🎣 TWO SLAMMER MEMBERS LAND 60+ LB MAHI ON THE SAME DAY — CONSERVATION IS WORKING

May 18, 2026 — Back-to-back slammers out of Islamorada today as two S.A.F.E. Slammer members put their anglers on bull mahi over 60 pounds. Same day. Same island. Different boats. And it's the kind of day that makes you believe in what we're building.

This is exactly what we've been fighting for.

⚓ Captain Kenny Spaulding — F/V Caribsea

Captain Kenny Spaulding of the Caribsea — a third-generation Islamorada charter captain with deep roots at Bud and Mary's Marina — put angler Ron Hodges of Fort Myers on a 65-inch bull mahi that pushed well past 60 pounds.

Here's the detail on the catch:

• Boat: Caribsea
• Captain: Kenny Spaulding
• Angler: Ron Hodges — Fort Myers, FL
• Tackle: 30 lb spinning rig, BG 90 reel
• The hook-up: Self-hooked on the drop — Ron grabbed the rod and it was game on
• Fish: 65-inch bull mahi, 60+ pounds

Three generations of Spaulding blood in the charter fishing business, and Kenny's been running his own show since 26. The Caribsea is a comfortable, well-equipped fishing machine, and today she proved it again. Light tackle on a bull that size? That's a hell of a fight.



Angler Ron Hodges of Fort Myers with a 65-inch bull mahi caught on 30 lb spinning tackle aboard the Caribsea with Captain Kenny Spaulding.

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⚓ Captain Joe Snyder — F/V Coral Sea

Captain Joe Snyder of the Coral Sea — a classic 38-foot Harris sportfishing vessel — had his crew in the zone today too.

The details:

• Boat: Coral Sea Charters
• Captain: Joe Snyder
• Angler: Clayton
• Location: 450 feet of water under Black Bird
• Bait: Live mahorra — the bull couldn't resist
• Tackle: 20 lb spinning tackle
• Fish: Trophy bull mahi, 60+ pounds

On 20 pound test with live mahorra as bait, Clayton put the wood to a beast of a bull. Coral Sea runs out of Islamorada on a well-maintained classic vessel, and Captain Joe knows exactly where to put his people on the bite.

Angler Clayton with a trophy bull mahi caught on 20 lb spinning tackle aboard the Coral Sea with Captain Joe Snyder.

💪 This Is What Conservation Looks Like

It's no coincidence that both of these charters are S.A.F.E. Slammer members — and it's no coincidence that we're seeing more big fish like this rolling through the Florida Keys.

For years, S.A.F.E. has been on the front lines of the Save the Mahi Mahi campaign — pushing for lower bag limits, fighting for commercial trip limits, and driving science-based management that lets these fish grow to their full potential. The result? Florida adopted stronger mahi regulations in 2024, and federal review is underway.

Days like today are the payoff.

When you see a 65-inch bull on 30 lb test or a 60+ pounder on 20 lb spinning gear, you're looking at fish that had time to grow because someone chose to let a few go. That's the whole mission right there.

The bigger fish are starting to come back. It's happening. Slowly, but it's happening — and these two catches back-to-back on the same day out of the same harbor is exactly the kind of signal we've been waiting for.

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🎣 Fish hard. Conserve harder.