DORADO run has begun!

DORADOsteve · 03-18-2009, 08:03 PM

Here's a nice bull to get the South Florida season started!

Had an opportunity to do a quick Palm Beach troll on Sunday morning with my dad.

Ran out to 190ft and set a spread of bonito strips. An hour into the drag & its fish ON!

I need a bumper sticker made up saying "I LOVE bonito strips"

With a six rod spread (four surface, two planers) it was hectic in the cockpit to say the least. As we were fighting the fish, we get another on. Now we have a double on & four other lines still out. In addition to fighting each of our fish, my dad & I took turns running the boat, clearing lines, and finally gaffing the fish.

First fish comes up, a nice cow gets tossed in the box.

Get a few good jumps & its a tug of war with the bull. We close the gap with boat & get the gaff shot.

See you on the edge . . .

weekley rehab · 03-18-2009, 08:18 PM

Well great job on them, I like the bonita rig looks pretty simple, how do you tie the bonita to the hook ?

sharkslayer45 · 03-18-2009, 09:56 PM

was out sunday west palm also

quack quack · 03-18-2009, 10:53 PM

strip is held on by making a small pin clip out of the tag end.Or use a piece of copper wire.

bajakian · 03-18-2009, 11:30 PM

I love bonita strips too but havent found good ones recently. Where are you getting yours?

Way to go on the catch Steve. Best regards to your dad!

Pourbaix22 · 03-19-2009, 09:09 AM

Nice fish! I love dolphin season...time to get drunk and troll!

mneptune · 03-19-2009, 09:17 AM

Very Nice. I have been waiting for the big boys to start showing up, remember the last two years were really good for some very big dolphin pushing through in spring.

Tackle Engineer · 03-19-2009, 09:25 AM

Nice pics Steve

My favorite kind of fishing. Another month the frenzy schools start running and they bite on anything including bare trebble hooks

Disco Lady · 03-19-2009, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quack quack

strip is held on by making a small pin clip out of the tag end.Or use a piece of copper wire.

Patrick, call me if you need anymore help with the rig?

DL,

bajakian · 03-19-2009, 11:15 AM

Does anybody have a source for good strips?

NightCrawler · 03-19-2009, 11:33 AM

Doc, tommy green I know sells them. Any good tackle shop should have them. Try pork rind strips. Baitmasters sells them rigged/unrigged. They work!!!

Nice phins btw!!

DonK · 03-19-2009, 11:39 AM

Hey Richard...You can also try the belly strips off 'phins you put in the box! they work just as well.

Barely Legal · 03-19-2009, 12:38 PM

ya my freezer. Jack's if you need a quick fix. Load up when they come through in the summer.

bajakian · 03-19-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightCrawler

Doc, tommy green I know sells them. Any good tackle shop should have them. Try pork rind strips. Baitmasters sells them rigged/unrigged. They work!!!

Nice phins btw!!

I used to buy them by the hundreds from the guys on the drift boats but the guys around here doing them now dont seem to cut as good a strip as I used to get. I am looking for a source to buy quantity and quality at a fair price.

Havent tried pork rinds. They fry up well but do they work as well as bonita strips?

Attaboy · 03-19-2009, 02:08 PM

Richard:

I bought a bunch of these in different colors to try. Remind me to bring them along next time.

Striped-Forked Tail Sea Strip - UNCLE JOSH Bait Company, home of the world’s most popular pork rind fishing baits.

DORADOsteve · 03-19-2009, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bajakian

I love bonita strips too but havent found good ones recently. Where are you getting yours?

I am a big fan of strips & we keep EVERY bonita. Even in the summer (thats usually when I stock-up)

Its messy & time intensive, but they definetly produce.

Good going Sharkslayer on your fish!

The next few weeks around here should get really good for trolling

sharkslayer45 · 03-19-2009, 04:28 PM

she ate a rigged ballyhoo with blue skirt, lost a nice bull do to equipment failure Power Pro caught in roller tip. all action in 150' of water.

weekley rehab · 03-19-2009, 09:05 PM

I ran from boca to boynton inlet 3 drifts sat. caught 3 sails and a spinner shark. everytime I drifted in to 90 feet my live bait on the down rigger was getting killed by trigger fish. I caught one and put him down on the rig and drifted him in from 300 feet a cuda or king cut him in half, was good revenge.

JT · 03-20-2009, 08:20 AM

Richard,
Try Willies in Riviera Beach on US 1.

ameristrat · 03-20-2009, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bajakian

Does anybody have a source for good strips?

Ray sells them at Ray's Offshore on Boca Raton Boulevard north of Glades and south of Spanish River. You probably know where it is but I wasn't sure so I thought I'd include directions. He has the highest quality bait of anywhere I've been. Great ballyhoo, sword squids, and great strips. Go there if he's convenient, he's got great baits.

Shockwave · 03-20-2009, 10:36 AM

Nice fish Steve! Figures the season would start on the "Dorado"

Capt. JJ · 03-20-2009, 08:48 PM

Doc, if you need a few strips here or there, just ask on the way out. I've always got a ton on the boat.

Shockwave · 03-20-2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DORADOsteve

Here's a nice bull to get the South Florida season started!

Had an opportunity to do a quick Palm Beach troll on Sunday morning with my dad.

Ran out to 190ft and set a spread of bonito strips. An hour into the drag & its fish ON!

I need a bumper sticker made up saying "I LOVE bonito strips"

With a six rod spread (four surface, two planers) it was hectic in the cockpit to say the least. As we were fighting the fish, we get another on. Now we have a double on & four other lines still out. In addition to fighting each of our fish, my dad & I took turns running the boat, clearing lines, and finally gaffing the fish.

First fish comes up, a nice cow gets tossed in the box.

Get a few good jumps & its a tug of war with the bull. We close the gap with boat & get the gaff shot.

See you on the edge . . .

That is one nice looking strip!

DOLPHINHUNTER · 03-24-2009, 09:37 PM

Nice catch been trolling that area for two weekends with no luck

ameristrat · 03-25-2009, 12:19 PM

I've heard people say this quite often --> "I have been working this area often while trolling but it doesn't produce. I don't understand, I've caught fish there before!"

Let me offer my experience.

Beyond 200-300 feet of water, the only specific areas to concentrate on are ones with great bottom features that lead to up wellings (I.E. - humps, BIG dropoffs, ridges) and up our way (Delray Beach for me) there aren't too many of those. The only bottom structure outside of 150' feet that I have had consistent production on is the Wahoo Ledge in Boynton (good drop off from 230'-280').

Especially if you are looking for dolphin, you should be looking for rips, color changes, birds, weedlines, floating structure, temperature changes, flying fish activity, etc). Notice none of these have anything to do with a concrete area. The Gulfstream is moving north at 3-5 knots on average menaing that most of these 'good areas' last for a matter of hours. Dolphin follow bait and that is what you are looking for with these less concrete features. If you have caught a couple of dolphin one day in 600 feet of water off of the Mariot in Delray, unless conditions are EXACTLY the same, which is unusual, you will have no more luck there tomorrow than you would have anywhere else.

I did not mean to offend anyone in this, I am honestly trying to help. As soon as you start using GPS coordinates to find dolphin outside of 150-200 feet of water, you're probably wasting your time. You should be looking for all of the other signs I mentioned above.

Tight Lines!
Ameristrat

ameristrat · 03-25-2009, 12:21 PM

By the way DOLPHINHUNTER - I wasn't specifically talking to you because I believe you were referencing the good bottom in Palm Beach in 190'. That is a legitimate area as I recall.

DORADOsteve · 03-25-2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shockwave

Figures the season would start on the "Dorado"

As soon as this blow settles down a bit, Im headed out there!

dolphinhunter,
The bite has been tough lately, look for the edge/weed patches/structure & you get 'em. Ameristat offered up some good solid advice as well.

so cal cowboy · 04-24-2009, 10:42 PM

Steve,
i saw your boat on this site and joined to drop you a line, im in the process of a complete restore on my fort myers, Mike Mattar of tides boat works is building me a new consol and im adding a full tower. bait tank is built into the transome, i think she will be pretty sweet when finished, would you mind sharing some pictures?

so cal cowboy · 06-02-2009, 01:23 AM

Steve,
could you send me some photos, as to how your tower connects to the boat. We are trying different approaches the gunnel is one however you lose the walkaround, and i dont know if the consol is strong enough to hold the tower and buggy. Your input and photos would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

bajakian · 06-03-2009, 01:21 AM

So Cal-send Steve a PM and he will answer for sure. Pretty sure that he got rid of that boat since those pics but he will still be able to help you

03-18-2009, 08:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
DORADOsteve Hooked Up Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Singer Island, FL Boat: TOPAZ 24 Posts: 716	DORADO run has begun! Here's a nice bull to get the South Florida season started! Had an opportunity to do a quick Palm Beach troll on Sunday morning with my dad. Ran out to 190ft and set a spread of bonito strips. An hour into the drag & its fish ON! I need a bumper sticker made up saying "I LOVE bonito strips" With a six rod spread (four surface, two planers) it was hectic in the cockpit to say the least. As we were fighting the fish, we get another on. Now we have a double on & four other lines still out. In addition to fighting each of our fish, my dad & I took turns running the boat, clearing lines, and finally gaffing the fish. First fish comes up, a nice cow gets tossed in the box. Get a few good jumps & its a tug of war with the bull. We close the gap with boat & get the gaff shot. See you on the edge . . .

03-18-2009, 08:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
weekley rehab Hooked Up Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Deerfield Beach Boat: Weekley Rehab contender 33T Best Catch: 250 lb sword , 20lb mutton, 18lb black grouper Occupation: General Manager Posts: 972	Well great job on them, I like the bonita rig looks pretty simple, how do you tie the bonita to the hook ? __________________ God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

03-18-2009, 09:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
sharkslayer45 Hooked Up Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Fort Lauderdale Boat: Reel Stubborn, 221 mako cc Best Catch: blue marlin, sailfish, swordfish, tarpon, snook Occupation: contractor Posts: 145	was out sunday west palm also __________________ www.ingramfence.com

03-18-2009, 10:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
quack quack Old Salt Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: lake worth Best Catch: 25lb codfish 5 yrs old first hanger Posts: 6,219	strip is held on by making a small pin clip out of the tag end.Or use a piece of copper wire. __________________ Amagansett means “place of good water” in one American Indian tongue, and for generations of Lesters who have lived here, it’s been true in the most literal way.

03-18-2009, 11:30 PM	#5 (permalink)
bajakian Grander Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ocean Ridge, Fl Boat: Venture 34 Best Catch: 300 lb Yellow fin Tuna, Blue Marlin 240 lbs on 30 lb test, 423 lb Swordfish Occupation: MD Posts: 2,071	I love bonita strips too but havent found good ones recently. Where are you getting yours? Way to go on the catch Steve. Best regards to your dad! __________________ A severed foot is the ultimate stocking stuffer. I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.

03-19-2009, 09:09 AM	#6 (permalink)
Pourbaix22 Lines In Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Miami Boat: 26 SeaVee/1900 Pathfinder Best Catch: Square Grouper Occupation: V.P. of C.E.S. Posts: 94	Nice fish! I love dolphin season...time to get drunk and troll!

03-19-2009, 09:17 AM	#7 (permalink)
mneptune Grander Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Palm Beach Boat: Grady White 25' CC Posts: 1,763	Very Nice. I have been waiting for the big boys to start showing up, remember the last two years were really good for some very big dolphin pushing through in spring. __________________

03-19-2009, 09:25 AM	#8 (permalink)
Tackle Engineer Hooked Up Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hollywood Fl Boat: Tackle Engineer, Dusky 26, 2XVolvoTAMD41 turbos Best Catch: Blonde Gymnast wife 115# Occupation: Fearless Leader /ceo Posts: 355	Nice pics Steve My favorite kind of fishing. Another month the frenzy schools start running and they bite on anything including bare trebble hooks

03-19-2009, 11:15 AM	#10 (permalink)
bajakian Grander Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ocean Ridge, Fl Boat: Venture 34 Best Catch: 300 lb Yellow fin Tuna, Blue Marlin 240 lbs on 30 lb test, 423 lb Swordfish Occupation: MD Posts: 2,071	Does anybody have a source for good strips? __________________ A severed foot is the ultimate stocking stuffer. I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.

03-19-2009, 11:33 AM	#11 (permalink)
NightCrawler Hooked Up Join Date: May 2005 Location: pompano Boat: fishing Posts: 966	Doc, tommy green I know sells them. Any good tackle shop should have them. Try pork rind strips. Baitmasters sells them rigged/unrigged. They work!!! Nice phins btw!!

03-19-2009, 11:39 AM	#12 (permalink)
DonK Grander Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boca Raton Boat: "the Fish-Tank", 1986 Rybo Runner Best Catch: 395# Broadbill Occupation: Restaurant software engineer, Mis-Boated 6-pack Capt. Posts: 1,024	Hey Richard...You can also try the belly strips off 'phins you put in the box! they work just as well. __________________ "thank God they are not as intelligent as we who kill them, although they are more noble...and able." -the old man Gunter glieben glauten globen

03-19-2009, 12:38 PM	#13 (permalink)
Barely Legal Lines In Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boynton, FL Boat: 14' johnboat;213 Cris Craft Best Catch: 62lb Wahoo, 125lb Blue marlin Occupation: Publix, FAU Posts: 92	ya my freezer. Jack's if you need a quick fix. Load up when they come through in the summer.

03-19-2009, 02:08 PM	#15 (permalink)
Attaboy Hooked Up Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Pompano Beach Boat: Hydra Sports 33' Best Catch: Define caught? Occupation: retired Posts: 137	Richard: I bought a bunch of these in different colors to try. Remind me to bring them along next time. Striped-Forked Tail Sea Strip - UNCLE JOSH Bait Company, home of the world’s most popular pork rind fishing baits. __________________ "This barnacle brain won't bend" Jimmy Buffet

03-19-2009, 04:28 PM	#17 (permalink)
sharkslayer45 Hooked Up Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Fort Lauderdale Boat: Reel Stubborn, 221 mako cc Best Catch: blue marlin, sailfish, swordfish, tarpon, snook Occupation: contractor Posts: 145	she ate a rigged ballyhoo with blue skirt, lost a nice bull do to equipment failure Power Pro caught in roller tip. all action in 150' of water. __________________ www.ingramfence.com

03-19-2009, 09:05 PM	#18 (permalink)
weekley rehab Hooked Up Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Deerfield Beach Boat: Weekley Rehab contender 33T Best Catch: 250 lb sword , 20lb mutton, 18lb black grouper Occupation: General Manager Posts: 972	I ran from boca to boynton inlet 3 drifts sat. caught 3 sails and a spinner shark. everytime I drifted in to 90 feet my live bait on the down rigger was getting killed by trigger fish. I caught one and put him down on the rig and drifted him in from 300 feet a cuda or king cut him in half, was good revenge. __________________ God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

03-20-2009, 08:20 AM	#19 (permalink)
JT Hooked Up Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 179	Richard, Try Willies in Riviera Beach on US 1.

03-20-2009, 10:36 AM	#21 (permalink)
Shockwave Hooked Up Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Boynton Beach Boat: Regulator 23 Best Catch: Blue Marlin 873lbs. Occupation: Medical Sales Posts: 130	Nice fish Steve! Figures the season would start on the "Dorado" __________________ "Shockwave" "That looks heavy lets push the button"

03-20-2009, 08:48 PM	#22 (permalink)
Capt. JJ Hooked Up Join Date: May 2008 Location: Boca Raton/Boynton Beach Boat: Venture 34 "Tuna Time" Best Catch: 403# Sword, 400# Mako Occupation: Boat Driver Posts: 605	Doc, if you need a few strips here or there, just ask on the way out. I've always got a ton on the boat. __________________ It's a big ocean, find your own fish Tuna Time Charters, Boynton Beach, FL www.TunaTimeFishing.com

03-24-2009, 09:37 PM	#24 (permalink)
DOLPHINHUNTER Grunt Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: PALM BEACH GARDENS Boat: 31 CAPEHORN 2009 Occupation: SUPERVISOR Posts: 2	Nice catch been trolling that area for two weekends with no luck

03-25-2009, 12:19 PM	#25 (permalink)
ameristrat Hooked Up Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delray Beach Boat: Grady White Sailfish 28 Best Catch: 1 pound Goggle Eye Occupation: A Student at Wake Forest University Posts: 902	I've heard people say this quite often --> "I have been working this area often while trolling but it doesn't produce. I don't understand, I've caught fish there before!" Let me offer my experience. Beyond 200-300 feet of water, the only specific areas to concentrate on are ones with great bottom features that lead to up wellings (I.E. - humps, BIG dropoffs, ridges) and up our way (Delray Beach for me) there aren't too many of those. The only bottom structure outside of 150' feet that I have had consistent production on is the Wahoo Ledge in Boynton (good drop off from 230'-280'). Especially if you are looking for dolphin, you should be looking for rips, color changes, birds, weedlines, floating structure, temperature changes, flying fish activity, etc). Notice none of these have anything to do with a concrete area. The Gulfstream is moving north at 3-5 knots on average menaing that most of these 'good areas' last for a matter of hours. Dolphin follow bait and that is what you are looking for with these less concrete features. If you have caught a couple of dolphin one day in 600 feet of water off of the Mariot in Delray, unless conditions are EXACTLY the same, which is unusual, you will have no more luck there tomorrow than you would have anywhere else. I did not mean to offend anyone in this, I am honestly trying to help. As soon as you start using GPS coordinates to find dolphin outside of 150-200 feet of water, you're probably wasting your time. You should be looking for all of the other signs I mentioned above. Tight Lines! Ameristrat __________________ "I've gotta live life real good because when it's over and I'm dead, I'm screwed. God is gonna kick my ass."

03-25-2009, 12:21 PM	#26 (permalink)
ameristrat Hooked Up Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delray Beach Boat: Grady White Sailfish 28 Best Catch: 1 pound Goggle Eye Occupation: A Student at Wake Forest University Posts: 902	By the way DOLPHINHUNTER - I wasn't specifically talking to you because I believe you were referencing the good bottom in Palm Beach in 190'. That is a legitimate area as I recall. __________________ "I've gotta live life real good because when it's over and I'm dead, I'm screwed. God is gonna kick my ass."

04-24-2009, 10:42 PM	#28 (permalink)
so cal cowboy Grunt Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 4	fort myers 24 Steve, i saw your boat on this site and joined to drop you a line, im in the process of a complete restore on my fort myers, Mike Mattar of tides boat works is building me a new consol and im adding a full tower. bait tank is built into the transome, i think she will be pretty sweet when finished, would you mind sharing some pictures?

06-02-2009, 01:23 AM	#29 (permalink)
so cal cowboy Grunt Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 4	Steve, could you send me some photos, as to how your tower connects to the boat. We are trying different approaches the gunnel is one however you lose the walkaround, and i dont know if the consol is strong enough to hold the tower and buggy. Your input and photos would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike

06-03-2009, 01:21 AM	#30 (permalink)
bajakian Grander Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ocean Ridge, Fl Boat: Venture 34 Best Catch: 300 lb Yellow fin Tuna, Blue Marlin 240 lbs on 30 lb test, 423 lb Swordfish Occupation: MD Posts: 2,071	So Cal-send Steve a PM and he will answer for sure. Pretty sure that he got rid of that boat since those pics but he will still be able to help you __________________ A severed foot is the ultimate stocking stuffer. I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.

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