Spotting flotsam far out at sea is a mahi angler’s dream, and often when we spot that something special, it comes in the form of weed paddies or weedlines. Treat the situation right and you could go home with loaded coolers. Make the wrong moves, however, and you might end up exceedingly disappointed.
- Sometimes you can troll down a weedline or around a paddy, but usually it’s best to put away the trolling gear and break out the bailing rods. Trolling in weeds is often a fool’s game, as your baits can get fouled in no time.
- More is always better, so when you spot several patches of weeds start with the biggest first and work your way down.
- Anomalies in the weeds concentrate the fish. If there’s a board, a float, or even a piece of trash mixed in with the weeds give the area added attention.
- Approach from the side being hit by the sun. That will put the sun at your back, making it easier to see through the water and determine if any mahi are present.
- Plan your approach so you slide into position without having to shift into reverse, because the “clunk” of an outboard going into reverse can spook the fish.
- Toss a handful of chunks or baits over the side and watch them sink. If no fish appear, take a cast with a small jigging spoon and allow it to sink at least 50′ down, then rip it back to the boat. If you still haven’t seen any fish or had a bite, move on to the next paddy.
- If you spot a school and bring up a fish, don’t use the usual method of keeping one in the water to hold the school. Instead land it immediately, and let the school return to the weeds when they decide to. This way you can pull back up for another drift later. But if you hold the school boatside as you drift farther and farther from the weeds, and then lose it, the fish might have been drawn too far away to return to the structure.