mono or fluorocarbon leader.

·         Sew your baits mouth shut with wax floss to prevent it from washing out.

·         Match hook size to the size of your baitfish, not the size of the sailfish.

·         Effective slow-trolling speeds range from four to six knots.

Live Bait

·         Most effective offerings include goggle-eye, blue runner, pilchard, threadfin and ballyhoo.

·         Slow-trolling live bait allows anglers to cover more ground however, if you determine fish are hanging in a certain depth of water, kite-fishing will be more productive.

·         Adding split-shots to the corner of the kite will enable you to steer it right or left.

·         60lb. mono will suffice but adding a short trace of coffee-colored wire will enable you to land toothy predators such as wahoo and winter smokers. 

·         When the wind is nonexistent (a wintertime rarity), helium balloons are useful for getting your kites aloft.