Mudhole Mahi
 

Although the Mudhole satellite shots showed dingy water, I was itching to get out and could not pass up the opportunity yesterday with the great weather window we had....

Me, Bill and Matt started off on the north western edge throwing spearing and live peanuts at the pots with nothing to show for it so we picked and went on the troll to cover some ground... Nothing on the troll either so lines in and we steamed SE to the Monster Ledge.

On our way we spotted a very concentrated line of pots but committed to running to the Monster we pressed on with a mental note to come back to them later on the way back home.

The water at the Monster was a green/grey and actually worse then we encountered to the north but we stuck with the plan to troll the edge to the south with no love trolling or pot hopping. We did pick up one small bonita pot hopping.

We picked up and ran back north and west to the pots we spotted before and decided to spend the rest of our time pot hopping. First few strings of of pots were vacant as we did some slow passes throwing Spearing at them... Next set of pots Bill throws a live peanut and hooks up immediately with a decent 7 or 8 pounder...

We think we've finally found them and wouldn't you know it the wind starts honking...Tried to tough it out but the wind made it very difficult to continue to pot hop so we decided to troll the area to no avail and headed back home in some sloppy following seas...

Based on my last several trips with nothing on the troll, pot hopping is way more fun and productive so next time out maybe we pot hop the whole day.

For those of you new to pot hopping for Mahi, you need the right conditions...
Best days the winds are 10 knots or less and seas 2 feet or less. This not only allows you to set up near the pots easier but lets you peer down into the water so when you throw a handful of bait to tease them off the pots you can see if anyone is home and commit to that pot or move on to the next.

All in all still a fun day on the water and at least we know they're home and have a good place to start next time...

Re: Mudhole Mahi
 

I been waiting all Summer for this :)

Re: Mudhole Mahi
 

No outfits lost? That is a big bonus... way to get it done, the little help I may be able to give from my time out there, inshore mahi seem to only bite the wwwb for some reason, unless it's just coincidence, but 95% I have got are wayyy back in the spread 100 yardish or more never right... and most will hit a small silver and black chain that Dave from the reel seat carried, can't say if he has them now, the bullet head chain, quite small, but productive-very, if I did it again, I would go get more of them.

Re: Mudhole Mahi
 

We did manage to loose a few lures when we trolled a little too close to a pot but no outfits :)

We did have a way way back, a bird with a small green machine... What are you running on your way way back??

Re: Mudhole Mahi
 

Stuffed Mahi - nice ! You got the appetizer now go back for dinner :cool:

Re: Mudhole Mahi
 

Might be coincidence because I have had the opposite experience. I catch mahi throughout the spread and I've caught them on the flatlines very close to the transom.

Re: Mudhole Mahi
 

What are you trolling JD??

I'm trolling 2 six inch rainbow spreaders on the inside out rigger clips, they are closely followed behind by islanders or melton cherry jets on the outside riggers. I run a way way back down the center usually a bird followed by a green machine and I run 2 flat line cedar plugs in close off the transom line clips. No meat on anything... Only thing I've raised on the spread inshore were skippes and that was on the way way back....

Thanks

Re: Mudhole Mahi
 

I only have one word for you Gerry. Tennis :p

Re: Mudhole Mahi
 

Thx for detailed report.Went between oil wreck and arundo yesterday hit probably 15 or 20 pots on west side in between trolling and not even a chicken came up.put go pro down about 8 feet water looked dingy.should have left at 1 instead of 2 ride home was like a benny hill skit getting soaked.

Re: Mudhole Mahi
 

Bahahaha that's my line:D

I'm sorry I wasn't there :(

But you went out and came back safely I'm sure you had lotsa laughs so sounds like a nice day on the water!

Miss ya bud