Dolphin have arrived in significant numbers, enough to make us believe that we finally are going to have a good season after all.

Before last week’s rainy weather we had a week of flat calm seas. During that week the dolphin poured into our area. Anglers are finding them under boards and birds.

Most of the fish have been good-sized schoolies , five to seven pounds, with very few popcorn sized fish around — for now. Some of the best weedlines anglers have seen in years are forming as close in as 200 feet of water all the way out to 12 miles. Many of the lines are non-productive with a lack of bait and subsequently dolphin.

With a determined search of each weedline, schools of dolphin will not be hard to locate. Don’t overlook the boards. We have heard plenty of reports of larger "gaffers’’ hiding under boards and debris.

Following with the dolphin have been the occasional wahoo. Look for fish from five to 20 pounds hanging around the same boards that you find dolphin hiding. Almost a sure sign will be a board or piece of debris with large schools of baitfish such as jacks, triggerfish, and tripletail.

A live bait fished deep, or a jig dropped below the board can entice a Wahoo into a strike.

Also, trolling around the board with a wire line or a downrigger rigged with a double hooked rigged large ballyho usually can’t miss.

Along the edge of the reef, the kingfish bite is still good. Fish the area north of the Whistle Buoy off Key Largo. Many fish are touching 20 pounds.

Be prepared for plenty of bonita action along with kings. They can’t be avoided. Live bait will catch the majority of fish. Keep your eye out for large schools of sardines and cigar minnows along the inside reefs. They will be in approximately 30 feet of water and prefer sandy bottom. Many times you will find terns diving on them. They will be easy to locate with binoculars.

You can fill a livewell in a hurry using Sabiki Rigs. Night fishing should be excellent this time of year. Mangrove Snapper and

Yellowtail should be an easy catch along the ledges and dropoffs of the deeper reefs. Target ledges from 40 feet out to 90 feet of water. Anchor and use plenty of chum. Try fishing on top by drifting a fresh cut bait, with no weight, out with the tide. Also fish a bait on the bottom. You may find larger fish hanging under the fish schooled on top. Try both fresh cut live bait and live baits. Pilchards will be attracted to the lights from the boat and they are easy to catch with a cast net or Sabiki rigs. A large live Speedo fish on the bottom may surprise you with an extra large mutton snapper or even a cubera snapper.

For free safe boating and personal watercraft classes, call 305-820-8411

Captain Mark Houghtaling wants to hear from you. Send your latest catches and pictures to 15920 SW 85 Ave. Miami, FL 33157, or send e-mail to him at magicfin@aol.com . Capt. Mark also has a charter fishing service, you can call him at 305-253-1151 or check out his Web page at http://cyberangler.com/guides/houghtaling   .

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