Reel Native Fish Calendar

One of the first questions that Captain Jeremy always gets asked is "What do you think we'll catch??"

Well, typically he responds with FISH! However he wants to give some more detail.

Fishing off Jupiter, Florida offers a variety of species available to the offshore angler. Although most of the fish are available year round there are certain months that offer a shot at catching them. Below are a list of some of the fish we catch on Reel Native and the best time of year to catch them.

Dolphinà we catch these year round but the larger dolphin- usually start showing up in greater numbers from March through June. During the summer months the smaller dolphin also known as schoolies show up in large schools, and it is not uncommon to be able to catch a cooler full when they get into their feeding frenzy.  When a school is located, this is non-stop action.

Sailfish- the winter months, November through March, produce the best chance at getting several shots at catching one of these magnificent fish. Once hooked up these fish usually provide quite a show with their aerial acrobats.  During this period live bait is usually not readily available to catch but can be purchase from one of the local live bait dealers. These live bait boats must go out at 3:00am to catch these baits.  If you want to fish using goggle eyes it is best to make arrangements in advance since they often sell out.  We also catch quite a few trolling ballyhoo.

Wahoo- perhaps one of the most hardest hitting fish with the initial run usually emptying a noticeable amount off the spool. High speed trolling with a wire line or down rigger provides you the best chance at catching one of these magnificent tasty fish. During the months of June through September we do catch quite a few with live bait as they feed on the smaller bonito that show up in large concentrations starting in April.

Kingfish-  also know as King Mackerel are caught year round. Starting in April, these fish show up in large numbers along with the commercial boats who target this species.  My favorite way to catch these fish is with live bait.  There is nothing more exciting then to watch a king skyrocket with your bait in its mouth and the reel drag screaming. The fight is on and these fish provide you with several strong runs before being able to be brought boat side for the gaff.  I am told I make some of  the best kingfish dip around and usually try and have some available to snack on when the large schools show up.  These fish usually show up in large numbers from April through August.

Bonito- also know at little tunny, are a member of the tuna family but are not known for their table fare.  During the summer months these fish are so prevalent off our coast it is almost impossible not to catch more than bargained for. They are very aggressive feeders and sometimes it is hard to get your bait past them to catch something else.  In fact we usually end up moving to another spot after you have had your work out for the day.

Sharks-  a variety of sharks are available to catch off the reef such as black tip,  reef sharks, and hammerheads.  For the last several years we have caught some very large bull sharks during their migration in May. While reeling in a bonito it is not uncommon to have these several hundred pound sharks chase your fish up to the boat.

Bottom fishing is productive all year long. The most common fish caught while fishing the bottom are snapper and grouper. Both make excellent meals. There are quite a few types of snapper but the most common caught are the yellow tail and  mutton snapper. The keeper size grouper are more prevalent during the winter months.