How to Catch Dolphin

These fish are normally easy to catch.
 When I say normally, I mean more then half of the times you locate them it is just a matter of putting a baited hook in front of them. If you have fished for them much you know that catching dolphin rarely is as easy as you would like it to be. These fish sometimes have lock jaw and wont eat the finest of fish food.

Trolling is a great method of locating fish.
 Covering vast amounts of water usually results in crossing paths with these golden gems. If you troll for 8 hours in a day and you are traveling at 10 knots then you have covered 80 miles of water. Dragging baits over 80 miles of water should produce fish. However, if that 80 miles is void of fish and the very next mile is holding fish you have wasted you fuel, time, energy, and efforts. Find something that is different with the water you will be trolling and concentrate your efforts there. If you have trolled 87 degree water for 3 hours without success then try finding the edge of a different temperate water and give that some time. I like the edge. The edge of a temperature change, the edge of a weed line, the edge of a drop off, or the edge of a current. Near an edge you can sample two different types of water with the same efforts.

Prospecting or "Run And Gun" is another efficient way to locate them.
  Run your boat until you find structure or actually find the fish. Running at a higher rate of speed will cause you to cover allot more water than trolling. I look for floating tree limbs, logs, boards, or trash. Every item I find no matter the size gets a bait thrown under or near it. I have caught Dolphin under very small one gallon containers. Any structure in the vast open ocean provides shelter for smaller bait fish. Running also brings you and the fish together faster. On more than one occasion I have gone out and come back in less 3 hours with a limit of Dolphin.

Getting them to eat your bait is the end of the adventure.
 Finally you have located the fish and now you just need them to take the bait. Cut bait of any sort will do the trick. Try squid, fish, shrimp, crabs, or any other item you can stick on a hook. I have caught fish with my shoe. See the picture for proof. Yes that is my flip flop in my hand.
 Some days it can be the complete opposite. It wouldn't matter if you had a fillet mignon wrapped in bacon on your hook and they just won't eat it. Even a live bait makes them nauseous. At times like these I try every item on the boat and find it doesn't matter they just are not going to feed. I do find that if you can stay with them long enough sometimes they will turn on and actually eat something.