CAPTAIN INTERVIEW

SAILFISHING WITH CAPTAIN QUINTON DIETERLE

Captain Quinton Dieterle fishes out of Key Biscane, Florida - Awarded the 2022 Captain of the Year, 2022 Quest for the Crest Champion, is a world sailfish champion, and owner of his own renowned charter off the east coast.

If landing a sailfish is on your bucket list, we suggest you take the time to read this interview with Captain Quinton detailing all the telltale signs you’re closing in on that trophy fish.

LOCATE THE BAIT

If you learn one thing from Captain Quinton it’s to follow the ballyhoo! “Fall sail fishing is one of the most exciting and challenging times of the year” Captain Quinton notes. “In the early fall, October and November, bait fish, primarily Ballyhoo move onto the reef from offshore. The huge schools of Ballyhoo move up and down the shallow reefs from 15 to 20 feet of water out to 100 feet or more.”

Ballyhoo are baitfish that have a long and svelte body type, with bright coloring making them attractive to a number of large predatory species including tuna, marlin, wahoo, mahi-mahi, grouper, and of course... sailfish.

The first and really the main task – locate the bait! Knowledge of your local water is of critical importance to understanding where the schools of bait move but where Captain Quinton fishes, the schools of ballyhoo can often be found in prominent reefs off the coast.

CHASING SHOWERS

“I usually start off watching diving birds, primarily hawk birds and terns” says Captain Quinton. “The way this works is, sailfish are also searching for the larger schools of ballyhoo. Usually, but not always, there will be several sailfish working together to ball the bait into a tight area. Once the bait has nowhere to hide the Sailfish race into the ball and chase the ballyhoo.”

At this point, the entire school of bait will go airborne, pushing in a certain direction – this is what is known as a shower. From a distance, this might just look like some birds splashing but upon closer inspection, you will notice sailfish are chasing the school and sending them into a frenzy.

“Chasing showers is fun” continues Captain Quiton, “not only does it produce sailfish but also keep your eyes out for big mahi in the fall up on the reef!”

Overall, Captain Quinton believes that shower chasing in the fall is the most productive technique used for catching Sailfish. He also recognizes that Kite Fishing is always an option, wherein a drop line hangs from a kite with bait floating near the waterline but finds shower chasing much more of a challenge and exciting.

SPOTTING THE SAIL

Once the school of ballyhoo has been located, Captain Quinton positions his boat, the Cutting Edge, ahead or on the side of the shower to toss a fresh live ballyhoo directly in front of the sailfish. This cast requires practiced hands, precision, and patience.

“You can't miss the Sailfish as they look black in the shallow water. Usually, they go straight to the bait unless they have been casted at multiple times and are spooked” he explains.

In the case that the fish do become spooked, Captain Quinton mentions that it might help to lower the leader size to basically straight 12 lb. to get a bite with this lighter set-up.

CAPTAIN'S CHOICE

Captain Quinton only trusts the most reliable gear on the water. For kite fishing, the Fathom Electric 30 is perfect as it allows the reel to control the kite, with portability and retrieving speed that make the preferred choice for this specific type of angling. Simply set it and forget it with reel action that brings the kite right back to the boat!

When it comes to fighting trophy sailfish, Captain Quinton trusts the PENN Fathom™ II Lever Drag Conventional Reel, specifically the 40NLDHS model, on Carnage Rods. The 40NLDHS is a high speed, single gear lever drag reel that is ideal because they are extremely fast (60” IPT), which is required for the equally speedy sailfish. This reel also has a light drag optimized for 3-6 lbs. at strike needed to keep hooks in the mouths of the fish and is required for Quinton as he likes to use a 16 lb. high visibility main line.

Finally, for pitching into sails during showers, the Slammer Spinning IV Reel 6500HS with 12 lb. line is the captain’s go-to. This reel’s got a Sealed Slammer® drag system for a wider range of usable drag while still being bearing supporter for extra smoothness for putting up a battle.