Mr. Jones and Johnny From Texas, Limit of Mahi After a Rough Start

Mr. Jones and his son Johnny came down from Texas with one goal. Catch their limit of mahi. That was the whole plan.

We did it.

The rough start

Sunday morning was ugly. Southeast to south breeze near fifteen knots, Straits two to four feet occasionally to five on a five second period, Hawk Channel two to three. A broad low was sitting over the eastern Gulf and had the ocean stirred up.

We ran out anyway. When you come from Texas for one day of Keys fishing, you fish the day you have.

The bite started off frustrating. Fish were around, but every hookup was a scramble. Lines were tangling, baits were crossing, and my first mate was getting his tail kicked trying to keep the spread clean while we picked up fish. That is the reality of a rough morning with mahi. They come in hot, everybody gets bit at once, and the deck turns into a rats nest fast.

We all took a deep breath, reset, and started over.

When it clicked

By late morning the seas started laying down. NOAA had the wind dropping to five to ten knots in the afternoon and for once the forecast came in. The Straits softened up, the sun broke through, and the fish stayed with us.

That is when Mr. Jones and Johnny stopped being customers and started being fishermen. They were sight casting their own baits at the boat. Spotting fish in the wake, pitching to them, hooking up, working them to the boat. My mate was cleaning the deck, resetting the spread, and getting them right back in it.

It was like a well oiled machine down there. Father and son in a rhythm, fish coming over the gunnel, everybody quiet and focused. Those are the moments you remember from a fishing trip.

Limit in the box

By the time we pointed it toward home the fish box was full. Limit of mahi for two anglers, plenty of dinner and freezer fish, and a stack of fish laid out on the deck that would make anybody happy.

That is why you come to the Keys. Rough start, big fight, dial it in, get the job done. Mr. Jones and Johnny put in the work when it was hard and got the reward when it turned. Best kind of trip.

Texas to Islamorada is a long way to come for a mahi. Worth it.

Always a good time aboard DirtyBoat.

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