Mahi Mahi Fishing in Texas
Coryphaena hippurus
Also known as: Dolphinfish, Dorado, Mahi
Texas quick take
Texas trips improve fast when you combine rig hopping with disciplined passes on nearby weed and current lines.
Max Length
210cm
Typical trophy size
Max Weight
39.9kg
Record class
Water Temp
70–86°F
Preferred range
Difficulty
3/5
Skill level
How to catch Mahi Mahi in Texas
Texas trips improve fast when you combine rig hopping with disciplined passes on nearby weed and current lines.
Where to fish for Mahi Mahi in Texas
Target Flower Garden Banks water, deep Gulf rigs, and offshore buoys once blue water pushes over the western Gulf.
Fish sargassum mats and current edges that form near manmade structure instead of separating those patterns.
Use long-range offshore ports that let you sample multiple rigs and floating objects in one weather window.
How to work the pattern in Texas
Troll around each rig or buoy first to see whether fish are holding on the current-facing side.
Cast jigs, poppers, or live bait into the shade line once mahi appear under the structure.
Shift to the nearest weed line when the rig bite dies instead of staying on empty steel.
Seasonal behavior in Texas
Texas mahi fishing centers on warm-season offshore runs, with the fishery improving through late spring and peaking in summer once blue Gulf water and sargassum stabilize offshore. Summer fish hold around rigs, buoys, and floating weed more than on long uninterrupted weed lines, which gives Texas its distinct structure-heavy pattern. Fall still produces whenever warm blue water lingers around the outer Gulf structure, but the bite falls quickly when water color degrades. Winter opportunities are limited because productive pelagic water is less stable and usually too far for routine runs.