Mahi Mahi Fishing at Sebastian Inlet

Mahi Mahi at Sebastian Inlet

Mahi are the reason people book an offshore day. They are fast, they jump, they light up gold and blue in the water, and they are among the best eating fish in the ocean.

They are also a running fish — you find them by finding the right water rather than by sitting on a spot. Weed lines, debris, colour changes and temperature breaks all hold them, and Captain Richard Ladrew decides the run each morning from the wind, the sea state, the water temperature and where the bait has been.

That is the honest part about offshore: it is about finding the right water rather than covering the most ground, and some days the water is not there. Offshore trips run on weekdays and are weather dependent by nature.

Where Captain Richard Finds Them

Offshore, past the reef, where the bottom drops away and the water turns blue. Mahi hold around anything floating — weed lines, boards, debris — and around colour and temperature breaks.

A weed line holding bait is worth more than a long run to a number on a chart, which is why the captain reads the water on the day.

Best Time of Year

Mahi are a warm-water fish and show from spring into summer, strongest roughly April through August. They taper off as the water cools. Outside that window the offshore day shifts toward bottom fish, kingfish and wahoo.

How Captain Richard Fishes for Mahi

• Live or rigged bait presented near whatever structure the fish are holding on, and trolling to find them before fishing them.
• When you hook one, keep it in the water beside the boat — mahi school, and a hooked fish often holds the rest of the school there long enough for everyone to get a bait in.
• Light enough tackle to enjoy it, heavy enough to keep a good fish away from anything it can wrap.

Rules and Regulations

Current status: Open year round — 20″ fork, 5 per person on a charter

• In Atlantic waters the minimum size is 20″ fork length.
• On a for-hire charter the limit is 5 fish per person, with the vessel limit set by the number of paying customers multiplied by the bag limit.
• Captain and crew are prohibited from retaining a bag limit, so every fish in the box is yours.
• There is no season closure, though the fish are seasonal.
• Offshore limits and seasons are set by both state and federal rules and change from year to year. Captain Richard fishes to current regulations and will explain what is keepable on the day.

A closed season means you cannot keep the fish, not that you cannot fish for it. Captain Richard Ladrew targets every species on this list year round — in season you have the option to take fish home within the limits, and out of season it is catch and release. The fishing does not stop.

Regulations checked September 2026. Size limits, bag limits and seasons change — the current rules are always on the FWC saltwater regulations site. Captain Richard fishes to current regulations and will tell you on the day what you can keep. Florida fishing licences are provided for everyone aboard, so there is nothing for you to buy.

Trips That Target Mahi

• Offshore Fishing — Full Day, $1200
• Full Day Inshore / Nearshore — Full Day, $975
• Island Hopping — Full Day, $975