Killer Attitude: Wahoo Fishing Tips

Few oceanic predators are as vicious – and toothy – as wahoo. And at as winter arrives the Texas coast is actually one of the hottest wahoo zones in the Continental US. True, you’ll have to make a long run to get in on the action (which takes place 70-plus miles offshore from the Galveston area, and 35 or more miles from Port Aransas at the offshore rigs). But as anyone who’s fought wahoo can arrest, the distances traveled are well worth the reward. You want to get in on this action? Then check out these wahoo fishing tips.

1. Always add a trace of wire to your rig or lure, even when trolling lures that can’t be bitten through (like the spoon seen here). Wahoo usually strike at the head of a baitfish, aiming for the eyes. As a result, lures are quite commonly bitten off if there isn’t at least a foot or so of wire between the attachment point and the fishing line.
2. Put dark colors in the spread. For whatever reason, wahoo favor dark-colored offerings. Purple/black, orange/black, and similar shades often temp them into biting.
3. Get some offerings well beneath the surface. The use of diving pugs, in-line planers, and downriggers will all help. Wahoo often like to attack from several feet to 20 feet down, and deep baits may save the day as surface offerings get ignored. Lead and wire line can help, too, though this tactic requires so much weight that regular rods can’t be used and dedicated “broom-sticks” need to be utilized.
4. Pick up the pace. Wahoo are speedsters, and many anglers target them at eight knots or more. Some people even push the speed up into the teens, when targeting this species.
5. Try going live. Blue runners rigged with tandem hook rigs (a J up front and a treble in the rear, much like a king mackerel rig) will tempt wahoo into biting any day of the week. Wire is again imperative, however, and nothing less than 100-pound test should be used with live bait rigs as their teeth can saw through thinner wires.