Catching Sailfish: Everything You Need to Know
You know how exhilarating it can be if you’ve ever gone fishing when that large fish bursts from the water after your bait. While most of us will never have the experience of actually reeling in a Sailfish on our next family vacation, many of us do have the opportunity to experience an authentic Sailfish fishing excursion. Catching these fish requires careful preparation and advanced techniques, which we’ve outlined below.
Know the Habitat
Sailfish mainly live in tropical waters. Sailfish are large fast fish and because of this they tend to inhabit arias of open ocean. They are considered the fastest fish in the world and this speed allows them to hunt in open waters and chase down pray with their large sword like bill. They particularly like places where there is a large amount of marine life to feed on.
Know What You’re Looking For
If you want to catch a Sailfish, you will need to know what you are looking for. These fish have long, narrow bodies that taper toward their tails with pointed snouts that look like a dart and very long bill-like teeth. They are also well known for their famously large dorsal fin which runs the length of their back and gives them there name.
Choose the Right Charter
While most Sailfish are caught with sportfishing methods, some fishing charters have specialized in catching these fish. Your charter should have the experience to know how to catch Sailfish safely without killing them. They will also need the knowledge and know-how to release them back into the ocean where they belong. Captain Rob is an expert fisher and will help make fishing for Sailfish as easy as can be.
Bait placement
You don’t want to just throw your bait out and hope it gets taken by a Sailfish because such action could cause other fish in the area to become wary of your bait. Instead, you want to make sure that you put your bait in an area where not much other fish are likely to be swimming around.
Use Live Bait
Like much large fish, Sailfish are more likely to eat live bait than they are to eat dead bait. Live bait is typically fed by hand to ensure fresh and accessible to the fish. In most cases, you will want to use a combination of live and dead bait.
Things to Remember
Catching a Sailfish is a big deal. These fish are beautiful, and they’re strong. You don’t want to just toss your line into the water and hope for the best because if you’re not careful, you could hurt or potentially kill the fish.
When you search Sailfish in Key West, make sure that you have the right charter, know what to look for and how to reel them in with live bait for the best chance of coming home with lots of pictures and tales from an exciting day on the open waters.
Final Thoughts
There are several types of fishing excursions available from which to choose, but you can be sure that the captains at Florida Sailfish will do everything possible to ensure you have an enjoyable experience. With these tips in mind and a little bit of planning, you are likely to end up with an exciting experience you can share with friends, family and colleagues.
Catching Sailfish
Sailfish are a large blue and grey fish in the Istiophorus family of fish. they are well known for their sword like bill and the large dorsal fin that runs along their entire back and gives them their characteristic sail look and the name “Sailfish”
Scientific name
- Speed: 68 mph (Maximum, Swimming)
- Scientific name: Istiophorus
- Higher classification: Marlin
- Family: Istiophoridae
- Phylum: Chordata
- Rank: Genus
Are Swordfish and Sailfish the same?
No although Swordfish and Sailfish are similar there are a few key differences to remember. One of the most distinguishing differences is that sword fish tend to be much bigger than sailfish. Sailfish also tend to be slenderer compared to the swordfish’s more tubular body.
Are Sailfish good to eat?
Sailfish are known to have a less consistent flavor then similar fish. This means that they can often have a very ‘fishy’ taste. This fishiness makes them a less popular fish to eat. However, they are still a healthy fish to eat and some people prefer the flavor of sailfish.
Are sailfish and Marlin the same?
Marlin is another name for any fish in the Istiophoridae family of fish. this includes Sailfish but not Swordfish which are very similar.
What is the fastest fish in the sea?
Sailfish are well known as the fastest fish in the sea. This is because of their size and their strong muscular body’s. They’re hunting technique is to hunt down smaller fish and stun or skewer them with their long swordlike bill.