Ask Captain Will about fall fishing in Fort Lauderdale and you probably won’t get a complicated answer.
It’s simply a great time to be on the water.
September, October, and November bring a change of pace to South Florida. Summer starts winding down, the days gradually get shorter, bait begins moving differently, and the fishing starts shifting with it.
That doesn’t mean there’s a magic date when the fall fishing season suddenly begins. Fish don’t read calendars. Conditions change every year, and what worked yesterday might not be the answer tomorrow.
That’s part of the fun.
For us aboard Don’t Tell Mom Sportfishing, fall means watching the water closely, following the bait, adjusting our techniques, and seeing what shows up behind the boat next.
And there can be plenty to get excited about.
September: The Transition Begins
September is a bit of a bridge between summer and fall.
The water is still warm, but we start noticing signs that things are changing. Shorter days, changing currents, and increasing bait activity can all influence what we find offshore.
This year, we’re already seeing that transition.
In early September, Ballyhoo, and Flying Fish have been showing up around the reef, while the Bonita bite has continued to build. The Mullet Run is also getting closer, which can bring another major source of food through South Florida waters. When bait starts moving, predators usually aren’t far behind.
That is one reason September can be such an interesting month.
Bonitas can provide fast action and some surprisingly tough fights. They’re strong fish, especially on lighter tackle, and when a school gets fired up, multiple rods can go off at once.
King Mackerel can also become more active as we move deeper into the fall pattern. We started seeing encouraging signs of that transition during August, with more Kings appearing around the reef.
And then there are the surprises.
We caught a Sailfish during the first week of September this year while trolling a Sea Witch with a Bonita strip. That fish came into the spread, took off screaming line and made several long runs before we brought it alongside the boat for photos and a safe release.
That’s fishing in Fort Lauderdale. You can have a plan in the morning and still end up fighting something completely different an hour later.
October: One of Our Favorite Months for Mahi
October is a month we look forward to.
Mahi-Mahi are one of the fish almost everyone wants to see offshore. They fight hard, look incredible in the water and can turn a normal trolling day into controlled chaos very quickly.
October is typically one of our favorite months to look for them.
Mahi can be found around moving water, bait, weed lines, floating debris, and other areas that give small fish somewhere to gather. Finding the right conditions is often just as important as putting a bait in the water.
That means a lot of fishing comes down to observation.
Captain Will is constantly looking at water color, current, birds, bait activity and anything else that might tell us where to spend our time. Some days the answer is obvious. Other days we have to search.
When we find the right area, things can change fast.
One fish behind the boat can suddenly become two. Then another rod goes off. Someone is trying to keep a fish tight while the mate is clearing a line and everybody else is trying to figure out where to stand.
Those are usually pretty good problems to have.
More Bait Can Mean More Opportunities
One of the biggest reasons we pay attention to fall is bait movement.
The ocean is a food chain, and bait can tell you a lot about what is happening below the surface.
Ballyhoo, Flying Fish, mullet, and other baitfish attract larger predators. As that food becomes more concentrated, fish such as King Mackerel, Sailfish, Wahoo, and Mahi-Mahi may take advantage of it.
During our September trips, we have already noticed increasing amounts of Ballyhoo and Flying Fish around the reef.
That doesn’t mean every patch of bait has a trophy fish underneath it. We wish it were that easy.
But bait gives us something to work with. Captain Will can use those signs along with current, water clarity, depth, and recent activity to decide where and how we fish.
November: Fall Fishing Settles In
By November, South Florida is moving further into its fall pattern.
This can be an especially interesting time for anglers hoping to encounter Sailfish.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission guidance lists late summer and fall among the productive periods for Sailfish in the Miami-Dade and Broward area, while Snapper opportunities can continue into fall as well.
We’ve seen that ourselves.
Don’t Tell Mom recorded multiple Sailfish catches during November 2025, giving guests the chance to experience one of the most exciting fish you can hook off South Florida.
A Sailfish fight is hard to confuse with anything else.
Once one is hooked, everything can happen quickly. They can make long runs, change direction, jump repeatedly. and force the angler to stay focused.
You don’t forget seeing one light up beside the boat.
November can also continue to produce a mix of other opportunities depending on conditions, including reef fishing, trolling, and larger game fish.
That variety is one of the reasons we enjoy fishing here so much.
You Don’t Need to Be an Experienced Angler
Fall fishing isn’t just for people who have been doing this their whole lives.
Some of our favorite trips are with guests who have never been offshore fishing before.
You don’t need to know how to rig a bait, choose a lure, or fight a Sailfish before you step aboard. That’s our job.
Don’t Tell Mom is family-friendly and suitable for anglers of all ages and experience levels. We provide the fishing equipment, tackle, bait, licenses, and crew guidance needed for the trip. The boat is a 46-foot Hatteras Sportfish equipped with more than 25 rod-and-reel combinations, along with air conditioning, a bathroom, refrigerator, seating, and other amenities for the day.
If it is your first trip, we’ll show you what to do.
If you’ve been fishing for years, we’ll get to work and see what we can find.
Another Advantage of Fall? A Little More Breathing Room
Summer is a busy time in Fort Lauderdale.
Once school starts again and the peak summer travel season begins to slow, fall tends to become a little quieter for us. That can mean better charter availability for guests who have more flexibility with their travel dates.
For locals, it is also a good excuse to get back on the water after a busy summer.
And for visitors coming to Fort Lauderdale during September, October, or November, a fishing charter gives you a very different way to experience South Florida.
You’re not watching the ocean from the beach.
You’re out there fishing it.
So, Which Fall Month Should You Choose?
That depends on what you want out of the trip.
September gives us the excitement of watching the seasonal transition begin, with Bonitas building, bait moving, and more fall species starting to appear.
October is one of the months we especially look forward to for frequent opportunities to catch Mahi-Mahi.
November takes us deeper into the fall pattern and can bring exciting chances for Sailfish along with plenty of other offshore possibilities.
But there is something important to remember:
Fishing is fishing.
We can tell you what we have been catching. We can tell you what normally happens during a particular month. We can watch conditions, follow the bait and use decades of experience to make the best decisions we can.
That moment when a rod bends and nobody knows exactly what is on the other end is still one of the best parts of the trip.
Come Fish Fort Lauderdale This Fall
September, October and November give us plenty of reasons to get excited about fishing in Fort Lauderdale.
The bait is moving. The fishing industry is changing. Mahi-Mahi, King Mackerel, Sailfish, Bonitas, Snapper, Wahoo, and bigger surprises can all become part of the conversation depending on what the ocean gives us that day.
Captain Will and the Don’t Tell Mom Sportfishing crew will bring the equipment, local knowledge and hard work.
You just need to show up ready to fish.
Book your Fort Lauderdale fishing charter online or call or text Captain Will at 954-522-9399.
Let’s see what’s biting.
Tight lines!