Instead, Dudas said to make sure the fish is swimming away from you before you reel. Just don't start reeling too soon, because that can take the bait out of the fish's mouth. Instead of yanking back on the fishing rod to set the hook when a sailfish grabs a bait, all you have to do is reel. Hooking sailfish is fairly easy thanks to circle hooks. As the fish swam away, taking the ribbon under the water, a second kingfish came along and bit the ribbon, cutting the line. That's because he once hooked a big kingfish on a kite line marked with a chartreuse ribbon. David Doll of Lighthouse Point, Fla., does not. Most anglers put a foam float or tie a ribbon on the main line above the swivel so they can keep track of the kite baits, but Capt.

Bouncer Smith of Miami Beach, Fla., is fun fishing, he'll use wire leaders to prevent cut-offs from barracudas and kingfish and still catch plenty of sailfish. Standard sailfish tackle is a conventional outfit with 20-pound monofilament line and a 30-pound fluorocarbon leader, although when Capt. 'If a bait is six feet down,' Dudas said, 'a fish can get tangled in the leader.' John Louie Dudas of Miami, who has won countless sailfish tournaments, has a sensible reason why he fishes his kite baits on top or just below the surface. Most anglers want their kite baits splashing on the surface because that attracts sailfish, but some say they get more bites with their baits 4-6 feet under the surface. The herring might be on the middle kite lines or short lines, and the smaller sardines will be on the short lines. The goggle-eyes, which are bigger, will go on the far kite lines because they stay in the water better. If there's enough wind to fly a fishing kite, he'll put out two kites with three lines on each. Skip Dana of Deerfield Beach, Fla., who recently led Crescendo to victory in the Operation Sailfish tournament out of Lake Worth Inlet, likes to use a variety of live baits such as goggle-eyes, threadfin herring and sardines. Although the fish will bite trolled lures and chunks of dead bait, no serious sailfish angler would leave home without at least several dozen live baits.Ĭapt. Sailfish migrated to the region earlier than usual this year, so it should be a good winter for catching and releasing them. Whether you're looking to catch multiple sailfish in a tournament or just want to catch one of South Florida's iconic sportfish, there are many little things you can do to put the odds in your favor.

Kite fishing sailfish