Along our coasts in autumn, a colourful and fun predator approaches, and during its migrations, it likes to take a short break from the last warm and sunny days, in the shade of floating debris, so much so that a specific technique has been developed for it…
Every avid troller knows that floating debris in the middle of the sea, such as a log, a mattress, or a pile of seaweed, is an attraction to which it is always advisable to divert to cast lines nearby. And very often, especially in autumn, it pays off! In fact, many pelagic fish seek shade during their migrations, under which they love to rest for a period. One, above all: the mahi-mahi!
Palm Fronds in the Middle of the Sea
Good for eating, and great fun to fish, it certainly attracts the attention of both professionals and sport fishermen. To fish for it, there is an ancient technique developed precisely by professional fishermen, which can also be very useful for us sport fishermen: fishing on palm fronds or "cannizzi". It involves a vertical main line anchored with a marker buoy, along which, in the first few meters below the surface, palm leaves are positioned, usually 2 or 3 at different depths, to create shade, and left in that specific spot for the months that usually go from August to the end of October.
Palm leaves are used both because, being natural, they create a more suitable environment for microorganisms to proliferate, which in turn attract baitfish, and because they tend to easily align with the current, thus resisting rough seas and lasting several months. Professional fishermen usually place dozens and dozens of palm fronds in a specific area… a real paradise for a sport fisherman who manages to find them!
Anyway, whether they are fixed palm fronds or drifting debris, once you find the shade, we can be sure that with excellent possibilities there will be a school of mahi-mahi, and we will only have to decide which bait to have fun with, with a small but necessary recommendation: these are, usually, large schools of fish still in their juvenile stage, very voracious and not very suspicious.
Losing composure is easy, and too often we witness real and unnecessary slaughters… no one has ever criticized a fisherman who takes a few specimens for a dinner with friends, but everything else should be released in the best possible way. We will have a fantastic day knowing that we have not caused any harm to our beloved sea!
Light Trolling
A technique truly suitable for everyone, even the less experienced, but no less fun for it! Provided, of course, that you choose light tackle.
Even though we're talking about light trolling, I recommend fixed spool reels from size 4000 to a maximum of 8000, on light jigging rods, inchiku rods, or spinning rods.
For the main line, we will use braid, and for the leader, a good 0.35/0.40. In this case, fluorocarbon is practically useless, so a good nylon will be the best choice, also from an economic point of view.
As for baits, the Bonito Stick, the Dorado Stick, and the Filosa Mini Squid will be dominant. For colours, I haven't noticed huge differences, but personally, I prefer all shades of purple, red, silver, and blue. In some conditions, Titan Roosters also give excellent results, so it's always good to have one in the water.
The fishing action will be very simple: trolling 2 to 4 rods in the wake, 30 to 60 meters from the stern, and making passes near the debris at a trolling speed between 4 and 6 knots. You will likely see mahi-mahi jumping behind the wake, and multiple strikes will be frequent!
Mahi-mahi and "The Old Man and the Sea"
A fish with magnificent colours, with shades ranging from green to turquoise to gold, it fascinates many fishermen with its fighting spirit and the adrenaline it provides with its countless jumps once hooked. The mahi-mahi is widespread in almost all oceans and is known by various names, such as Mahi Mahi or Dorado due to its livery. In some parts of the world, like the Caribbean, it is known as Dolphin fish or even just Dolphin.
And it is precisely the name Dolphin that, probably, misled the translator of the famous "The Old Man and the Sea" in which Santiago, almost certainly to feed himself during the long struggle with the marlin, fed on flying fish found in the stomachs of mahi-mahi (which, among other things, are fond of flying fish) that were stationed around his boat, which was, in that case, floating debris - and not "dolphins" as it was translated.
Not Just Mahi-mahi
Around the debris where we fish, there will also be strikes from other pelagic fish. In addition to mahi-mahi, small amberjack and bluefin tuna specimens are frequent, both of which should always be released. I have even encountered feasting dolphins there. Similarly, in some cases, trolling offshore, I've had multiple strikes of imperial needlefish.
