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Visitors from the deep

Photo by SID RICE

Dolphin are another offshore species that moves nearer to the beaches in mid-summer. The fish shown here, captured by Sid Rice and crew of Treasure Island, has already turned color from the usual gold/green to a neon blue.

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By FRANK SARGEANT

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 5, 2009

Much of the year, the odds of catching a billfish or dolphin are near zero in the nearshore waters of Florida's west coast. Because we have a very gradual drop to deep water, it's rare for the "pelagic" or ocean-roaming species to come within sight of land.

But from June through August, the odds increase considerably, particularly if the vagaries of the Gulf Loop Current help things along. The Gulf Loop is a tongue of water forced into the Gulf of Mexico between Florida and the Yucatan Peninsula by the trade winds. It flows northward, nearly dividing the Gulf, then splits roughly off Louisiana, with half curling eastward and then southward along the continental shelf of Florida, 80 to 100 miles offshore.

That's the usual spot anglers must go to to tangle with sails, marlin, wahoo and dolphin. But in summer, sometimes whorls of the loop seem to split off from the main flow, and this clear, warm water moves shoreward, bringing with it the unusual visitors.

Nearly every summer, several sailfish are caught within sight of the Sunshine Skyway bridge, and a few years ago tarpon anglers barely 200 yards off Longboat Key sighted and caught a number of sails on the same threadfins they had been pitching at the tarpon.

Of course, this is pretty much a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and knowing what you're looking for. Sailfish occasionally come to the surface and ride with their sickle-like tail just above the water, making them easy targets. They also hang around large schools of bait, where they use their sails somewhat like nets to corral the minnows into a tight ball. They then rush into the ball and slash with their bill, stunning a number of the baits so they can return at leisure to gulp them down.

Sails look much heavier than they are. The typical fish on our coast weighs 30 to 50 pounds, though their length and the spectacular sail make them seem twice as big. Medium spinning tackle with 50-pound-test line is more than adequate to control a sailfish, though the first run is likely to be the fastest thing you have ever seen from any gamefish. Allegedly, the species can reach 60 mph.

A more dependable way of finding sailfish and dolphin is to head west until you run into lines of sargasso weed, the yellowish drifting weed that makes up the majority of the surface structure in the Atlantic Ocean. Again, this is normally found from the shelf or drop-off westward, where the water depth changes abruptly from around 225 feet to several thousand feet. But in summer, sometimes the lines drift well inshore, and when they do, the gamefish come with them.

Weed lines show up anywhere from 50 feet on out, and if you find one, particularly with some extra goodies such as logs, plywood or other floating debris, you can just about bet on catching some dolphin. The tactic is generally to troll up one side of the weed line and back the other, keeping more rods rigged and ready to fire live or cut bait if a fish is hooked on the trolling rods, because dolphin usually travel in schools.

Dolphin are flat-sided fish, usually neon gold and green with blue spots, though they can change colors rapidly like most pelagic fish. They readily grab any sort of live baitfish, and also attack cut bait, jigs, trolled ballyhoo and even topwater plugs. The fish weigh from 5 to 50 pounds, and they put on a spectacular display of leaping when hooked.

While sailfish are seen as a catch-and-release species, dolphin usually wind up on the table. They're tasty and easy to clean, as are blackfin tuna, also sometimes found around the weed lines, and even more often around shrimp boats anchored up at dawn to get rid of their by-catch after a night of trawling.

For those new to bluewater species, this week's Old Salt LOOP Tournament, Tuesday through Saturday, will provide a great opportunity to hook up with the most experienced offshore anglers in our area. The fleet that heads west also provides lots of security against breakdowns. The catch usually includes a few marlin and yellowfin tuna, as well as the other species mentioned above.

This year's event is being held in conjunction with the Mike Alstott Family Foundation Inshore/Offshore Shootout.

Both events are headquartered out of the Renaissance Vinoy in downtown St. Petersburg. Visit www.oldsaltfishing.org for more information.

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