01The Fish
Mahi (also called dolphinfish or dorado — not the marine mammal) are pelagic predators built for speed and surface ambush. Vivid electric blue, green, and yellow when alive, fading to silver within minutes of death. Bulls (males) develop a distinctive vertical forehead; cows (females) keep a more sloping profile.
East End fish are typically 5 to 30 pounds — "schoolies" and smaller bulls. True bulls of 40-60 pounds are caught in good years from the Hudson and Atlantis canyons. They grow incredibly fast — a one-year-old fish can be 25 pounds — and live only 4-5 years, so any mahi you see is essentially in their first season of life.
02When & Where
July. Warm-water years bring the first fish to the canyon edges. Cold-water years skip this entirely. Watch sea-surface temperatures (SST) charts — 70°F+ is the trigger.
August – September. Peak. Mahi push inshore in warm years, sometimes within 20 miles of the Point. They concentrate around floating structure: lobster pot lines, weed lines, debris, even a single floating board.
October. Fish thin out as water cools. Late-season shots happen but inconsistent. Done by November.
03How to Catch Them
Mahi are sight fishers and structure fishers — the technique adapts to what you find.
Trolling. The standard offshore approach. Spread of small ballyhoo or skirted lures at 6-8 knots. Hit a weed line or pot string; troll along it.
Sight casting. Spot fish on structure → cast jigs, soft plastics, or live baits. Often you can see the fish follow before they commit. Keep one hooked fish in the water to hold the school.
The bailout. When you find a school under a pot, the first hookup keeps the school close. Pitch jigs, plastic squid, or pieces of cut bait to additional fish. Numbers caught can be high if you maintain school presence.
A hooked mahi attracts and holds the rest of its school nearby. Keep the first fish in the water (fight it slowly) while crew members cast to the school. Land it last. This is how you turn a single fish into a dozen on a single weed line or pot string.
Lures & Bait
- Trolled small ballyhoo (naked or skirted)
- Cedar plugs (squid spreader bars)
- Squid daisy chains
- Surface poppers (sight cast)
- RonZ soft plastics on jighead
Tackle
- Medium offshore conventional (30W) for trolling
- Medium spinning (5000-6000) for casting
- 30-50 lb braid + 50-80 lb leader
- Fast retrieve ratio (6:1+)
04Regulations · NY 2026
Current regulations as of the May 12, 2026 NYSDEC update. Always verify before keeping fish — regs change.
- Federal management: Mahi (dolphinfish) is federally managed by NMFS Highly Migratory Species (HMS) division — NY does not set state-specific recreational regs.
- HMS Angling Permit required: $26 annual for the vessel.
- Federal limits (subject to change): 10 fish per angler per day, max 60 per vessel. 20" fork length minimum (varies by federal region).
- License required: NY Marine Registry (free) for recreational anglers 16+ even though federally managed.
- Verify: NMFS HMS before the trip. Federal limits change inside seasons as quotas fill.
Mahi need warm water (70°F+). In a year with cold ocean conditions, the East End simply doesn't get a real mahi run. Don't expect them every year — when they show up, it's a treat.
05The East End Calendar
- Jul: First push in warm years. Canyon edges.
- Aug – Sep: Peak. Inshore pushes around lobster pots and weed lines.
- Oct: Thinning out. Inconsistent late-season shots.
- Nov: Done.