Get Started Fly Fishing for Mahi-Mahi – On The Water
Depending on who you ask, my efforts to catch mahi mahi on the fly was either to challenge myself as an angler or an attempt to get some extra room on my father’s small center console. Whatever the reason, I’ve learned that a fly rod can be key when dealing with sometimes finicky mahi. The ability to present a smaller-profile imitation means that fly fishing for mahi-mahi can outfish more traditional methods.
Adding a fly setup to the small-boat pelagic hunter’s arsenal is a must because there are many times when the fish are less than cooperative. When trying lobster pots that have already been hit, a common occurrence for Northeast weekend warriors, every little advantage can make a difference to entice pressured fish.
Rods and Line
Many anglers may be overwhelmed by the intricacies of fly fishing, but it helps to realize that it can be as simple or as complex as you make it. I didn’t go out and buy a new setup when I began going after mahi on the fly. I purchased an intermediate fly line, matched it to a 9-weight rod that I’d previously used for salmon, and began my venture with a rod I knew would work. Ideally, an 8-weight is the best choice for the area we fish, the inshore to midshore lobster pots, and if you are dealing only with chickens on the closer grounds, you can get away with a 7-weight. Any capable rod with an appropriately matched fly line works since long casts aren’t necessary. I use a 9-foot rod, but anywhere in the 8.5- to 9.5-foot range will do, and there are times an 8-foot would have been beneficial on a packed boat.
Line is what I think matters most, so ensure you have a good saltwater fly line. I prefer an intermediate line in case I want to fish deeper, but a floating line works as well. I use Rio Intermediate Striper and a well-tapered 7- to 8-foot fluorocarbon leader … there is no need for a crazy long leader. The shorter leader makes casting from a boat easier, as well as when dealing with fish. I sometimes scale down to 12-pound test, and when I do, I always add a small section of thicker 15- to 20-pound fluoro in front of my fly to protect it from a larger fish’s sharp teeth. Most times, however, it’s not necessary to go that light, and 15- to 20-pound test does the job. With the shock-absorbing action of a fly rod, you can effectively fight mahi on lighter line, which can give you the upper hand when fish are leader shy.
Flies
Similar to your rod and reel setup, fly selection can be as complicated as you want, with countless saltwater patterns available to choose from, but I strongly recommend keeping things simple. When pot-hopping for mahi, I carry just two patterns in a variety of colors—Surf Candies and Clouser Minnows. I usually use a 1/0-size hook, but somewhere within that range is fine. I’ve found that brighter colors work well, like fluorescent pink and chartreuse.
If the goal is to keep my fly closer to the water’s surface and near the pot longer, I use a neutrally-weighted, epoxy-coated Surf Candy because the shimmer from its resin offers an extra enticement. When trying to get my fly a bit deeper, or even cast and strip the area around the pots to see if there are mahi cruising around, I turn to the heavier Clouser Minnow. Its heavy, dumbbell-weighted eyes send the fly down, and its slick profile cuts through the water with ease, allowing me to fish with an aggressive retrieve in a different water column.
Casts and Retrieves
Once you’re situated with a rod, reel, line, and some flies, now comes the fun part: casting. Acquiring the basics from practicing in your yard is easy to do, and I recommend learning that way instead of on the water. There are a few casting adjustments that can increase success; for instance, shooting out the line with your back-cast to the pot can make punching through wind easier. Also, take advantage of false casts to reposition yourself in order to land the fly next to the lobster pot.
Unlike spin fishing, if you see your lure might tangle around the flagpole of a pot’s buoy, take your cast back. I find this to be a major advantage considering I’ve gifted my fair share of lures to lobster fisherman after snagging their ropes.
If the boat is positioned well and I can land my fly right on top of the structure, I always begin with a very fast retrieve, sometimes even skimming the surface of the water. This is the same thing I do with an epoxy jig or other popular mahi spinning lures. If there are active fish, they almost always react to the lure ripping past them. If a fish crushes the fly on the initial fast retrieve, great! Strip-set that hook and get the fish in the boat.
More often than not, you will notice a swirl or wake behind the fly from a fish that turned its head, or you might see one follow your lure to the boat. Recast next to the pot, but retrieve slowly this time, with intermittent bursts of speed. This will allow you to stay close enough to the surface water column, where most fish are, and also near the pot longer than those using heavier epoxy jigs. Keeping the presentation right next to the pot gives you much greater opportunity in the strike zone.
Pot Hopping
Mahi circle lobster-pot buoys because they offer protection from predators and a supply of small bait to eat. If they can avoid leaving the buoy, they will, so the longer you keep the fly within a few feet of the pot, the greater the chances of hooking up. Sometimes, when I’m the only angler on board who’s interested in fly fishing, the other anglers will chum the area and draw the mahi off a pot and around the boat. This makes things easy for me since only short casts are needed and the fish are aggressive as they compete for the chum.
There are times when we find an area with many pots close together and drift whole squid at different depths through the area. When doing so, I cast, taking advantage of the intermediate line’s ability to sink, and let out line as the boat drifts. I then use the heavier Clouser Minnow to get my lure sinking and fish an erratic retrieve, repeating the process until I hook up. It can be a win-win for both a fly and a spin fisherman because the action of the fly attracts mahi from surrounding areas to the bait, or the bait attracts the fish to the fly.
I am not a fly-fishing purist, so some of my advice, such as fishing your fly in a chum slick, may be looked down upon by some. I got into fly fishing years ago in order to more productively fish certain trout streams, and then picked it up for these inshore pelagics so that I could present a light and natural imitation in the best way possible. If chumming helps your chances, I say go for it because the advantages of the fly rod still apply. You can even go a step further and tip your streamer with a little strip of squid because it works.
Best of all, when hooking a mahi on the fly, the fight is unreal, and the ability to present these realistic flies means more productive trips. Also, relish the extra fishing space you earn on the boat while casting your fly to mahi.
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