Inshore Mahi

[StriperChaser12]

I was chatting with a few friends and they told me Mahi Mahi like to hang around inshore pots and debris during the late summer. Anyone have any experience with catching them? I'm assuming they are usually smaller but either way this seems like a blast

[Suebert2]

Not sure about inshore, but Sept 2016 we got some about 20 miles out.  Most on the small size but I got one at 19.3 lbs.  It was fun!

[CWitek]

Depends what you call "inshore." 

 

You can find them under buoys around Cholera.  They're pretty reliable one you're at or past the 20 fathom line, and sometimes you'll find them inside 100 feet.  Blue water inshore helps, although they'll wander into the green stuff, too.

 

My biggest last year was only about 8 or 10 miles offshore, south of Fire Island.  Came into a shark slick in late August, in a place where I've caught other teen-sized fish (if you want mahi, sharking around the 20 fathom line isn't a bad way to find them; they come into the slick on a regular basis).  All of the mahi that I caught casting to buoys or float last year came on the far side of the 20 fathom line, although it's not always that way.

[Sandflee]

not common, but there was a Mahi around 30 pounds i think caught in FI inlet 2 years back

[Surfratiam]

3 hours ago, Sandflee said:

not common, but there was a Mahi around 30 pounds i think caught in FI inlet 2 years back

I heard of one caught last year (2017) also caught there. I did not see it, but the guy I was talking to said he saw it. Who knows....

[CWitek]

I know that every now and then, somebody on a Captree boat outside the inlet will get one as they crank their fluke bait up from the bottom; haven't heard of one actually inside the inlet (that is, shoreward of the 2 and 3 buoys), but don't doubt that it happened.  In 2006, we had school bluefin at the seaward end of the inlet a couple of times.  Skipjack, too, which in some ways is even less likely.

[Sandflee]

53 mins ago, CWitek said:

I know that every now and then, somebody on a Captree boat outside the inlet will get one as they crank their fluke bait up from the bottom; haven't heard of one actually inside the inlet (that is, shoreward of the 2 and 3 buoys), but don't doubt that it happened.  In 2006, we had school bluefin at the seaward end of the inlet a couple of times.  Skipjack, too, which in some ways is even less likely.

those school bluefin were up to 90# and were there for well over a week in July, I know someone who broke multiple flyrods on them

[StriperChaser12]

18 mins ago, Sandflee said:

those school bluefin were up to 90# and were there for well over a week in July, I know someone who broke multiple flyrods on them

That's crazy. I'm out of Shinnecock, a few weeks back we had bluefin that size chasing herring and sandeels not too far outta the inlet. Impossible to get them to eat a jig though. 

[IslandSurf]

2 hours ago, StriperChaser12 said:

That's crazy. I'm out of Shinnecock, a few weeks back we had bluefin that size chasing herring and sandeels not too far outta the inlet. Impossible to get them to eat a jig though. 

Saw something similar a mile or so in front of the

breach by Smith's point in October.Not sure if they were Bluefin but they def were to big to be Albie's or Bonito.They wouldn't hit and we're moving to fast but there tails were very big and we're definitely a species of tuna

Edited January 3, 2018 by IslandSurf

[CWitek]

2 hours ago, Sandflee said:

those school bluefin were up to 90# and were there for well over a week in July, I know someone who broke multiple flyrods on them

We didn't have any quite that big, but yes, those were the fish.

[CWitek]

24 mins ago, IslandSurf said:

Saw something similar a mile or so in front of the

breach by Smith's point in October.Not sure if they were Bluefin but they def were to big to be Albie's or Bonito.They wouldn't hit and we're moving to fast but there tails were very big and we're definitely a species of tuna

A friend of mine is a light-tackle guide who fishes out of Debs Inlet, and has incorporated the inshore late-season bluefin into his business.  Last year he had them almost up to Christmas; this year, they just rocketed through and he didn't get any.  He calls them "ghosts" because they just travel through and are very tough to catch--and often to find--but he has had some very good days throwing plugs to them, and quite a few of the fish run into three digits.  The big run is usually late Novemberf/early December, but it differs a lot year to year.  Very spooky fish; one trolling boat, or one cater that crowds them too much, and they go off the bite and disappear.

[Suebert2]

8 hours ago, CWitek said:

A friend of mine is a light-tackle guide who fishes out of Debs Inlet, and has incorporated the inshore late-season bluefin into his business.  Last year he had them almost up to Christmas; this year, they just rocketed through and he didn't get any.  He calls them "ghosts" because they just travel through and are very tough to catch--and often to find--but he has had some very good days throwing plugs to them, and quite a few of the fish run into three digits.  The big run is usually late Novemberf/early December, but it differs a lot year to year.  Very spooky fish; one trolling boat, or one cater that crowds them too much, and they go off the bite and disappear.

 

I'm pretty sure I know who you friend is.  If it is the same person he is who I caught my mahi with.

[CWitek]

10 hours ago, Suebert2 said:

 

I'm pretty sure I know who you friend is.  If it is the same person he is who I caught my mahi with.

Probably.  John McMurray at One More Cast charters.

[Suebert2]

1 hour ago, CWitek said:

Probably.  John McMurray at One More Cast charters.

Yes, that’s him. Great guy!

[Cascade]

This past year, at Shinny, there were whales and tuna on the outside bar and dolphin in the inlet. Tuna and mahi were a not so rare occurrence at the sea buoy outside the inlet.