Mahi Mahi (Dolphinfish)
Pelagic / BluewaterMahi mahi — dolphinfish or dorado — the spectacular blue-and-gold bluewater pelagic of WA's offshore waters. A fast-growing, surface-oriented predator that schools around floating debris, FADs, current lines and weed mats from the Gascoyne north and offshore from the lower west in summer. Blistering runs, acrobatic jumps, vivid colour, and outstanding eating.
Mahi mahi are the showpiece of WA's bluewater fishing — electric blue and gold, fast as anything in the ocean, and acrobatic enough to spend half the fight in the air. They're a warm-water pelagic that lives around structure on the open ocean: floating debris, weed mats, current lines, buoys, and the FADs (fish aggregating devices) deployed off parts of the WA coast. They follow the warm water down the coast in summer, reachable offshore from the lower west in the warm months and present year-round in the tropical north. They grow extraordinarily fast, school in good numbers (where there's one there are usually more), and are among the best eating pelagics going. Sight-casting to a lit-up bull mahi around a floating object is one of the highlights of an offshore season.
Whole pilchards, gar, slimy mackerel, squid, live yakkas or scad pitched to sighted fish
Skirted trolling lures, small to medium pushers, deep and shallow-diving minnows, chrome slugs, soft plastics and stickbaits cast to schooled fish
30–50lb mono leader to a single 6/0–8/0 hook or gang for whole baits; no wire needed (mahi don't have cutting teeth). For casting, a 40lb leader straight to a metal or plastic. Keep a pitch rod rigged with a live bait or plastic ready — when one fish is hooked, the school often follows it to the boat.
Troll skirts and minnows along current lines, temperature breaks and past any floating structure — debris, weed mats, buoys, FADs — at 6–8 knots. When you raise a fish, keep it hooked and in the water boatside; the rest of the school will hang under it, and you can pick them off with pitched baits and plastics. Sight-cast to fish holding around floating objects. They run hard and jump repeatedly, so keep the line tight through the aerials.
November through May in the lower west as the warm water pushes south, and year-round in the tropical north. The warm-water months and the period after summer storms (which scatter floating debris and weed) are prime. Early morning over current lines and around FADs is the best window.
Up to 2m and 30kg+, commonly 3–10kg
Nov–May (warm-water months); year-round in the tropical north
Outstanding — firm, moist, white-to-pink flesh with a clean, mild flavour that suits the grill, pan, tacos or a fresh ceviche. One of the most prized eating pelagics in WA waters. Bleed and ice on capture; the brilliant colours fade within minutes of landing, but the eating quality holds.
Mahi mahi (Coryphaena spp.): minimum size 500mm, within the statewide large pelagic finfish mixed daily bag of 3. Note that FADs are fitted with specific rules — check current arrangements. Always check current DPIRD rules — regulations may change.
Offshore from Perth and the South West in summer, the FADs and any floating structure are the first places to look; in the north, mahi show year-round on the current lines off Exmouth, Onslow and the Pilbara islands. Keep one hooked fish in the water to hold the school. Bull (male) mahi grow the big square forehead and the biggest fish; both sexes eat equally well. Don't waste the colour show — but get them bled and iced fast.