Mahi-mahi

Aloha, first off I am pretty stoked this board is back up and running. Cool that Chef has also returned to the fold. I was thinking about the logo, and wondered how many of you have gotten the opportunity to catch a mahi on the fly?
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...15/mahi004.jpg
First they are pretty easy to catch when all lit up. They love topwater like poppers. They run and jump and cartwheel. The big ones can dog you and make you work hard.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...5/HPIM0142.jpg
They taste great, and are pretty hardy and survive if you release them. They have a phenominal growth rate, and have survived heavy fishing pressure. They are like catching a four foot rainbow, and I love anyfish that jumps.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...5/P6190213.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...5/P6190217.jpg
They are pretty proflic in baja, and Loreto had a banner season two years ago. I think they are fun on any light tackle, but my favorite is a 10wt and a floating line and a popper.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...5/P4090076.jpg
They frequently school and often the best way to catch multiple mahi is to keep one at the back of the boat until you get another one on.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...5/P7080097.jpg
We do catch a lot of mahi. Last night it was coconut encrusted mahi for dinner. Mahi-mahi so good they named it twice. Mems.

Ah man, you are making me hungry with all those Mahi. We just had the last of the ones caught on a September trip to South Carolina. Excellent! I will be heading down to the Caribbean the middle of December and see if I can pull anything in while I am down there. Great photos.

Don, you da man!!!

First one to post about the logo/mahi.

Dig it.

Wow!!!!!!

sweet. would love to hook into one of those guys some day.

Ah man, Don! You know how to hurt a guy! Coconut encrusted!? ....made my mouth water.

I have had the pleasure of mahi (dorado) on the fly in Costa Rica (Drake Bay) and Mexico (Mulege). In Costa Rica we would cruise trash lines until we spotted a school. The capt. would catch one on a bullet-head jig and leave it hooked. The whole school would 'frenzy' and I'd cast a red/white clouser and strip back fast. They would slam it and it was "ON!" We steamed those filets wrapped in banana leaves over hardwood coals, bbq style. In Mexico, we would float up to rafts of sargasso-weed and chum them up with sardinas. They would only take a fly on a super-fast, two handed retrieve, practically skipping on the surface. Those filets were subjected to tender grilling over mesquite and placed lovingly within the most delicious thick, little corn tortillas on earth... and salsa cruda... con cerveza mas fria!

I've never caught one on a fly that approached the size of the long one you're holding. On traditional gear I helped my oldest son land a big one out of Nawiliwili (sp?) harbor, Kauai. It was a big bull. A great fish, fly or otherwise.. I agree, Mahi-mahi is an awesome fish.

MikeM