Dolphin fishing continues to peek up and down our coastline. Fish can be found from as far out as 20 miles, and as close in as one mile. (Remember all distances are measured from the edge of the reef.)

Average sizes have been from three to six pounds, and weekly tournaments have seen winning fish in the 30- to 40-pound class.

If you are tired of fishing for dolphin, the bottom bite has been very good in the area off Key Largo.

Gary Lawson fished aboard the Naked Furniture and had a terrific day bottom fishing. He said he had the entire reefline to himself. Everyone was passing him by to fish offshore for dolphin, while he was reeling in a nice catch of bottom fish. His catch consisted of two 16-pound gag grouper, one 12-pound black grouper, two yellowjacks, and one 19-pound mutton snapper. He then ran offshore and joined the chaos, and caught 29 dolphin.

Lawson said he heard many anglers complaining on the radio of a lack of fish. He reported finding plenty of fish under diving birds. Many anglers will troll looking for fish, when they should be hunting birds and boards. I call it looking for the three "B's" -- birds, boards, and bait. Knowing when to use the correct method of fishing will certainly increase the likelihood of catching fish. Trolling can be very effective, but this week, the "run and gun" method worked the best.

Look for the dolphin action to continue as well as the bottom bite. Kingfish are still around in the early morning and there are plenty of bonita along the reef in the afternoon. Many boaters are traveling to Bimini on the weekends and finding excellent yellowtail action, along with dolphin, grouper, and even an occasional cubera snapper.

On Thursday nights, from 7 to 8 pm, at the Old Cutler Raw Bar, S. Dixie Highway and SW 184th Street, come listen to Fishing South Florida Style. This is an hour-long live radio show hosted by Mike Pace, Captain Rob Fordyce, Captain Marty Locke, and Captain Mark Houghtaling. Offshore and inshore fishing topics are covered during the live radio broadcast, and you can pick up a few tips from the radio hosts after the show. You also can catch the show on Thunder Country 100.3 FM.

Captain Mark Houghtaling wants to hear from you. Send him your latest catches and pictures to 15920 SW 85 Ave. Miami, FL 33157, or send e-mail to him at <magicfin@aol.com>. Capt Mark also has a charter fishing service. You can call him at 305-253-1151 or check out his Web page at <http://www.magicfin.com>.

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