Once In A Lifetime Catch
July 7th 2024 – Last week there was a beast of a mahi mahi caught on board the deep sea fishing boat Sea-Clusion that docks at Oceans Edge Resort and Marina on Stock Island in Key West. Capt. Steve has been on board the Sea-Clusion for about 20 years and says this is one of the largest mahi he has ever caught. Weighing in at almost 50 lbs (49.8) this is without a doubt a once in a life time catch for this very lucky angler Ken Holland From Louisiana.
The story behind this catch is a great one from start to nervous finish. They were fishing in just over 300 ft. Capt Steve Saw the large cow and hooked her first. Then the big bull showed and the fight was on. Things got really tense as the very large dolphin avoided the gaff several times. This only heightened the excitement for the angler and crew. Capt. Steve said is was a real nail biter as his first mate Jeff worked the deck trying for a good gaff set to ensure he could lift this monster into the boat. Obviously mission accomplished.
Any dolphin over 10 lbs is great here out of Key West but add that 50lb monster to a 20+ lb cow and assorted other sizes and you have a good bit of meat in the box and one hell of a day. After some discussion Ken and his wife decided to have the 63″ mahi mounted with Grays Taxidermy. What a great way to honor such a magnificent fish!
Anglers talk about that 50lb mahi they caught once and most of those stories are followed up by a geographic location in the Pacific Ocean somewhere. Not last week! This was a once in a lifetime mahi out of the Atlantic that certainly tips the scales as a very large fish.
We rarely get mahi mahi over 30 lbs let along as big as 50. If we had to put an average size on our Key West dolphin fishing year round (not including “shorts”) I would say they are about 22 inches long. Legal size is 20″ to the fork of the tail. Last year another captain on the same dock that Sea-Clusion docks at landed a 54 lb mahi. So, about every year one of the boats in the Key West deep sea fishing fleet land a monster mahi.
When Is Best Time For Large Mahi?
Last Week!! All kidding aside we usually get our larger mahi mahi dolphin fish in the late spring from late April through mid June. As the summer wears on our mahi get smaller and smaller, however there is ever the chance at an exceptional catch daily. We have a saying “You won’t know unless you go”. Either way, Mahi dolphin are delicious, fun to catch and when the bite is on it is fun for the whole family and one of the best fishing trips offered in Key West.
Check out the Key West Fishing Seasons Calendar
Congrats To Ken Holland and Capt. Steve with first mate Jeff on board the Sea-Clusion for landing such a trophy that will be remembered for a very long time thanks to Grays Taxidermy. What a great fish!
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