A little Wahoo Fishing Trick

Hey everyone, its Thursday night and I can’t sleep thinking about rigging lures for Wahoo and how to be efficient on the troll. Yes I do realize the sad life I live, but at least it’s better than not sleeping thinking about work – oh wait this is my work. Anyway, I digress. Now this, my friends, is minor – but is a serious and I mean a serious trick that will help you catch more Wahoo and more fish in general. It all comes down to the right swivel at the right place. I have been fishing and chartering for many years and in my experience, I would say that 90% or more of people fishing with Wahoo trolling jigs and wire leader do it in in-efficient manners. What they do is they take a lure and they attach a wire leader to the lure itself via crimp or twist without considering the possibility of a swivel. BUT WHY? Now what you have to do to change colors is unhook the other side of the wire from the swivel that starts the terminal tackle at the end of your braid, spectra or mono. Then you have to coil the wire and stuff the lure and the wire in a bag and get out a new lure with a coil and/or re-rig the new lure. Or maybe that lure is the hot color, but the wire gets damaged so you have to change, now you have to cut wind, crimp, etc. So how is this solved?

Simple!

I would encourage every Wahoo Angler to think before going out after Wahoo and have at least a couple of these rigs (yes swivel and all) ready and in a nice organized bag. This rig is separate from all your lures. Now, within 30 seconds you can change color, change size, replace wire etc all in no time and get your lure back in the water when needed. If there is one thing I have learned from pros vs rookies is that a pro does not rig on the boat unless an emergency. He is rigged and knows what to expect well before he steps foot on the boat. Of course, he is adaptable and can rig in emergency situations (its not like he leaves spare wire at home) but for the most part when going for Big Wahoo and other palegics, organization is the key when the bite is on. And one more word on the haywire twist. I don’t like it! Its fast, easy, and does work but unnecessary if you plan right. You will catch more fish without it. I challenge anyone to take their favorite lure 3 days on with a haywire twist against the same lure and 49 stranded basic stainless wire leader and see who wins. For whatever reason the haywire twist scares off fish. Might be the action of the lure, or something in the water, but they just don’t strike as well. I am big fan of straight wire smallest diameter possible and fluorocarbon over mono. Big money is paid to go fishing, don’t go cheap on your terminal tackle. But what about that big snap swivel at the end? I admit, you still might scare off some fish. So for tournament fishing or when the hoos are scarce I recommend a straight connection, but if they are around and biting, best to have the right color in quickly and one of them will bite even if a couple shy. This is not the end all for rigging, I wish it was that simple, but it is a good trick to have in the bag.