Right now is one of the best times of the year to catch a Wahoo off the coast of North Carolina. They can be found in decent numbers in depths ranging from 180 - 300 feet. That means a pretty good boat ride for most of us but it is well worth it.
Wahoo are one of the fastest fish in the ocean reaching speeds over 50 miles an hour with ease. Fisherman know them as the greyhounds of the ocean. They range in size from 20 pounds to upward of 100 pounds with good numbers of them in the 25 - 40 pound range. They are related to king mackerels and at first glance there is a strong family resemblance.
With a mouth full of teeth and speed in the blood, these fish are fierce carnivores. They also are great fighters. They often will run several hundred or more yards several times after being hooked up. They have smoked more than one reel with their dazzling speed. They also can put on a decent aerial display when trying to dislodge the hook.
To top it all off, they make GREAT table fare. Much milder than their mackerel cousins but with a firm succulent texture. They are great marinated and then grilled.
Fast, good fighters and tasty! No wonder they are a favorite of offshore anglers the world over!
They can be caught on lures and natural bait. Some of my favorites artificial lures are the Yo-zuri Bonito in purple and black and the Mann Stretch 25's in dolphin colors. But my favorite way to target them is with big ballyhoo rigged behind a Bluewater Candy Jag3 skirt in purple/black or red/black. I always use a 3' wire leader in front of the lure as wahoo are very toothy and have long mouths which are highly likely to severe mono or fluorocarbon lines. I usually use either 30 wide or 50 wide reels with a good strong but smooth drag - you will need lots of line, they can pull a lot of line fast.
Good luck and hope you catch some HOO this season!
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OK. Wahoos are "ON THE LIST" of things Ive always wanted to do...
fontana, drum on fly, speck on fly, Nantahala Lake, keeper Walleye in nc/va, lake james, fish on a pontoon boat at night with lights for anything, flat head catfish, striper from a yak, any ocean fish from a yak,
it goes on and on and seems to grow faster than I can check em off. Good Post!
Wahoo Time
10-02-2009 07:17 PM
