It has been a relatively calm May this year. The wind in May is usually pretty strong as we transition from our “winter” weather to our warmer, more humid summer conditions. We expect to see a strong east wind. But this year, we really haven’t had much wind. Until now. The wind is supposed to be close to 20 mph out of the east for the next 3-4 days
Windy days are tough on the fishermen, but a strong east wind is a good wind for fishing. It’s tough on the fishermen because we also expect a strong east current this time of year. When you are talking about wind, you speak of the direction it comes from. The east wind blows east to west. When you talk about the current, you speak of the direction it is going. East current runs from west to east. So that means that an east wind and east current oppose each other. That makes the waves much bigger, but that makes the fishing better.
If you fish along the color change, as we did yesterday, the green water can have waves of 1-2 ft. but the blue water, just a few hundred feet away can be 4-5 or even 6 ft waves. It is an amazing difference and most people have to see it to believe it.
Fishing in 6 ft seas for 8 hrs will wear a body out. People don’t realize how much energy they are using when the boat is rocking back and forth all day. Think about it. You are constantly moving every muscle in your body back and forth. That’s why fishermen sleep so well, we’re beaten. That’s ok. I’ll take it. Because, as I said, it’s a good wind for fishing. Rough seas make the dolphin bite and today they did.
We caught fish up all day long. Mostly nice sized “gaffers” and our biggest was a 30lb bull. These are the kind of fishing days I live for. I have fun on the reef catching barracudas for my customers. I have fun at anchor catching Yellowtail snappers for my customers, but trolling offshore, in the deep blue Gulfstream waters catching Dolphin is just about my favorite kind of fishing.I don’t care if it’s rough, I’ll take the beating of 6+ft seas all day long if the fish are there. If we are catching, it’s worth it and you don’t notice the waves as much anyway. I can’t wait for tomorrow