WAHOO FISHING TECNIQUES 101

5 Best Techniques to Catch Wahoo. Wahoo fishing is on the rise because of its delicacy. Here are the best techniques to help you catch more wahoo. Wahoo, or Ono, as native Hawaiian would call them, are slender and some of the toughest predators found in the offshore waters around the world. Wahoo have extremely sharp teeth and can tear their prey in a scissor-like fashion. They are great jumpers and though it is quite uncommon we have seen hoos jump to a height of 10 feet out of the water. Their flesh is white to gray, delicate to dense and extremely delicious.

1. High-Speed Wahoo Trolling

Wahoo can swim at up to 60mph so the best way to catch them is to troll at a speed of least 10 knots. In order to target wahoo, set the lure back about 15 feet behind the boat and troll faster and closer to the boat than for other species.  Just outside the whitewater stir is ideal.  Use a six-lure spread to allow the bait to slow and sink on the turns making it easier for them to straighten when you speed up. You can put your remaining spread lures at 150, 250 or 350 feet on the port side, and 200, 300 or 450 feet on the starboard.

2. Wahoo Tackle

You can troll with 100lb braided line or the standard offshore trolling tackle is fine for wahoo. When casting for wahoo, ensure you use a medium tackle with a weight of about 60-80lbs.  Its best to use a crimpped wire leader. More hooks-ups will come on florocarbon but alot less fish end up in the boat.

3. Wahoo Lures

The best lures for Wahoo include the MagBay Desperado Series, Braid Marauders and Yo-Zuri Bonits Lures. When trolling, you can also try Rapalas, heavy jet heads like Submarinero Series or any other swimming plugs that can be trolled quickly.  MagBay Lures has developed the perfect spread for wahoo between small 6″ to Vallarta Vacona at 13″ and our Submarinero series trolled below the surface also become Wahoo Killers.

4. Wahoo & Bait

Wahoos are known to grab live baits such as the Pacific Mackerel, even though they are tricky to hook. Because baits don’t move as quickly as lures used for them, they are likely to inspect the lures and see the wire leader and shy away. Wahoo certainly will hit chunk baits if you hook them on lures or disguise them in chum chunk. Use live baits if you find them after trolling along weed lines, wrecks, oil rigs, and debris.

5. Look for Wahoo Everywhere

Wahoo species of fish populate anywhere the water is warm. If you want to target bigger wahoo troll bigger lures along weed lines, current breaks, natural peaks or wrecks and beneath debris offshore. Most big wahoos have been found in Bermuda, the ridges of Magdalena Bay, and the Pacific side of Panama. You can also target the fishing areas of Port Aransas, Texas, Cabo San Lucas and Magdalena Bay via San Diego. Which technique do you use to catch wahoo? Leave us a comment below.