Saltwater · Year-round in the Florida Keys; best October to April when chummed over reefs

Ballyhoo

Hemiramphus brasiliensis

The classic sailfish trolling bait when rigged, the ballyhoo is also catchable and fun on micro tackle over reefs. It is a halfbeak: only the lower jaw is beaked, while needlefish have both jaws beaked — the key split between the two. Schools are chummed up behind anchored boats off the Florida Keys.

Seasons · Peak

Jan

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Ballyhoo — Photo: Andy Blackledge, CC BY 2.0 — Wikimedia Commons

Identifying features

Only the lower jaw is extended into a beak — a halfbeak
Upper jaw is short and triangular, not beaked
Long, slender silvery body with a greenish back
Deeply forked tail with a much longer lower lobe
No spines and no dark spots along the side

Habits

Schools at the surface over reefs and wrecks
Feeds on seagrass bits, plankton and small crustaceans
Comes readily to chum slicks behind anchored boats
Skips and skitters across the surface when chased
The classic rigged trolling bait for sailfish, mahi and marlin

Distribution

Tampa, FL · Florida★ Primary

Florida Keys, FL · Florida★ Primary

Venice, LA · Louisiana & Gulf ShoreCommon

Daytona Beach, FL · FloridaCommon

Where to find them

Patch reefs off Key Largo and Islamorada
Reef edges and wrecks off Marathon and Key West
Channel markers and reef balls along the Florida Atlantic coast

Where they live

Over patch reefs and wrecks in 20-60 ft (6-18 m)Around reef edges and channel markers in the KeysSurface schools over grass and sand near reefs

How to catch them

Hair-hook rigs over chummed reefs Boat

Rig: Ultralight spinning rod with a tiny hair-hook rig or small float and a shrimp bit, fished in a chum slick over reefs and wrecks

Bait/lure: Shrimp bits

Key tip: Chum them up behind the anchored boat first — ballyhoo gather in the slick, then pick them off one by one on micro tackle.

Cast nets and sabiki-style hair hooks at patch reefs Boat

Rig: Small cast net thrown over schooled fish, or sabiki-style hair-hook rigs worked around patch reefs and markers

Bait/lure: Hair-hook rigs, cast net

Key tip: Net only what you need for rigging; extra fish freeze poorly compared with fresh, lively ballyhoo.

Best baits & lures

Tiny pieces of shrimp on hair-hook rigsSmall bits of squid on tiny gold hooksMicro floats with shrimp bits over chum

Techniques for Ballyhoo →

Baseline setup

Rod: Ultralight to light 6-7 ft spinning rod
Line: 4-8 lb mono
Terminal: Hair-hook rigs, tiny gold hooks, small floats and chum

Recommended gear for this species

Rod · Best value

9' 5-weight fly rod outfit

≈ US$180-260

Covers chironomid lakes and small rivers with one setup.

Flies · Budget

Chironomid assortment (30 patterns)

≈ US$25-40

Chironomids are 60% of a lake rainbow's diet in spring.

Picks come from our rule library — never paid placements. Prices are guides; affiliate links may earn us a commission.

Typical size

Common 8-10 in (20-25 cm); large fish to about 12 in (30 cm)

On the table

Poor as a table fish — mainly a baitfish; best kept for rigging or released.

Similar species

Atlantic NeedlefishAtlantic needlefish has both upper and lower jaws extended into a long beak with teeth; ballyhoo is a halfbeak with only the lower jaw beaked and a short triangular upper jaw

Scaled SardineScaled sardine is a deep, flat herring-like fish with a shoulder spot and no beak; ballyhoo is long and slender with a beaked lower jaw

Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →

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