At TACO Marine, we are proud to count many of the industry’s renown and respected sport fishing captains, professional teams and seasoned anglers as part of our official Pro Team. With fall fishing in full swing, we compiled some awesome tips from Captain Ray Rosher of Miss Britt Charters and Captain Danny Avila of Hammertime Sportfishing.
Captain Ray Rosher
This time of year in South Florida, the bite it hot for yellowtail snapper fishing on the reef, said Captain Ray, who’s been professionally fishing since 1979 and is the founder of Miss Britt Charters out of Miami, Florida.
Captain Ray Rosher of Miss Britt Charters.
When fishing for yellowtail snapper, Ray will anchor down on rough bottom in 50- to 80-feet of water. He uses a mixture of chum and oats to concentrate the snappers and other fish behind the boat. A moderate current, from a half-knot to a knot is ideal. Slightly murky or cloudy water is better than clear blue water, he explains. Yellowtails have good eyesight, so the combination of all these elements make them bite better. Using strips of ballyhoo or squid are some of the best baits to catch yellowtail.
As the season nears Thanksgiving, Ray and his crew onboard Miss Britt’s three-boat fleet start kite fishing. The main species they kite fish for include sailfish, mahi, kingfish, bonito and tuna.
“In south Florida, kite fishing is very effective,” said Ray. “In addition to fishing two kites, the Miss Britt crew usually fishes one or two bottom baits once the kites are deployed. Using 20-pound tackle with a 30-pound leader, about 30-feet long with a 30-pound titanium leader at the end, the chances of bottom fish and mackerel are greatly increased. Using a cigar minnow pilchard or balao is best.
“The interesting thing about kite fishing is it lends itself to catching most of the species that swim in Bluewater,” Ray continued. “These include sailfish, kingfish, mahi, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, bonitos, blackfin tuna and even cobia. The most popular baits are goggle eyes, threadfin herring, sardines, ballyhoo and pilchards.”
Check out this kite fishing video with Ray!
Learn more about Captain Ray and Miss Britt Charters by visiting missbrittcharters.com.
Captain Danny Avila
For Captain Danny, who regularly fishes throughout Miami and the Florida Keys, he uses his TACO Outrigger systems to target a variety of species this time of year, including sailfish, tuna, kingfish and wahoo.
“For a small boat like mine, I use the outriggers to create a spread and slow troll two live baits (ballyhoo, goggle eye, cigar minnow, etc.) on the reef edge anywhere from 80- to 200-feet in a zig zag pattern,” explained Danny, who has 24-foot Triton center console. “This produces strikes off the outrigger pole, which can be a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to cover water without using a fishing kite. This produces all sorts of pelagic species such as sailfish, tuna, kingfish, and the occasional wahoo if you’re really lucky.”
Learn more about Captain Danny and Hammertime Sportfishing on fishonthehammertime.com.
If you have any fall fishing questions, comment on this blog and let us know.
