The Mahi-Mahi is one of the most beautiful fish in the game, and one of the most fun to catch at Kaiji No Ri. It is a fast, surface-hunting open-ocean predator that smashes a topwater popper in broad daylight, and it pays well for the effort. My Unique came in at 29.866 kg and 185.7 cm for 16,812 coins and 23,844 XP. This guide covers where to find it, the popper rig, and how to fish the surface for one of the map’s flashiest catches.
Why Target the Mahi-Mahi?
My Unique paid 16,812 coins and 23,844 XP, which is a strong return and a good chunk of XP for a single catch. That puts it comfortably in the upper half of the Kaiji No Ri pack, above the amberjacks and well above the small reef fish, though below the biggest trolling earners like the Yellowfin Tuna. The species reaches around 40 kg, so my 29 kg Unique was a good one but not the ceiling, and a bigger fish would pay more.
The bigger draw is how it fights and how it looks. Watching a Mahi-Mahi light up in blue and gold as it attacks a popper on the surface is one of the best moments on this map. It is an active, visual, hands-on way to fish, and the payout makes it worth doing rather than just a novelty.
It sits in my Kaiji No Ri cluster with my Yellowfin Tuna, Striped Marlin, Albacore, Dogtooth Tuna, Greater Amberjack, Japanese Amberjack, Narrow-Barred Mackerel, Striped Bonito, Bigfin Reef Squid, Giant Trevally, and Giant Grouper guides.
About the Mahi-Mahi
The Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), also known as the Common Dolphinfish, is a medium-sized pelagic predator common in tropical and subtropical waters everywhere. In the game it reaches up to 40 kg and more than two metres. It lives and hunts near the surface in the open ocean, with young fish flocking in small groups and big ones going solitary. It feeds on flying fish, mackerel, squid, and crabs, hunting mostly by day but also on bright nights.
The most useful line in its description is about finding it. You can spot Mahi-Mahi on the open sea by watching for birds, Sargassum algae, and floating debris, because forage fish gather around that cover and the Mahi-Mahi follows. That is your search tool: rather than fishing blind, look for surface activity and structure floating on the water, and fish around it. The game says to catch it by casting and high-speed trolling with lures, which is exactly the surface approach below.
Where to Catch Mahi-Mahi at Kaiji No Ri
I marked and caught mine near coordinates -1950.85, -790.82, out in the open water. This is an open-ocean surface fish, not a reef hugger, so fish it away from the islands where the tuna and marlin roam rather than tight to structure. Treat the coordinate as a starting area and cover water, watching the surface for the birds and floating cover the fish holds around. Launch from Green Harbor, head for open water, and drop a marker buoy once you find fish so you can work the area.
Best Time: Early Morning
I caught mine at 05:14, in the early morning, at 25 degrees air and 23 degrees water with light rain and a soft north easterly around 2 m/s. The Mahi-Mahi hunts mostly by day but is also active on bright nights, so dawn and daylight are your windows. Use the Time Forward feature to reach a morning slot if you arrive at a slow hour, and check the activity chart before you commit. As always, avoid Next Day, which sells your whole storage.
The Rig: A Topwater Popper Setup
This is the exact rig that caught the fish. It is a single-lure topwater casting setup, no sinker, no bait, and no leader:
- Rod: Midgard 160
- Reel: Lokasenna 22000
- Main line: Kaigen Fluoro 0.9 mm
- Lure: Stealth Popper 170 g, #8/0
The Midgard 160 is an X Heavy saltwater spinning rod with a fast action, which gives you the power to work a big popper and set the hook on a hard surface strike. The whole point of this setup is fishing the top of the water: you cast the popper out over open water and work it across the surface to draw the Mahi-Mahi up into a visible, explosive take. This is the same topwater style I use for the Dogtooth Tuna, but out in the open ocean rather than tight to the reef.
The Popper and How to Work It
The Stealth Popper is a listed preferred lure for the Mahi-Mahi, so it is the right tool. A popper sits on the surface and, when you twitch the rod, its cupped face pushes water and makes a splashing, popping action that mimics a fleeing or wounded baitfish. That commotion is what pulls a surface hunter like the Mahi-Mahi up to strike. Cast it out, let it settle, then work it back in sharp twitches with pauses, so it chugs and spits across the top. The Mahi-Mahi also takes Bucktails, Plugs, Crankbaits, Minnows, Walkers, Medium Spoon, Bullet Spinner, and Trolling Octopuses, plus baits like Crab, Gulf Shrimp, and flying squid, so you have options, but the popper is the most exciting way to catch it and it is what worked for me.
Landing It
The Mahi-Mahi is a fast, acrobatic fighter that runs and jumps rather than sitting heavy, so the fight is lively but not a grind. Keep steady pressure through its runs and do not give it slack, especially since a popper hook can throw on a jumping fish. On the X Heavy rig there is plenty of power for a 30 kg fish, so once you tire it out it comes up cleanly. At this weight you can lift it by hand, no crane needed.
Common Mistakes
Fishing blind. The Mahi-Mahi gathers around birds, floating debris, and Sargassum. Watch the surface for that cover and fish around it rather than casting at random open water.
Fishing the reefs. This is an open-ocean surface fish, not a structure hugger. Work the open water away from the islands.
Giving slack on the jump. The Mahi-Mahi leaps, and a popper hook can throw if the line goes slack. Keep steady pressure through the jumps.
Working the popper too gently. The splashing action is what draws the fish up. Twitch it sharply so it chugs and spits across the surface.
Pressing Next Day. It sells your whole storage, including a Unique. Use Forward Time to move within the same day instead.