Offshore adventure scores Mahi

[jasoncooperpcola]

That is awesome! Like a few others said, i hope to do that when i repower my V20. I like what you have done to your boat. I love the hardtop.

I went fishing with a friend last week and we got in a school of small chicken dolphin and between 5 people we caught 48 chicken dolphin.

I am not too sure about eating them though. They seemed "mushy." (I filleted one and after seeing the meat, i froze the rest for shark bait/chum.)

Are the chicken dolphin good to eat? Are they the same as the big dolphin?

[SkunkBoat]

here in Jersey, you gotta go 40 miles to have any reasonable shot at dolphin and the little ones 5 lbs and under are the norm. So losing that big one really hurt. But the little ones are just as DELICIOUS! In fact, my experience in Florida has been that really big ones over 30 are mushy and grey. I did have to resort to my brothers technique of skinning them with pliers first, then filleting. When I did the first one I filleted then skinned and kind of squished the meat. Its not like cleaning Fluke!
By the way, I saved belly strips for Fluke (summer flounder) bait. Nice and firm and bright yellow skin. I bet they rock as bait.

[Giorgio]

Skunk where do you port your boat? My friends are thinking of doing that same trip, but not sure if the boat would make it. They will be coming from Breezy Point and I'm not sure of the miles to the hole. I always went from Point Pleasant and it wasn't that far, I think 25 or so. I wasn't looking for Mahi Mahi, Tuna and Sharks. No Tuna but two Sharks, one Hammerhead released and one Mako, that was two years ago.
Does anyone know the distance from Breezy to the Glory Hole or can they catch Mahi Mahi a little closer. I told them to head out to the pots or any floating lumber and give it a shot. I'm still not sold on taking a 20' into the ocean that distance. Skunk nice going.
Thanks for any input.

[Giorgio]

I pulled up my charts and it's around 50 miles.

[willy]

Just saw your post Skunk, well done, met a fellow in Brick NJ years ago that came over to me when I was launching my V, said he fished one for tuna and mahi all the time out there when he had his.
maybe we should do a buddy boat out, now that I got the etec it is definitely doable,
I fish wrecks ten to twenty-five out often.
I am in Raritan Bay

[SkunkBoat]

Company would really be nice. Planning a trip is the problem.
Gotta have a great forecast and the ability to go during that window.
I mean, even that trip, I wasn't positive I would even go all the way and I couldn't get any of my fishing buddies to commit to that Sunday.
It helps to a have a reasonable expectation of catching fish too. I knew because I had been out there in a bigger boat earlier and caught tuna and had reports that it was still happening.
Also, gotta be willing to get all psyched up, do all the prep, and then bag it 5 minutes out the inlet cause you realize it ain't the right day to go 50 miles. And a backup plan if your cutting it short.
I run out of Manasquan Inlet and I dock right at the RR bridge.
I will certainly post here if I'm going to try it again. We can try to set up a rendezvous of V20s. I really want to put a tuna on my deck. And a cod and a maybe a Mako. I got my dolphin!

[willy]

I am up for it, getting psyched up is no issue, been psycho for years.
Only issue I have is I do not have any off shore rods or reels.
Oh well one more thing to work on.

[awthacker]

Great trip! I couldn't dream of going that far.

Last Wednesday we took my V (175 HP two-stroke) with four guys and full dive gear on a lobster trip. 28 miles out. The current was ripping and we were having trouble with the anchor, so we ended up idling all day to stay on top of our divers. Then ran back nearly 35 miles due to making an out-of-the-way stop on the way in. I gotta admit, I was starting to get nervous about fuel (I have no gauge). We burned 50 out of 60 gallons.

[Blue_Runner]

Regardless of size I've never had a piece of fresh dolphin I didn't like. We always skin em like in the pic. Then cut the meat out and cut out the bloodline and red meat that was next to the skin - kinda like double filleting. Belly definitely make nice durable strip baits for flounder when we don't have flounder belly. Holds up real good to multiple bites and unsolicited attacks by Mr. Crabby.

I don't blame you for being bummed about losing the big on that way. On my first offshore trip on my V out of Hatteras, NC I was on the gaff when the first 12 lber came to the side. I wiffed about 3 times and the hook pulled. I was totally bummed out for about 10 minutes until the next one hit.

[bgreene]

Maybe we'll do a V offshore run some time.
I usually launch from Belmar - the ramp behind Mac's Bait & Tackle.

That WAS a perfect marine forecast to go offshore and I'm PROUD of you.
Never mind losing the fish..........doesn't matter. You went out there, you got on some fish, and made it back.

Good for you.