# sailfish/ wahoo



## bladeco (Oct 6, 2007)

Just a question really quick. how close in is it possible to catch sailfish and wahoo? I know I have heard of wahoo being caught in pretty close before. Do they usually follow the weedlines like the mahi mahi? I know last year I went out with some friends on their boat and we found weedlines in within 10 miles of pcola pass. is this the norm in the spring and early summer? just wondering since I am new to fishing in the gulf. did mostly pacific ocean fishing and the lakes up in South Dakota/Minnisota. thanks for any info you can provide.


----------



## bonita dan (Oct 3, 2007)

During the spring months the sails will come very close in to the beach to feed. Pretty cool to see them free jumping out there. I've never tried to catch a hoo close inbut ya never know. The odds are not in your favor to try so I usually start my troll from like the Oriskany or around that range out. Back on the sailfish note though,there have been guys that have caught them drifting out by the #1 bouy and surrounding area using live bait. Give it a shot but beware,there might be other boats out there doin the same thing and I'd hate to have to :moon ya on a public fishing forum


----------



## nb&twil (Oct 2, 2007)

its not real common, but i have seen multiple sailfish from navarre pier. and i know at least one was landed on pcola pier in recent years. when i worked on charter boats in destin, we hooked sails in less than 100' water drifting livebaits behind the boat while bottom fishing. i cant remember a time when ive seen or even heard of a wahoo being terribly close to the beach. usually the edge and further seem to be good producing depths from what ive seen.


----------



## nb&twil (Oct 2, 2007)

in fact, (on the sailfish note) it is my wife's and my goal to catch a sailfish from our tandem kayak. weve set out to do it a few times... paddled out, caught plenty of live bait and trolled up to a few miles out on calm summer days. we're probably wasting time, but its time well spent and we've caught plenty of kings this way.

i would probably doodoo myself if i actually had a billfish that close to me, and jumping! i freak out when i see them from a 50' boat, id probably get so excited id flip and lose the fish being that close to one!


----------



## Xanadu (Oct 1, 2007)

Your best bet for both of these species is at the edge. You don't need to go too deep for hooters, but more than 120' or so should be about right. Certainly, they'll find and inhabit weedlines just like any other predator. Clear green to blue water should be necessary and the sails will be in the same general area. Live bait fishing from a kite should get you the best shot at sails and hooters and anything else hungry will go at it too.

Maybe float a small endangered red snapper or asoon to be endangered hardtail from a kite or balloon with a bit of 100# mono and see if a sail will eat. For hooters, you'll need a bit of wire - maybe6" would work hooked to a #6 circle hook.


----------



## bladeco (Oct 6, 2007)

I appreciate the info and Dan :sick you need some sun bro! haha when do the weedline usually come in?


----------



## BSartistX (Oct 8, 2007)

About a year ago a 113lb wahoo was caught 13miles off the coast of alabama. They were bottom fishing and had a dead northern mac on a flyline and they got lucky. Fish will roam all over and sometimes you might get lucky like these guys, but as far as targeting sails and wahoo, I would venture out to the edge and start there.

Brad


----------



## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

we regularly catch wahoo within 15 miles or so of the beach. that is not uncommon. as for sails, i second what xanadu said. sails very often roam relatively shallow water compared to their marlin cousins. in fact, every sail we hooked last year was less than 300 feet of water.


----------



## Buzzbait (Oct 3, 2007)

> *The Blue Hoo (2/13/2008)* in fact, every sail we hooked last year was less than 300 feet of water.


Wow, once again, you sound like you cover it all. Please give us some stats on how many sails you successfully tagged last year and what tactics you are using to successfully target these fish in less than 300 feet of water. Certainly not doubting you and I am sure one would want to do a little bragging anyway over such a unheard of and uncommon story.


----------



## Xanadu (Oct 1, 2007)

> *Buzzbait (2/14/2008)*
> 
> 
> > *The Blue Hoo (2/13/2008)* in fact, every sail we hooked last year was less than 300 feet of water.
> ...




Personally, I almost never see them. Last year we caught exactly 1. It was out deeper, but if you were to target them specifically in this area, it would be in shallower water. I think you'd be best advised to find blue water over structure in anywhere from 120-350'. JMHO based on my S. Fl experience, but we miss them here because we're generally much deeper pulling baits that are way too big.


----------



## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

5 sailfish were caught during the month of October off Panama City Pier one season. An occasional sailfish will drift in to shallow water during spring and fall. Wahoo typically stay farther out but are very common at the edge during the month of May. I do remember a wahoo caught off Navarre pier in the late 60's.


----------



## brnbser (Oct 1, 2007)

> *Buzzbait (2/14/2008)*
> 
> 
> > *The Blue Hoo (2/13/2008)* in fact, every sail we hooked last year was less than 300 feet of water.
> ...


no not everyone jumps on here and brags about it. last year we caught a white in 150', had a blue free jumping by us in 120' and had numerous friends catch sails and whites in 150' or less, something like 6 or 7 that I personally know of last year.......all SKA anglers not targeting bills but all caught live baiting.

while sailfishing in S.Fl last year, we never got more than 150-200' of water........I'm not sure why everyone thinks it's so uncommon to catch them in shallow water.


----------



## Buzzbait (Oct 3, 2007)

I am certainly not saying sailfish arent caught or seen in shallow water. I agree with what has been said in terms of your best opportunity around here being between the edge and the beach. Blue Hoo's wording in his post made it seem to say that he regularly catches sailfish around here.I simply find this to be a fairly remarkable feat. Sure I know there are several caught every year of the piers and off boats but I also think that these catches off boats are usually somewhat of a freak occurance in the since that the boat is usually not specifically targeting sailfish. 

I have been specifically targeting billfish for about 12 years around here and have never caught or been on the boat whena sailis caught. I would personally love the opportunity. Just thought the Blue Hoo might share a story of what I took to be his implied success in targeting these fish.


----------



## markw4321 (Oct 4, 2007)

Blue Hoo,

you up on the net? I'm also interested to here about your sail fish tactics. Drifting with live bait on a kite South Florida style? Slow trolling? Tower spotting and pitching live baits?

Mark W


----------



## brnbser (Oct 1, 2007)

unless your specifically targeting south fl style with kite's and gog's the best way for our area is kingfishing style - bump trolling hardtails with extremely light line and tackle


----------



## tidefanjam (Oct 2, 2007)

i would suggest the edge as your best bet.as others have said,wahoo are there most of the time during the summer.illanders and ballyhoo is what we have had the most luck with there.and last summer we caught a sail there as well,it hit a ballyhoo that was free floating while we were re-rigging a different rod.


----------



## billin (Oct 14, 2007)

Well dont get me wrong this is very uncommon I had a hard time beliving my own eyes but last may i caight a 40 lbs hooter in 40 feet of water live bait king fishing out of destin this is the first and only one i have ever seen are heard of being caught in under 120 feet of water but Where i come from we dont catch freakin MAKOs just off the beach This is one crazy ass fishery down here.


----------



## mack_attack2 (Nov 24, 2007)

i know they catch wahoo and sailfish in 80 feet of water all the time


----------



## gmoney (Oct 3, 2007)

Just about every year a sailfish or two is caught around the seabouy just out of the pass in desting. They are caught while live-bait trolling for kings. And on two trips last year off the new florida girl I saw a sailfish free jumping 150-200 yds off the boat in state waters around 180ft. The year before on my boat I was seeing a sailfish about every other trip,several times around the Thomas hayward 7 miles from thepass.Ihad finally decided to give them a try when i cracked the block on my engine :banghead :banghead :banghead Looks like I ll have the boat running again by june, And then Ill give it a go. I figure Ill start off trolling some high-speed chrome jet heads and if that doesnt work Ill try drifting with livebaits. If that doesnt work Ill just livebait troll for kings and hope for the best After all the worst that can happen is i spend a day on the water and dont catch anything(very unlikely). Just for the record, i have seen sailfish 160miles offshore while long lining, so it would seem that they have a wide range of suitable habitats.


----------



## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

> *gmoney (3/6/2008)* The year before on my boat I was seeing a sailfish about every other trip,several times around the Thomas hayward 7 miles from thepass.


True that!!! I haven't caught one there yet though, maybe this year?!


----------



## gmoney (Oct 3, 2007)

First time i saw a sailfish in the water out of destin (not long-lining) we almost ran it over. We saw something floating in the water near the hayward and thought it was a trashbag/rubber raft and decided to check and see if it was holding fish, and if not we were going to get it out of the water. As we pulled up along side it, maybe 2-3 ft from the starboard side of the boat the 'trash bag' extended his sail and went straight to the bottom!! decided it wasnt likely that we could catch it but put out a couple of lures anyways and trolled around..Of course we didnt get the sail fish but we did end up nailing close to a 40# king mackeral as a consolation prize. several times after that we saw a sailfish working baits within a few miles of the hayward, probably the same fish


----------



## Downtime2 (Sep 27, 2007)

I know this year there were an unusual amount of sails caught. The bite was closer in on them too. I don't know the numbers but remember several conversations about how there were alot around. Oh, BTW, I personally have seen blues caught in less than 300 feet several times. Not the norm, but when the water is right, they will do like any other fish and follow the bait....


----------



## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

The thought of a tail walking sail makes me super horny.

Speaking of horny, Wade you were looking good the other day.


----------



## Downtime2 (Sep 27, 2007)

Sorry, I am spoken for. (Except for boat prostitution)


----------



## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

lol, i hear ya.


----------



## Downtime2 (Sep 27, 2007)

Haven't got a tailwalker. How about a jumper?


----------



## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

Nice Wade. I'm gonna get me one of them there fish one day, I swear it.


----------



## seanspots (Oct 4, 2007)

My first sail and she weighed 78 lbs.


----------



## Xanadu (Oct 1, 2007)

How did you weigh it?


----------



## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

not only does that sail have some rough colors on it, but is it a pacific?


----------



## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

> *Xanadu (3/7/2008)*How did you weigh it?


BOGA-GRIP!!!


----------



## seanspots (Oct 4, 2007)

> *Xanadu (3/7/2008)*How did you weigh it?


I killed it and had a skin mount done,since it was my first.I gave the meat to the locals.I love Mexico!:letsdrink


----------

