Mahi at a glance
- Also called
- Dolphin, dolphinfish, dorado; "bulls" (males) and "cows" (females); "gaffers" and "schoolies" by size
- Season here
- About April to July, peaking May and June; some through fall
- Where
- Gulf Stream edge, weedlines (sargassum), floating debris, temperature breaks
- How
- Trolling ballyhoo and lures; casting to schools; chunking
- SC record
- 77.5 lb, Seabrook Island, 2008 (SCDNR)
- Limits
- Managed under SAFMC's dolphin-wahoo rules; check current limits
When and where
Mahi follow warm water. Off the Grand Strand, the run usually starts in April, peaks in May and June, and tapers through summer, with scattered fish into fall. They feed around sargassum weedlines, floating debris, and temperature breaks along the western edge of the Gulf Stream.
How they are caught
- Trolling. The standard method: a spread of rigged ballyhoo, skirted lures, and small artificials pulled at 6 to 8 knots along weedlines and color changes.
- Casting to a school. When one mahi is hooked, the rest of the school often follows it to the boat. Keeping a hooked fish in the water and pitching baits to the others can produce many fish.
- Birds. Frigatebirds and terns working over the water often mark mahi under bait.
Big males ("bulls") have steep, blunt foreheads; females ("cows") have rounded heads. Most fish are 5 to 20 pounds; 30-pound-plus fish are a good catch. South Carolina's record, 77.5 pounds, was caught off Seabrook Island in 2008, per SCDNR.
Rules
Dolphin and wahoo are managed together under the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's dolphin-wahoo plan, with recreational size and bag limits and per-boat limits that have been revised recently. Check the SAFMC regulations and the SC guide before your trip; your captain will know the current numbers.
Booking a mahi trip
Book a full-day offshore charter in May or June, and tell the captain mahi are your target. Have a backup weather day. Read deep sea and Gulf Stream fishing and seasickness before you go.
Eating them
Mahi are among the best-eating fish in the ocean: mild, sweet, and firm. Ice them immediately and ask the crew to fillet and skin them at the dock.
More Mahi-mahi (dolphin) photos
Photo credits and licenses · Photos are illustrative, not a specific local boat, business, or catch.
Who you will deal with
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405
NDBC buoy 41004 (Edisto)
More offices, with notes, are on the local resources page.
Find local help
Listings come from public records or from the business itself. A listing is not a recommendation.
Common questions
Is mahi the same as dolphin?
The fish, yes; the mammal, no. Mahi-mahi (dolphinfish) are a fish. Captains on the Grand Strand usually call them dolphin; restaurants usually say mahi.
Can I catch mahi on a headboat?
Sometimes, on Gulf Stream headboat trips that drift or stop near weedlines, but headboats focus on bottom fishing. A private offshore charter that trolls is the better bet.
How far out do you go for mahi?
Usually to the Gulf Stream or near it. Local fleets describe Gulf Stream trips as about 35 to 60-plus miles offshore. In some years, mahi come closer on warm-water eddies.
Related guides
More offshore and gulf stream fish
Sources
Official sources checked on October 29, 2026.