Ever hook a dolphin?

[bisquit]

Just watched Dolphin Army on NatGeo, and was wondering---do they get hooked/caught by accident by fishermen trolling baits? They are such voracious feeders, but do they only chase and feed on schools of sardines? Or are they smart enough to know a witched-ballyhoo ain't the real thing?!

[jemche]

never hooked one but in CR i no they always steal your baits when you are tring to bottom fish. my dad had one on for about ten mins but it was not hooked....just holding on to the bait. they are very smart animals.

[babalaza]

nope, never, have had them circling the boat and in between the spread but never hooked one. Hooked up my bigger tunas on them, both the 2 times it happened I thought I had a dolphin on the line until the line started to go deep.

That being said every time there's dolphins hanging around I troll in between them

[Deep C]

Up til this year I would have told you they wiull never in a million years eat a bait... I had a hook pull out of a kingfish that was being worked by a dolphin and stick in its snout a few years ago. But thats not the same as one eating a bait.
Til the Islamorada sail tourney this year. Here came a pod of them into the baits (Live ballyhoos). The boss asked if they were going to eat our stuff... "No F***** way boss..." Just then not just one but three of em turned me into a liar or at least a sucky fortune teller. They rolled on their backs and started playing with the baits. Flipping them into the air and batting them around, almost on cue, the all three ate.
The two big males launched like makos. Big back flips and front flips then hit the after burners and spooled the 12lb gear. The third one was smaller and I'm thinking a girl. She sat there and screamed and slapped her tail. Damn! It was gut wrenching. I zipped right over to her. Deep Deckhand grabbed the leader and the light wire circle kind of straightened and let go.
Only time I have ever had that happen in all my years...

[backman]

you should come north if you want to hook one.

About 10 years ago back on the fall tuna grounds when there were giants we were ivelining whitingi. We had 3 or 4 out including the one straight down under the boat.

It was fall and the white sided dolphin were migrating south down the Great South Channel. Pod after pod went through that day. One pod came by to check us out as they all do; I watched as one came at the boat flipped and crash dived. I had just enough time to say "uh-oh" before all hell broke lose.

It blew up like a marlin, 20' off our stern and was all over the air; squeaking as it was jumping. It kicked my ass at 30 or 40 yards; it never ran, just jumped all over up and down, up and down. It broke off the line at the swivel after 10 minutes because I had cranked down the drag trying to get the dolphin to the boat fast.

About 6 or 7 years ago trolling blue water just north of a canyon we came across one of those 1000 dolphin herds; I trolled across its path hoping to pick up a yellowfin out from under it and watched one come in to the spread, pick up a ballyhoo rig and take off with it. Foretunately we pulled the hook away before it ate.

This summer whie chunking dolphins came into the light to eat the squid around the hydroglow. I thought I saw tuna on the finder; told the young lad who was dying to jig to drop away. He was tight almost instantly; screaming runs with dolphins all around the boat yelling at us and ripping water at high speed. Time passes and we realize he has tail wrapped a dolphin which he muscles to the boat. Ugly situation with it wrapped and cut by mutiple loops of braid. We tail roped it, cut as much as we could and released it before it drowned.

So yes; they are not as smart as you think!

[Anders]

I've seen them on some fishing shows eating the back half of the ballyhoo because they know the hook is in the front, but if they are like people as much as the dumb scientist say they are then there got to be a couple dumb ones for every thousand out there

[waynofish]

In FL years ago had one grab a live bait. In C.R. lassoed 2 by the tail---at least they were on 130's. snag another in the drsal in C.R. another year. Another time got one in the mouth on a dink rig. Thought I was feeding a sail. Dolphins don't like me.

[WAHOONBOX]

ACTUALLY RELEAED ONE WHILE BFT FISHING IN THE 90'S....

CIRCLE HOOK....HORSE BALLY.....


NAT'L GEOGRAPHIC WAS IN A CAMERA BOAT WITH BARABARA BLOCK ONBOARD 40 YARDS TO OUR STARBOARD CHASING US HOPING FOR A TUNA TRANSFER....WE THOUGHT WE HAD A TUNA

THE SCIENTIST ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THE 400LB DOLPHIN WAS SICK AND MY BAIT WAS THE ONLY THING HE COULD CATCH


WHO KNOWS...????? I AM CLUELESS....BUT IT DID HAPPEN

HE WAS RELEASES UNHARMED MINUS HIS PRIDE.

[seapower]

Be carefull with what you say, NMFS will have you install a "Black Box" on your c/c and outlaw fishing with hooks. Feed and release only. Better to say that " when we see even one Porpose (dolphin) we take up and steam atleast 25 miles away before putting lines back out".

[Double D]

I watched a certain squid peddler do multiple dropbacks to a porpoise over the weekend, only to come back with the san cocho

Smart little buggers they are