Called mahimahi, dorado and dolphin, anglers target this game fish around the globe.
Scott Kerrigan
A big, square-headed bull dolphin fish is an impressive catch on 20-pound conventional tackle. More impressive was that neither angler, mate nor cameraman were bleeding or unconscious from the raw power this animal often saves up up for the gaff shot or fish box.
Few things make an angler looking for mahimahi or billfish happier than seeing a diving frigate bird. This bird put us on some feeding mahi, then dove in and ate the bait chunks being throw about by the jumping fish. Guess you can call it a 'finder's fee.
Called 'dorado' in Spanish, which means golden, these acrobatic game fish are impressive fighters and love to jump. They're also extremely colorful and great to eat. Dorado have it going on!
When a mahimahi (the Hawaiian name for the species) is excited, the fish will literally light up with color. The vibrant blues and greens just don't quit. The fish will even flash blue-edged fins and blue lips.
Mahi fillets are some of the tastiest in the ocean, but for some, the egg sacks of a cow dolphin are the most desirable. This species is so colorful, even the inside is green and gold.
Many offshore fishing trips are saved by a few juvenile dolphin found under a weedline or a piece of debris in the water. For those dolphin that aren't big enough for the fillet table, shoot them back in the water, but don't be surprised if this hungry predator comes back to your bait.
Mahimahi are one of the fastest growing pelagic species in the ocean. They can spawn at three to five months of age. For this reason, some refer to the species as the "rabbit of the ocean."
The moment of truth for this mate. You don't get this clear of a gaff shot very often, so you better make it count.
A solid gaff shot! The mate now has his hands full. It's not at all clear who is going to win this battle up to now, but you can be certain there will be blood and slime in places you never knew it could get. A small price to pay for catching such a cool creature.
One trait of filleting mahimahi is the easy-to-remove skin. It only took these two guys 20 seconds to get the pelt from this monster. Some prefer to cut the skin off for a cleaner fillet. Either way you do it, you're going to end up with some delicious fresh fish for fried mahi fingers or a ceviche.
In a defiant jump near the boat, this dolphin takes a look around to see who it's going to embarrass when it grabs a line. Pound for pound, mahi are about as tough as they come.
