Introduction to mahi mahi

Mahi mahi, dolphin fish or dorado - it doesn’t matter what you call them - these striking and hard fighting fish are well-loved and widely chased around the world, and it’s not hard to see why! Their high jumps and aggressive nature endears them to the sporting anglers, while their flesh - tasting not quite like pelagic or reef fish - is unique and listed as a favourite by many.

Being a highly migratory fish, there are seasons that produce better results. Generally in the southern limits of their range in more temperate waters, they are often targeted in summer. While up north in more tropical waters, they tend to fire around winter.

Given that they rely on currents to migrate these huge distances in such a short time, they are often found out wide where the currents are strongest. This means a seaworthy boat and good offshore knowledge is essential if chasing these fish. Whether using lures, flies or bait, if found in good numbers, you can have a lot of fun hooking and fighting these incredible high-flying acrobats.

For lure casters, The Nomad Design Riptide series, West Coast Popper Floating Reef Stick series, and Nashy’s Custom Lures Floating Stickbait series are some excellent surface presentations that will take mahi mahi and help get the heart pumping.

Bait fishing for mahi mahi is incredibly effective too, and whether you choose to use live or dead bait, a good quality circle hook will ensure you get a solid hook-up without deep hooking the animal, damaging the fish and sacrificing the hook. Gamakastsu Octopus Circle Hooks and Shogun Circle Octopus Hooks are two very strong and razor sharp circle hook models that are perfect for chasing mahi mahi.

Finding where these fish are hanging out can require a lot of fuel and good electronics. Current lines out wide near the continental shelf is a good way to find the larger models, however floating objects in open, offshore water can attract mahi mahi. Wave recorder buoys are well-known to regularly harbour schools of mahi mahi, but logs, branches, and literally any debris can be worth a look, particularly if its been in the water for a week or more.

If you want to make the most of your offshore missions, knowing how to find and target mahi mahi is a great idea, as they can save donut days and provide a tasty addition to the esky.