Sailfish

Seeing a sailfish leap out of the water is a majestic sight that thousands of recreation anglers on offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas TX enjoy every year. However, trophy anglers and Port Aransas deep sea fishing guides mostly love sailfish for their large size, lightning speed, and spirited fight. Corpus Christi fishing charters can give you an opportunity to land one of these rare catches and take a photo with them for posterity. Sailfish flesh is relatively tough which is why they are often not targeted by commercial fishing companies.

 

How Port Aransas Deep Sea Fishing Guides Identify the Sailfish

Most people who come for offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas hope to catch sailfish because of their unique features. Sailfish get their name from their spectacular dorsal fin the stretches out like a big sail almost covering the entire length of their backs. When you look at the side view of the fish, the dorsal fin actually covers more area and looks bigger than the actual sailfish’s body. Another unique feature that the sailfish shares with other billfish is its upper jaw that juts out beyond its lower jaw making it look like a spear.

The sailfish’s body color can vary from subdued browns and grays to iridescent silver and purples. They grow up to 10 feet in length and can weigh up to 220 pounds. Sailfish use their spear-like upper jaw to strike and stun prey such as large bony fishes, squid, and crustaceans. Juvenile sailfish feed on tiny zooplankton.

 

Where To Find Sailfish

Since they are pelagic creatures and are highly migratory, the natural habitat of sailfish is the open ocean. They prefer water temperatures ranging from 70°F to 83°F, and they are known to plunge up to 1,150 feet deep in search of food. But they actually spend most of their time swimming near the surface. One way Port Aransas offshore guides find sailfish is by looking for a flock of birds that are diving because birds often do that above fish such as sailfish.

 

Techniques For Catching Sailfish in Corpus Christi

Since sailfish are very difficult to find and to catch, you need to have the right gear so that when you catch one, you can reel it in and then release it successfully. Be ready to battle thrillingly with the fish as it fights vigorously while leaping and diving repeatedly like some sort of devil. Trolling for sailfish is the most preferred fishing method by anglers. The gear you need are a short-shank hook for smaller bait, a long-shank hook for larger bait,6 feet long stand-up rod, 8000 size spinning wheel, and a 30 to 40 pound braided line. With this gear and an experienced guide, you will surely love the whole experience of sailfish fishing on your offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas TX.