It’s officially Mahi Mahi season. These fish are in high demand during the spring and summer time in Miami. It’s one of the token favorites for offshore anglers because of its bright colors and taste. Due to its high demand, Miami Inshore Fishing will discuss the best lures for Dolphin Fish or Mahi Mahi to embark on a fishing trip deep in our waterways. This blog post will cover the best trolling lures and conditions to catch them during peak season!
Keep reading to learn more about catching Mahi Mahi or book a fishing charter with Captain Alex. We’ll take everything you need for a great offshore trip.
Top Lures for Dolphin Fish
Captain Alex has over 15 years of experience as a fishing charter operator in Miami. If there’s someone who knows fishing and how to navigate our offshore waters, it’s him! He’s fished for Mahi Mahi for a long time, and our lure tips come directly from him. If you want to increase your chances of catching a Dolphin Fish, here are some lures and tips to consider:

Skirted Trolling Lures
If you’ve ever seen a thin lure with a plastic head and something that looks like a flimsy pom-pom skirt with many colors, that’s a skirted trolling lure. They’re made up of colorful ribbons that attract Dolphin Fish because of their appearance.
When you’re trolling, you’re dragging the lure behind the boat, so these lures imitate fleeing baitfish, which attracts Mahi Mahi. We recommend using Daisy Chains, Feather Lures, or Squid Skirts for an offshore fishing charter trip.
- Daisy Chains are a series of lures connected together, creating the appearance of a group of small fish swimming in a line.
- Feather lures have bright, feather-like materials attached to them. These feathers shimmer in the water, catching Mahi Mahi’s attention.
- Squid skirts are lures with soft, tentacle-like strands that move naturally in the water. They look very similar to real squid.

Surface Plugs
A surface plug is a lure with a hard plastic or wooden body and a flashy, reflective finish. It’s designed to create a lot of splash and noise on the water to mimic the frantic movements of a distressed baitfish. Dolphin Fish can’t resist it.
When casting and retrieving, the plug skitters across the top of the water. For an offshore fishing charter trip, we recommend using poppers or stick baits for a better chance of landing one.
- Poppers are rounded and hollow and make a loud pop and splash when you pull them through the water. This noise and movement attract Mahi Mahi by making them think there’s an injured fish on the surface, which is easy prey.
- Stick Baits are long, thin lures that look like small fish. When you reel them in, they move in a way that makes them look like a fish trying to escape, attracting Mahi Mahi to come and bite.

Soft Plastic Lures
A soft plastic lure is flexible and looks like real bait. They’re colorful and come in different shapes to mimic real fish’s look and movement. That’s the beauty of these types of lures. Dolphin Fish are opportunistic feeders, so when they see a possible easy catch, they go for it, and soft plastic lures are ideal for a quick catch.
When you use a soft plastic lure, it wiggles in the water and makes it irresistible to Mahi Mahi. They will swim after it until they catch it. We recommend using shad or paddle tails rigged with a jig head.
- Shad tails are soft, fish-shaped lures with skinny bodies that end in a thin, wiggly tail. When you attach them to a jig head and reel them in, they move like a small fish swimming through the water.
- Paddle tails have a wide, flat tail that wiggles and kicks as you retrieve them. When rigged with a jig head, they create a swimming motion miming a distressed or fleeing fish.
Putting a shad tail or paddle tail lure on a jig head gives the lure weight and helps it sink into the water. As you reel it in, the jig head makes the lure move naturally, like a real fish.

Feathers and Jigs
What makes feathers and jigs great for catching Dolphin Fish are their weighted heads and colorful tails with feathers or strands. They’re flashy, so they catch Mahi Mahi’s eye quickly. These are another type of lure that looks like natural prey.
When using a feather and jig, the fish moves through the water and imitates the movement of their natural prey. We recommend using feathered jigs with bright colors to increase your chances of a successful catch.

Color Considerations
Mahi Mahi really like bright colors like pink, blue, green, and yellow. These colors look like colorful fish and squids. Using feather and jig lures in these colors catches their attention underwater.
The flashy colors make them think it’s something tasty, so they’re more likely to bite. Whether fishing far out at sea or in deeper parts of the water, having these colorful lures in your tackle box can help you catch more Mahi Mahi because they find them so attractive.

Bait for Dolphin Fish
If we talk about lures, we’ll also talk about bait. We could discuss bait for Mahi Mahi for hours, but using live bait is the way to go. Ballyhoo, pilchards, or cigar minnows are great options to attach to your rods to increase the bite rate, and they are especially useful when encountering Mahi Mahi schools in offshore waters.

Now That You Know the Best Lure for Dolphin Fish, Book a Charter!
Captain Alex recommends several effective lures for catching Mahi Mahi. Skirted trolling lures mimic fleeing baitfish. Surface plugs like poppers and stick baits create splash and noise to mimic prey on the water’s surface. Soft plastic lures look like swimming fish and are irresistible to Mahi Mahi. Feathers and jigs with vibrant colors and natural movement also effectively attract them. Make sure to use bright colors like pink, blue, green, and yellow!
If you’re ready to reel in some Mahi Mahi, book a day fishing charter with Miami Inshore Fishing today! Call (305) 282-3086 today!