: Marathon Florida :

Dolphin ( Mahi Mahi ) Fishing in Marathon Key

Family Coryphaenidae, DOLPHINS
Coryphaena hippurus

Description: bright greenish blue above, yellow on sides, with capability of flashing purple, chartreuse, and a wide range of other colors; body tapers sharply from head to tail; irregular blue or golden blotches scattered over sides; anterior profile of head on adult males is nearly vertical; head of females more sloping; the single dark dorsal fin extends from just behind the head to the tail; anal fin margin concave and extending from anus to tail.

Similar Fish: pompano dolphin, C. equisetis. The pompano dolphin has squarish tooth patch on tongue (oval tooth patch on dolphin) and fewer dorsal rays (48 to 55 versus 55 to 65 on dolphin).

Where found: OFFSHORE in warm waters.

Size: common to 30 pounds.

Remarks: one of the fastest-growing fish, thought to live no more than 5 years; swimming speed is estimated at 50 knots; spawns in warm ocean currents throughout much of the year; young found in sargassum weed; feeds on flying fish and squid. Excellent eating. High speed trolling w/ artificials, looking for boards or flotsam, weed lines, etc is one approved method. If you find some flotsam, take a few passes around for the occasional wahoo or Marlin lurking about, then change to light tackle and have fun with the "schoolies", 8-15lb dolphin.

* The Florida records quoted are from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's printed publications and are not necessarily the most current ones. Someone may have already caught a larger one.

Offshore fishing in Marathon Key is excellent for trolling for such Gulfstream pelagic as sailfish, dolphin fish, and wahoo. Marathon provides anglers with an additional bonus, the Marthon West Hump. Rising from depths of 1,100 feet to a peak of 480 feet, this underwater platform is a veritable dinner table in the Gulfstream for gamefish, providing an excellent spot for anglers targeting blue and white marlin, Mako shark, blackfin tuna, amberjack and a host of other fish.
www.fla-keys.com/marathon/fishing.htm

Nice surprise of lots of Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi). While live bait fishing for Sailfish this past week, we have run into quite a few nice schools of Dolphin, mostly of the schoolie variety of 4-10lb. There have been a few nicer sized Dolphin out there as well with some 25-30lb fish hitting the docks here in Marathon. A few days some boats ventured further offshore and found near summer conditions with nice weedlines and Dolphin plentiful along with some nice wahoo.
www.fishfloridakeys.com/marathon.htm

• Boat Rentals
• Marathon Fishing Reefs
• Marathon Seafood Festival
• Dolphin fishing
• Fishing Marathon's West Hump
• Offshore fishing charters
• Lobster Season

• Scuba Dive the Florida Keys
• Dolphins and Animal Assisted Therapy