Deep Sea Fishing during Winter

Winter is right around the corner! Fortunately, as the weather cools off, the fishing heats up off Miami. Right now is a great time to book your trip for December or January. 

Does Miami Have Good Fishing During Winter? 

Winter means different things in different places. Throughout most of the United States, winter can bring an end to their sport-fishing seasons as cooler weather shuts down most of the fishing. Luckily, Miami is a resilient fishery with plenty of options year round. The Gulf Stream is our best friend during winter because water temperatures stay in the 70s or above even on the coldest days. 

Most of the larger pelagic species that are caught in the northern Gulf of Mexico or along the Eastern Seaboard actually migrate our way as things cool off. These fronts push down bait and predators with South Florida being prime real estate during the colder months. Sailfish, kingfish, wahoo, swordfish, tuna, and more welcome visitors during the colder months.

We are already seeing the fishing pick up with a lot of live bait on the edge. We're catching sailfish, dolphin, kingfish, and more off ballyhoo showers and things should only get better in the coming months. 

Deep Sea Fishing for Sailfish

The sailfishing off Miami is best from November-May with winter bringing some of the best days we see throughout the year. Sailfish love a north wind which usually follows most cold fronts. These fronts create a weather pattern that pushes the sailfish south along the edge. Sails can often be found "tailing" to the south following cold fronts, especially when there is decent current. Sailfish tail to save energy by riding the bigger swells following these fronts as they migrate to the south. You can see a tailing sailfish below which is one of the most spectacular sights off Miami. We often target tailing sailfish by casting live baits on spinning rods and the bites can be exciting to watch. 

Kite Fishing

When we aren't sight fishing, kites are our go-to method for targeting sailfish during the winter time. This can be a deadly technique for a variety of species as we use live bait and light tackle to dangle baits near the surface. We fish quite a few rods while kite fishing (usually 6-8 lines) and always have pitch baits ready. In addition to sails, we catch mahi, kingfish, wahoo, tuna, and more off the kites.

Peak Season is Around the Corner

Winter and spring give way to the best fishing we see all year. In addition to great fishing, these months coincide with peak season for travel. Now is a great time to inquire about fishing if you would like to get out there near the holidays or beyond. Feel free to reach out or book online: https://www.fishmiamicharters.com/booking