Fishing For Early Summer Mahi…..Tech Prep

Early summer off the coast of the Carolinas means Mahi time. It’s then that these fish begin moving closer inshore and in greater numbers. While many offshore anglers like their favorite waypoints to get hooked up, to be consistently successful there’s a lot more to it. My pre-planning routine is one of those things. Some Mahi fishermen depend on their network of other anglers to give them the info on where the Mahi are. These days, even social media plays a role in locating the fish. As for me, I take a different approach that begins the day before in front of my computer. This is when I look at various websites that provide information on the water temps as well as chlorophyll and salinity levels. These are key factors to where the Mahi will likely be located. You can tell by the color of the water which are changes in the levels of chlorophyll amounts in the water. It will transition from green to blue/green and then to blue depending on the level.

I also look on these offshore maps for changes in water temps or breaks as they are called. This could be a temperature change of 3-4 degrees over the span of a couple of miles. Over those few miles, you will see that color change that I mentioned earlier. However, the chlorophyll line still exists which means favorable conditions for Mahi and other species. The combination of the right quality with an active bottom with lots of structure can be the 1-2 punch for fishing for early season Mahi.

So, as the summer temps start to roll in you can roll out of bed, have a cup of coffee, and can head out the inlet in search of the weed line and flying fish and look for Mahi. Or, you can sit down the evening before and look at the recent area ocean map overlays that serve as a great guide as to where the right conditions are for Mahi. Combine that with a good area with lots of structure and your chances of having a great day Mahi fishing are just that….Great.