# Blue Water in the Winter...



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

Looking for options and opinions on trolling in the winter. This one is looking much cooler than previous and I've never been blue water fishing in the winter months other than the rigs. Is it worth going? Swords still around? What are my best bets.


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## Scruggspc (Mar 20, 2013)

Wahoo and big ones!


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## Mikvi (Mar 11, 2008)

Caught my biggest Hoo (103) in February.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

Ill give it a try. Finally got everything running good on the Rampage and am itching to get out. I usually fish for wahoo from the edge to the ozark area, is this far enough out. Do you reccomned running trolling weights?


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## Scruggspc (Mar 20, 2013)

bigrick said:


> Ill give it a try. Finally got everything running good on the Rampage and am itching to get out. I usually fish for wahoo from the edge to the ozark area, is this far enough out. Do you reccomned running trolling weights?


Yea just look for structure and bait.


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## recess (Oct 8, 2007)

Lots of blackfin all around , and there is always a chance for a wahoo . swords are always around just hard to rough the cold night , it gets very cold out there!!! He had a big wahoo eat a small bonita Saturday right under the boat. Also had a bunch of chicken dolphin swarm the boat for a while.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

The only thing that really leaves the gulf are the dorado. While I am sure there is some sort of migration of other pelagics, staying with the gulf stream, flotsam and what not, yellowfin, bigeye, marlin, wahoo, swords can be caught year round, and with regularity, any month out of the year. If you head out to open water and just put out your standard spread of plastics during December, you're just about wasting your time. But if you specifically target wahoo, marlin, or tuna and fish accordingly, the fish are BIG in the wintertime. Good wahoo day in the winter time and you're gonna put 10 in the boat from 40-80 pounds in very, very short order. Daytime bite for swords usually yields bigger fish.


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## jcasey (Oct 12, 2007)

If you head out to open water and just put out your standard spread of plastics during December, you're just about wasting your time. But if you specifically target wahoo, marlin, or tuna and fish accordingly, the fish are BIG in the wintertime. Good wahoo day in the winter time and you're gonna put 10 in the boat from 40-80 pounds in very, very short order. Daytime bite for swords usually yields bigger fish.[/QUOTE]

I am still very new to going offshore. So, how do you specifically target wahoo ? Do they stay on the drop offs deep during the winter ? Any more details would be appreciated.


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## Scruggspc (Mar 20, 2013)

I am still very new to going offshore. So, how do you specifically target wahoo ? Do they stay on the drop offs deep during the winter ? Any more details would be appreciated.[/QUOTE]

Wahoo are fast feeders that ambush their prey with the help of structure (oil rigs, drops offs, floating debris, etc..). The slightest change in bottom contour can cause bait to gather in that area. A good wahoo spread can consist of some sort of shaking lures off the transom (braid maurader, yo-Zuri Bonita,etc..) these can be run with a in line trolling lead depending on speed. From the riggers or other gunwale spots you can run ballyhoo/ilander combo also with in line leads depending on speed. If you troll under 11 knots or so ballyhoo/ilander combos will work if your gonna troll faster than that leave the ballyhoo off. I'm not sure what your cruising speed is on that rampage but if it isn't over 24 knots I would be pulling atleast one or two high speed lures everywhere I went.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Water temp and bait supply dictates what species of pelagics will stay *in your range*. Most are right in saying that the bluewater bite can be good year round and that is true, but there's a huge difference in what is happening out of Venice, Orange Beach, Destin and PCB and is then dictated by what kind of range you are capable of fishing. The best thing to do is subscribe to an online site that shows water temps, chorophyll charts (water color indicator) and other useful tools to determine whether you should go or not. Hilton's Realtime Navigator is tops IMO and well worth the money. Watching for local reports helps too of course

Swordfish are pretty much the main exception in the fact that you truly can catch them year round regardless of water temps and such. They have an enormous range for preferred water temps and can survive in water just above freezing to 90 degrees


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

If you have the range, almost every rig in 220-600 feet of water will hold wahoo this time of year. Some fantastic wahoo fishing around the main pass 255 and 225 rigs and surrounding areas; VK 817, etc. 3 line spread of crankbaits (rapala xrap, bombers, mirrolures, yozuri bonitas) staggered behind the boat and you can load up in no time. If you can find a good current line, make sure your bottom finder is on and put out the aforementioned spread. If you're marking fish 40-90 feet down, it's usually wahoo. High speed trolling the edge/elbow can be productive as well, but this time of year, I wanna be around vertical structure.


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## jcasey (Oct 12, 2007)

Very good information to know. Thanks.


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## Eastern Tackle (Jul 6, 2009)

bigrick said:


> What are my best bets.


A good bet would be to take me along :thumbup:


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