We are leaving the hottest days behind, or at least that is what they say. In Barcelona, Valencia, Mallorca and Marbella it is still very hot! September and October are the months par excellence for coastal trolling Fishing charter Florida keys. You don’t have to navigate far to catch bonitos, tunas and dolphinfish. Here are 5 tips to succeed with coastal trolling this end of summer.
The best lures for light trolling
There are an infinite number of lures for light trolling. It is true that some are better than others, but also the confidence of each fisherman in the lure plays an important role. If you don’t like a lure, don’t use it!
The artificial ones that never fail are the octopus and the feathers. They can be mounted simple or on a submachine gun. The advantage of jibs is that they can be trolled at higher speeds but they will always work just fine. Octopuses and jib assemblies – also widely used in deep-sea fishing – are very affordable. For tastes colors: there are octopuses and feathers of all colors but we like white and blue more.
When you use a submachine gun you can be lucky to catch several fish on the same rod. Many anglers like to put an exciter – or plane as it is commonly called – in front of these artificial baits to attract predators.
Another option is to use artificial fish with a bib that makes them swim below the surface (between half a meter and 2 meters deep). Lures from 6 to 15 cm are usually used, depending on what species are in the area and their size. Yo-Zuri Minnows, Rapala Magnums, Halco Laser Pros and IMA Minnows are classics that every angler should have in their tackle box.
Lures or natural bait?
It is true that lures are very easy to assemble and use. Trolling with natural bait (alive or dead) requires a little more experience and patience. If the natural bait does not “swim” well, it is difficult for it to bite something. But an ” espet ” or a well-mounted needle is fine cinnamon and is usually irresistible to bluefish and pomfret.
Natural bait is usually fished more slowly than lures (although offshore trolling fishes at the same speed).
The right speed
The ideal speed for trolling depends on the type of bait and the state of the sea. If the sea is very calm, it is advisable to speed up a bit so that the fish do not easily see the trick (4-5 knots). If the sea is rough, you can slow down (3-4 knots).
When fishing with natural bait for inshore trolling, you usually fish at slower speeds so that the bait “works” well. With natural bait, such as mackerel or dead “espet”, you can fish at 3 knots.
Tunas, such as bonitos, tunas and tunas, like speed. The dolphinfish also likes high speeds. Using feathers, octopuses and lures such as Halco’s Laser Pro, they can be trolled at 6 and even 7 knots.
The best fishing area
The good thing about coastal trolling is that you can start fishing as soon as you leave the port. Depending on the depths and orography of the area, we will catch some species or others. Close to the beaches, the ports and the mouths, the bluefish, the pomegranate and the sea bass move. These species are caught in waters with depths ranging from 3 meters to 15 meters deep.
As we move away from the coast, in waters from 30 meters to 60-80 meters we usually find tuna, tuna, bonito or sierra, mahi mahi or mahi mahi and bluefin tuna.
What species bite?
We have already mentioned a whole series of species. But as a way of summary, practicing coastal trolling, we will catch species such as dolphinfish (or dorado), barracuda (spit), tuna, bonito (sierra), horse mackerel, mackerel, little tunny, bluefish (chough or tallahams), permit, sea bass , amberjack ( milk , verderol, amberjack, sirvia or amberjack ) and bluefin tuna. Using downrigger you can also catch dentex and grouper in deeper waters. Each species requires its specific trolling speed and lures.
The best material for coastal trolling
In order to fully enjoy coastal trolling, it is best to have 3-4 short rods from 1.6m to 2.10m with an action of 15 to 30 pounds. When there is a bite, it is important that it is rigid enough for the hook to sink well. But we also like that the rod has enough action on the bite and during combat. The idea is to be able to enjoy the fish. And there is nothing more beautiful than a rod completely bent by the force of the fish! If you do not want to buy all this equipment, you can always opt for the fishing boat rental. These fishing boats have the best material on board and it is included in the price.
We recommend the mid-range Okuma Classic CL-561 12-20 Lbs inshore trolling rods or the Daiwa Megaforce Tr 1530 Bf, for example. For the upper-middle range we can opt for the Shimano Catana BX STP 20-30 RT, the Shimano Tyrnos a Stand up Roller 1.65 Mt 20 Lb or the Colmic Pro Light Acid Troll 2.10 Mt 12-20 Lb that has spiral rings.
As for the reels, we can choose between reels with a rotating drum or those with a fixed drum. Those with a rotating drum have the advantage that the thread always enters and exits in the same way and I do not create twist in the thread. Another advantage of these spools is that they can store more thread than those with a fixed drum. The brakes on spinning drum reels are usually stronger than spinning drum ones. But since with coastal trolling the pieces are usually medium, a very powerful drag is not required either. Fixed drum reels have a higher take up rate and are easier to handle.
Classic spinning drum trolling reels are Shimano TLD (15 or 20lb), Okuma Solterra, Penn, Avet or Daiwa. Our favorite reel is the Shimano Talica II 12 Lbs. For fixed drum reels we can use the Penn Slammer or the historic Daiwa GS-9. Reels like the different models of Shimano Stella SW or Daiwa Saltiga are made with the finest Japanese technology and require a higher budget.
For coastal trolling we recommend 35lb to 50lb nylon lines. Braided lines can also be used, but if the lines get tangled it is always easier to undo the knots with nylon threads. It is preferable to use a fluorocarbon bass. As they are lines that are less visible to the fish, their use increases catches considerably.