Presentation of the dolphinfish
Global warming brings its share of new species and extends the range of some warm water fish. This is the case of the barracuda (bécune), the tassergal and more recently, the dolphin-fish. The dolphinfish, also called mahi mahi or dolphin-fish in English, is a tropical fish that migrates following its comfort temperatures above 20 °C, from south to north in summer and from north to south in winter.
The dolphinfish has nothing to do with the gilthead bream, which is a fish of the family Sparidae. The mahi mahi is the only representative of the family Coryphoenidae.
It is a very fast and agile predator, capable of speeds up to 80 km/h. It is a pelagic fish that evolves in relatively little water, which is found both offshore and close to the coast. The dolphinfish is very fond of flying fish, mackerel, sardines, anchovies and juvenile fish, but also squid.
In addition to its magnificent characteristic dress, it is a fish which is characterized by an extremely fast growth of about 2 mm per day. The maximum life expectancy is 4 years for maximum sizes up to 2 meters. In the northern Mediterranean, fish of one meter are already very large specimens. The average size is around 40 cm up to 80 cm at the end of the season.
The male is recognizable from the female by a prominent hump at the top of the skull.
Where and when to fish for dolphinfish in the Mediterranean?
In the Mediterranean, on the French and Corsican coasts, it is possible to fish for dolphinfish from the end of June to the end of October. The peak of presence is at the end of the summer. However, it is interesting to track them at the very beginning of autumn, because the fish are bigger (very fast growth mentioned above).
It can be fished from the shore by shore jigging on rocky points or by boat. In boat, the ideal is to target floating objects such as beacons, buoys or simply a drifting wooden pallet.
Trolling can also be prolific, but much less fun.
How to catch a dolphinfish?
The dolphinfish is a very famous sport fish. In the tropics, they are hunted following the rules of the big game, in other words, big game fishing. At home, the fish are smaller but provide a sport fishing that gives a lot of sensations on light equipment.
Surface lures are the most pleasant to use, because dolphinfish make brutal attacks on the surface. Surface lures such as poppers or stickbaits will bring the fish in quickly and make sure they are present in the area.
When the fish are less biting on the surface, it is possible to fish deeper with a small casting jig, a soft lure or a swimmer fish.
The dolphinfish is quite inconsiderate, but the natural colors, blues, pinks, yellows and especially the white are sure values!
What equipment to use to fish for dolphinfish?
Spinning rods from 2 to 2m60 will allow you to cast far and to animate correctly the lures. A power M or MH allows you to cast the lures correctly and especially to fight the dolphinfish with a lot of sensations. A rod that is too stiff and powerful is not recommended, as it generates too many stalls on these fast, very jumpy fish with a relatively fragile mouth.
A reel of size 2500 to 3000 is enough, filled with PE1 to PE 1.2 braid. A 12 lbs fluorcabone tip is more than enough to deal with the specimens of our coasts.
