A Day on the Water

Guest Post by ILuvCO2

The moon over Miami was bright and full as we drove over the JFK causeway. It’s reflection made Biscayne Bay look like a dancing sea of lights. With the backdrop of downtown Miami’s skyscrapers jutting up from the ocean like giant colorful Lego creations, the scene made me want to soar like an eagle over the entire bay just to take in all the beauty. But our marina destination held a greater calling.

My nephew and I had awoken at 3:30 am, stuffed down a quick breakfast and swallowed a few ginger caps to ward off any future motion sickness. All the essentials were packed the night before in boyish anticipation of the next day – coolers, lunch, water, and some fishing gear for any interesting roadside culverts that we might happen across. The ride down 95 from Pompano to Miami was fairly deserted, only having to dodge a few big scary trucks and old pickups packed with illegal migrants weaving from lane to lane at 90 mph. The saying “no license, no limit” drifts through my tired consciousness.

We arrived at the dock and found the 34 foot Sea Vee already warming up, and introduced ourselves to Captain Dave and his mate Dave. Dave and Dave are one of the best offshore crews in South Florida, specializing in sailfish and dolphin (mahi-mahi, not bottlenose). We loaded up, tossed aside the ropes and were on our way through Biscayne Bay toward Government Cut. A quick survey of the equipment revealed it was topnotch, and on the light side to make fighting fish more challenging. As we rounded the island toward the ocean, the 3 footers inside gave me pause – better concentrate on that footwork.

First order of business – bait. My nephew and I let the Dave’s know that we want to catch our own bait, and not let them do it as they do for many of their clients. It is very interesting standing on the stern of a boat bouncing up and down on 3 footers and pulling up a sabiki bait rig with half a dozen silversides shaking like excited puppies and then having to get them off the tiny hooks and into the baitwell without getting pierced. A half hour, a few piercings and a full baitwell later we are headed to the gulfstream.

The gulfstream off of Miami is only a couple of miles offshore. Captain Dave spots a Frigate bird circling and I can see excitement in his face. These giant birds circle above bait pods. When the time is right, they swoop down and fly just above the water with their mouth open. If they time it right a flying fish will jump out of the water and into the frigates mouth. It is quite a sight. If the bird flies too low and gets hit by a wave, it is doomed, as they can’t swim. Positioned ahead of the bird’s path, we sink a couple of circle hooks through the backs of a couple livies and toss them overboard.

Out of the corner of my eyes I catch a couple of blue-green forms shooting over the waves – dolphin ! Seconds later my nephew and I are doubled up. Mahi-Mahi is a Hawaiian word meaning “strong strong”, and it fits the billing. Fifteen minutes later mate Dave was snapping a few photos of us with the effervescent fish before the oxygen faded their leather like skin. Off to the cooler they went in preparation for the fillet knife and frying pan. A few more dolphin landed and it was now time to hit the gulfstream and fly some kites.

Kite fishing is a way of spreading out your baits and keeping them on the surface. First a large kite is sent airborn on line spooled onto an electric reel. Then a number of lines are attached at different points on that mainline. What we end up with is three rods with their 15 pound test lines going up to three separate and equidistant kite line loops and then down to the water where there is a hook and bait. One can then lower or raise the bait by reeling or letting out line. Then you just peacefully wait and drift. No motors, no high speed trolling, just sit and watch the Miami skyline and take in the everchanging ocean sights – schools of dolphin, huge sea turtles swimming under the boat, giant strangelooking sunfish – the list goes on and on.

Everyone suddenly snaps to attention as the baits are starting to get nervous and fritter about. Suddenly I can see a huge sail break the surface and take aim at my bait. He hits the bait – 1 2 3 pull. I snap down the rodtip to pull the line out of the kite loop and reel like a crazed islamofascist on a suicide bombing run in order to quickly pick up the slack due to kite distance. The line becomes taught and the sailfish feels the circle hook slip into the corner of its jaw. Ziiiiiiiiinggggggggggggg, the drag begins to sing its unmistakably beautiful song.

This fish is not going to be stopped soon. As I just hold on and wait for the other lines to clear before we can give chase, the sail launches itself out of the water over and over, each time getting farther away and appearing smaller and smaller. I begin to worry he is going to spool me when I hear the big diesel start up and Captain Dave points the boat at the fish while I feverishly reel to keep up. A half hour and about a mile later we get the 8 foot fish into the boat for a quick photo before gently releasing him to fight another day. A couple more Sails each and we reluctantly have to call it a day.

Back at the dock we watch mate Dave do his magic with his fillet knife while sipping down a cold brewski. On the way home we take a detour through South Beach and are handsomely rewarded with many wonderfully scenic sights in quite skimpy beach attire. A cold 12 pack and the outdoor Jacuzzi await back at the resort.