Wahoo Fishing Guide
Cockpit chaos, multiple hookups and unpredictable behavior make wahoo a pelagic favorite. Here’s how to catch them.
The vivid vertical stripes and long, slender body make this voracious member of the mackerel family unmistakable.
Cockpit chaos, multiple hookups and unpredictable behavior make wahoo a pelagic favorite. Here’s how to catch them.
Located near the easternmost protrusion of the Outer Banks, the Crystal Coast offers inshore opportunities and a relatively easy run to the Gulf Stream.
A large wahoo was caught well north of its normal range, giving the Rhode Island anglers quite the surprise.
There’s a reason anglers get psyched when a wahoo is on the line.
The vivid vertical stripes and long, slender body make this voracious member of the mackerel family unmistakable; the mouthful of sharp teeth identify it as a voracious striking predator in all offshore waters where it occurs, from the Middle Atlantic and Bermuda, through Florida, the Bahamas and Caribbean; Gulf of Mexico; and in the Pacific from California to Panama and Hawaii.
The most effective angling technique is often trolling deep in the water column around rips, weedlines and upwellings resulting from deep structure. However, they may be taken near the surface as well, on drifted live baits or lures trolled or cast around weedlines and flotsam. Wahoo prefer a faster trolling speed than most other offshore species, and spoons, plugs, skirted lures and feathers all produce, but must be rigged on wire or cable leader to prevent cutoffs.
Most commonly caught in the 20- to 50-pound range, they are often found approaching 100 pounds, and record specimens reach 150-pounds plus. The firm, white flesh is excellent in a variety of preparations.
Forge a winning wahoo strategy wherever you are
How to make wire fishing leaders.
Bermuda’s reefs and banks might offer some of the world’s best wahoo action.