Dolphinfish

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Type	Dolphinfish
Water	Saltwater
Edibility	Excellent

Description

Oceans & Range: All tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide — the most colorful of all offshore gamefish. In the Atlantic, found from Nova Scotia to Brazil including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. In the Pacific, from Southern California to Chile and throughout Hawaii and the Central Pacific. Highly migratory, following warm currents and concentrating around floating debris, weed lines, and FADs.

Preferred Water Temperature: 72°F–84°F. Follow the 76°F–80°F surface temperature contour. Concentrate along current rips, color changes, floating sargassum weed lines, and any floating debris. FADs (fish aggregating devices) hold large numbers year-round in tropical waters.

Size & Weight: Typical catches run 5–25 lbs. Trophy "slammers" exceed 50 lbs. World record: 87 lbs from Costa Rica. Males (bulls) have a square, flat forehead; females have a rounded head. Stunning iridescent blue-green and gold coloring that fades rapidly after death. Excellent eating — firm, white meat. Also called Mahi-Mahi.

Best Lures: Small to medium skirted trolling lures in pink-white, blue-white, and natural colors are very effective. Casting small surface poppers, spoons, and jigs into weed lines produces exciting action. Pitch a lure to the school after hooking one fish to keep them around the boat. Large feather jigs trolled in a spread work well.

Best Baits: Flying fish rigged for trolling are outstanding in the open Pacific. Rigged ballyhoo under a skirt is the Atlantic standard. Live baitfish of any kind produce excellent results. Pitch live baits to schools near floating debris. Fresh-dead squid rigged on a jig work consistently.