# Dolphins in area, leave or stay?



## rovster (Aug 21, 2018)

Cool stories on the Redfish thread but didn't want to derail it. This weekend I pulled up on a spot I wanted to fish and dolphin were tearing it up, I mean crazy violent. Went on for minutes! My question is if dolphin are in the area, do you leave or continue to fish? I've always seen the arrival of dolphins to the area I'm in as a cue to leave because they are looking for the same thing I am and I can't compete. Curious if you guys continue to fish the area if dolphin are lingering around. 

If they are actively feeding, I definitely leave. Haven't stayed enough to see if its a factor or not. Curious how you guys handle them.


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## Mako 181 (May 1, 2020)

I leave but not after have a minute or two to share my feelings with them.

.,’l);}^+?>~.,£¥.|]!!!


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## Captainp (Nov 27, 2016)

I usually leave but not before have a few words with the dolphins lol


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

I push on..... my experience is I never do good around dolphin.


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## Drifter (Dec 13, 2018)

I usually keep fishing, Im usually looking for fish way up the mangroves anyway.


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## jonny (May 1, 2007)

Action brings action 👍

Actually it depends on what they are focused on. If it’s shallow schools of reds I would most likely leave. If it’s mullet I will most likely stay till they get a belly full. Plus you may get to see some cool stuff. Like I have been blessed to see such as strand feeding in South Carolina. A local behavior only to that area. My sons and I sat and watched them play mullet toss a few weeks ago in Turtle Bay. Pretty good throws right into their buddies mouth. 😂

here is a video on strand feeding. It’s says Southeast. But I swear I heard a biologist say South Carolina. Plus they always go their right side he said. Which they are doing in this video as well.


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## finnish lines (6 mo ago)

I leave. I have never caught anything when dolphins show up. I share a few choice words as well, but am more frustrated that the dont understand me.


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## finbully (Jan 26, 2013)

I leave they are much better at catching than me!


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## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

same as sharks


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## Mako 181 (May 1, 2020)

I have seen them on a mangrove bank catching and tossing snook in the air. 

Something to see but....... I guess that’s nature.


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## bonitoman (May 20, 2021)

The only fish I catch when dolphins are around are ladyfish. They are fun but not when I am targeting redfish.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Stay


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## karstopo (Nov 28, 2019)

I usually stay. The dolphins often put on a show so it can be fun to watch. Dolphins will sooner or later move on, that’s been my experience.

I was wading in about 24”-30” of water in West Matagorda Bay not too far from the POC jetties and picking up a variety of fish when three dolphins started closing in. It kind of shut down the bite for a bit and one of the dolphins came to within three feet of me, but they moved on and the good fishing resumed.

Dolphins are frequently in the surf here and sometimes even in the first gut early in the morning. It doesn’t really mess up the fishing for very long or at all.

The worst time I had with dolphins was well offshore on a snapper trip. Couldn’t get any sardines down to the snapper as the dolphins kept robbing them off the hooks. We had to throw a bunch of bait out as chum to get them on that so that our baited hook could make it to the snapper. The snapper were big enough the dolphins left them alone.


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

Depends. If they are just passing through we stay, but if they are camping out around the skiff in the same area as us we leave.

I have found at our beach spot we like to go to that if they are hanging around we get no bites, and as soon as they leave the biting picks back up. Same with sharks, if we notice a lot in the area we go somewhere else.


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## rovster (Aug 21, 2018)

Maybe I'll start paying more attention. I've always just moved on when dolphin are either present when I arrive or arrive while I'm there. We did have a dolphin once come up to the boat and beg for a snack. It was like we were at the Seaquarium. Craziest thing. Came up to the boat and started nodding at us with his head out of the water. I need to see if I can dig up that video.


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## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

Time for a sammy and a gatorade. If they haven’t left by then….


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## skinny_fishing (Aug 30, 2021)

rovster said:


> Maybe I'll start paying more attention. I've always just moved on when dolphin are either present when I arrive or arrive while I'm there. We did have a dolphin once come up to the boat and beg for a snack. It was like we were at the Seaquarium. Craziest thing. Came up to the boat and started nodding at us with his head out of the water. I need to see if I can dig up that video.


Are you sure it wasn't Flipper? 

Have never seen that, but have seen them doing crazy shit feeding and they have scared the crap out of me more than I like. I had one following me around on an SUP once, he was being kinda playful and looking at me checking me out that was cool.


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## rovster (Aug 21, 2018)

Definitely acted like him. Maybe he escaped!


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

Depends if the family is with me. The wife and dog love them (along with sea turtles), the dog sees them first. 

If I'm alone then I leave.


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## Gatorbig (Jan 15, 2021)

Last evening was working a creek mouth by paddle board and fly rod. Once the sun started down the jet skis and tube pullers finally went in and bite started then 3 dolphin showed up and had their way with the redfish and I saw nothing for the next hour and a half I had left. I hate fishing weekends 😒


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## rovster (Aug 21, 2018)

Half Shell said:


> Depends if the family is with me. The wife and dog love them (along with sea turtles), the dog sees them first.
> 
> If I'm alone then I leave.


We've always had golden retrievers. We had one that was obsessed with dolphin. Every time he would see one he would jump overboard after them. One time we were on a sand bar and next thing I know he's 50 yards into a channel after a dolphin. Had to pick up and go get him on the boat. We used to have to leash him to the console!


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

My best day was just over a hundred reds caught on every artificial I had in the boat. One after another. Was crazy. Dolphins were around. Normal conditions I just wait till they move on. Things go normal quickly. I try not to feed them.


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## BBYC (Feb 23, 2018)

If there is nearby structure I try to fish the backside of it


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Staying unless they are eating what I release. 

I had to pull a fish from a dolphins mouth at the boat today.


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

I will stick around and fish outside them...when I catch a fish and they are around I motor away before releasing the fish


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## fjbolebruch (Apr 13, 2018)

Leave. Not only do they spook the gamefish, they’ll linger around your boat waiting to snag up any fish you release. I’ve even had them rest their chin on the gunnel of my gheenoe, mouth wide open waiting for me to feed it a lady fish. It’s pretty cool, but overall a little bit of a nuisance.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

jonny said:


> Action brings action 👍
> 
> Actually it depends on what they are focused on. If it’s shallow schools of reds I would most likely leave. If it’s mullet I will most likely stay till they get a belly full. Plus you may get to see some cool stuff. Like I have been blessed to see such as strand feeding in South Carolina. A local behavior only to that area. My sons and I sat and watched them play mullet toss a few weeks ago in Turtle Bay. Pretty good throws right into their buddies mouth. 😂
> 
> here is a video on strand feeding. It’s says Southeast. But I swear I heard a biologist say South Carolina. Plus they always go their right side he said. Which they are doing in this video as well.


That's really cool. I was watching a show about Patagonia and there is a population of Orca there that does the same thing with seals. It's the only place the Orca do it and it takes about 4 years for the older generation to teach the younger generation to do it.


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## millerrep (Apr 14, 2014)

If the porpoise leave, or swim through, usually means not much there. If they stay in the general area, I stay.


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## will98 (Dec 18, 2021)

I leave, unless I'm with outta towners and then I let them ooo and ahh 😂


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## rovster (Aug 21, 2018)

skinny_fishing said:


> Are you sure it wasn't Flipper?
> 
> Have never seen that, but have seen them doing crazy shit feeding and they have scared the crap out of me more than I like. I had one following me around on an SUP once, he was being kinda playful and looking at me checking me out that was cool.


Dont know how to post a video but here is a screenshot of the video we took of a dolphin begging like a puppy dog. We probably shouldn’t have fed it but it was such a cool moment we couldn’t resist!


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## dbrady784 (Feb 17, 2014)

Usually leave, they know what boats are and will follow. Fight them off on the regular during the day and night. Even gigging they’ll chase fish in and out of lights and try to take them off the gig.


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

Stay … usually push the reds in the shallow where they won’t go if they know we are around


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## Paul Mills (Mar 26, 2018)

I'd stay. I mean if dolphins were still working the harbour flats like they used to when I was a kid (for mullet) but sadly inshore commercial overfishing has seen an end to the big schools of mullet that dolphin chased and you just don't see them anymore. Like literally disappeared from those ecosystems. When is enough enough? Glad you guys can even have this discussion.


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## BrianD (Nov 27, 2021)

jonny said:


> Action brings action 👍
> 
> Actually it depends on what they are focused on. If it’s shallow schools of reds I would most likely leave. If it’s mullet I will most likely stay till they get a belly full. Plus you may get to see some cool stuff. Like I have been blessed to see such as strand feeding in South Carolina. A local behavior only to that area. My sons and I sat and watched them play mullet toss a few weeks ago in Turtle Bay. Pretty good throws right into their buddies mouth. 😂
> 
> ...


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## TylertheTrout2 (Apr 21, 2016)

We had a couple dolphins creeping around us while snook fishing last Friday, after releasing a couple of snook that the dolphins quickly snatched up, we left...The snook bite was hot so that wasnt the issue!! But every fish we released was getting eatin by them so we rolled out..


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## rovster (Aug 21, 2018)

TylertheTrout2 said:


> We had a couple dolphins creeping around us while snook fishing last Friday, after releasing a couple of snook that the dolphins quickly snatched up, we left...The snook bite was hot so that wasnt the issue!! But every fish we released was getting eatin by them so we rolled out..


This sort of answers my initial question for posting this. Will target fish still bite in the presence of a predator. I always thought the'd get out of dodge.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Paul Mills said:


> I'd stay. I mean if dolphins were still working the harbour flats like they used to when I was a kid (for mullet) but sadly inshore commercial overfishing has seen an end to the big schools of mullet that dolphin chased and you just don't see them anymore. Like literally disappeared from those ecosystems. When is enough enough? Glad you guys can even have this discussion.


You should clarify you are from New Zealand so some guys understand the context.
Yes, ignorant people are a nuisance and greedy people are a plague.


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

TylertheTrout2 said:


> We had a couple dolphins creeping around us while snook fishing last Friday, after releasing a couple of snook that the dolphins quickly snatched up, we left...The snook bite was hot so that wasnt the issue!! But every fish we released was getting eatin by them so we rolled out..


It's a good reason to have a livewell...I will stick snook, reds, or trout in my livewell and get out of the area to release them....I'd say here in the south IRL 50% of my hookups draw a dolphin or 2 to the boat...i won't feed em a perfectly good fish that needs to grow up and breed


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## Manbird (Jan 8, 2022)

I leave.


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## dodgerodder (Feb 9, 2021)

I cannot escape dolphin, they follow me 24/7

They realize my fishing talent.
Dolphins know I am releasing at least twenty snook (all over 40 inches) per tide change.

I do the work for them.

It’s a curse.


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## Fishshoot (Oct 26, 2017)

We covered this in another thread already. If you get there first, it is your spot. Don't let another mammal chase you off!!!


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

I usually stab 'em in the head with the push pole and then leave. Just kidding! I love to see them but they usually mess up the fishing.


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

rovster said:


> Cool stories on the Redfish thread but didn't want to derail it. This weekend I pulled up on a spot I wanted to fish and dolphin were tearing it up, I mean crazy violent. Went on for minutes! My question is if dolphin are in the area, do you leave or continue to fish? I've always seen the arrival of dolphins to the area I'm in as a cue to leave because they are looking for the same thing I am and I can't compete. Curious if you guys continue to fish the area if dolphin are lingering around.
> 
> If they are actively feeding, I definitely leave. Haven't stayed enough to see if its a factor or not. Curious how you guys handle them.


I would stay! You have a front row seat to some really cool performances by Mother Nature!


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## mwolaver (Feb 6, 2014)

The problem isn't whether you can catch fish near them...the problem is that they have learned to eat everything you release. I believe that trolling motors and even bottom machines attract them. They have become a fricking nuisance and I can't stand being anywhere near them. I can neither confirm nor deny that you can drive a dolphin away by attempting to run it over with your skiff... We bitch about sharks....not even close.


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## Brandon Brown (Jun 17, 2020)

i usually stay. I had 3 crashing bait schools and redfish the other day. They moved on after about 15 min. I then caught 5 slot reds and 12 nice flounder 20 min or so after they left


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## CayoTom (Jul 29, 2021)

I was trying to fish a canal and lagoon off the Indian river last week. Two dolphins were tearing it up. They were moving really fast all though the area, a feeding frenzy. Very cool to see. I figured that there had to be plenty of action once they left. They just kept at it right into a narrow,shallow part of the canal. I left.


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## Sailfish_WC (Mar 7, 2019)

They’ve stolen many of my fish. Usually the bite shuts down too. 
not always.


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## mariscos (Jun 19, 2015)

I don't fish the shorelines they are on. I've caught plenty of fish on the opposite shorelines when they are around.


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## stoked (7 mo ago)

Break time. Eat a sandwich, have a cold drink and regroup. If it’s a narrow creek I leave. If it’s a open area and bait is still present I may stay. I believe fishing times, tides and weather play a important part. If I feel there is enough time left I move.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

OMGosh how did I miss this thread? It depends on what part of the country you’re located in. In Tampa Bay unequivocally LEAVE.


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## bcblues (Apr 10, 2018)

I can't remember ever having much luck while dolphin are around.


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## jr912 (Feb 4, 2021)

I'll typically give them a little while before I move. Normally they don't stick around too long


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## Snookyrookie (Sep 9, 2016)

I typically leave, I’ve never had success when they’re around. Of course, I hardly ever have success when they’re not around….hmmm 😂


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