Miami Fishing Species
At Hot Shot Charters we pride ourselves on giving our anglers the opportunity to fish for some of the best fighting fish in the ocean. We frequently head off to the reefs or 25 miles out and 1800 feet deep to catch some of these tasty and aggressive species. We’re always going to tell you what we have been catching but you never know what you’re going to pull out of the great blue sea!
Marlin
A marlin is a fish from the family Istiophoridae. It has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to derive from its resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike. Even more so than their close relatives, the scombrids, marlins are fast swimmers, reaching speeds of about 80 km/h (50 mph).
Swordfish
Swordfish are vigorous, powerful fighters. When hooked or harpooned, they have been known to dive so quickly, they have impaled their swords into the ocean bottom up to their eyes. Although no unprovoked attacks on humans have been reported, swordfish can be very dangerous when harpooned. They have run their swords through the planking of small boats when hurt.
Sailfishing
Sailfish are highly prized game fish, and are known for their incredible jumps and great speed. They can swim 100 m in 4.8 sec. They can appear in a startling array of colours, from subdued browns and grays to vibrant purples and even silver. Their body colours are often highlighted by stripes of iridescent blue and silver dots. Sailfish can change their colours almost instantly—a change controlled by their nervous system.
King Mackerel
The king mackerel is a medium-sized fish, typically encountered from five to 14 kg (30 lb), but is known to exceed 40 kg (90 lb). The entire body is covered with very small, hardly visible, loosely attached scales. The first (spiny) dorsal fin is entirely colorless and is normally folded back into a body groove, as are the pelvic fins
Mahi Mahi / Dolphin
Mahi-mahi are highly sought for sport fishing and commercial purposes. Sport fishermen seek them due to their beauty, size, food quality, and healthy population. Mahi-mahi is popular in many restaurants. Mahi-mahi can be found in the Caribbean Sea, on the west coast of North and South America, the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, theGulf of Mexico, the Atlantic coast of Florida and West Africa, South China Sea and Southeast Asia, Hawaii and many other places worldwide.
Cobia
The cobia is normally solitary except for annual spawning aggregations, and sometimes it will congregate at reefs, wrecks, harbours, buoys, and other structural oases. It is pelagic, but it may enter estuaries and mangroves in search of prey. It is found in warm-temperate to tropical waters of the West and East Atlantic Ocean, throughout the Caribbean, and in the Indo-Pacific off India, Australia and Japan
Wahoo
In most parts of its range, the wahoo is a highly prized sport fishing catch. It reaches a good size, is often available not too far from land, and is a very good fighter on light to medium tackle. It is known in sports fishing circles for the speed and strength of its first run. The aggressive habits and razor-sharp teeth of the wahoo can be of considerable annoyance when targeting larger gamefish, however, such as tuna or marlin.
Yellowfin Tuna
If fish were like cars, tuna would be the Ferraris of the ocean—sleek, powerful, and made for speed. Black fin and an occasional yellow fin tuna are found in Florida waters. They are a seasonal fish found only during certain times of the year and when they run, they are abundant. Their torpedo-shaped bodies streamline their movement through water, and their special swimming muscles enable them to cruise the ocean highways with great efficiency. Tuna are remarkable and impressive wild animals. They bite on the troll and their fight has a unique signature characterized by brute force and hard thumping. The tuna fight is a real favorite amongst sport fishing enthusiasts.
Snapper
Snapper is a prized food fish, caught commercially, as well as recreationally. Of the dozens of varieties caught in South Florida, we find most frequently Mutton Snapper. Other common species of snapper we see include yellow tail, mangrove, cubera, and hog fish Snappers. Occasionally we do snag an elusive “true” red snapper known for its brilliant red coloring.