# Wahoo



## Bullshark (Mar 19, 2009)

My gaol for the last 3 years has been to catch a Wahoo or manyon my yearly fishing trip to the keys. I am batting .000 so I need help before I go this year. Trolling speed, bait, depth and any tips and tricks would be much appreciated. Also can targeting Wahoo be successfully accomplished while fishing for Dolphin or is the speed of the troll and depthdifferent. I will be in the Keys for mini Lobster season the last week in July if that matters. I don't have out riggers and I use planers to get the bait down. Another big question is what is the best depth for Wahoo?


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## specslayer (Oct 9, 2007)

i caight mine on a stretch 30 so we were trolling slowish so you could put on or maybe 2 stretch 30s out and then have rigged ballyhoo for mahi


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## Bullshark (Mar 19, 2009)

I tend to do Mahi a little different than most. I catch more (all sizes) with no ballyhoo just a green and yellow Dusky brand skirt. I don't know knots but I troll at a pinch over 1500 rpm is that a good speed for Wahoo?


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

round here wahoo can be caught realistically just a mile or so off the beach all the way to cuba. buti like 220-300 feet for ideal wahoo fishing round here. down in the keys, if i had to guess, you wanna look for any kind of drop off or ledges. same way we fish for them in the bahamas. bottom drops off so fast we try to fish "the edge" and little cliffs, etc.

PM midnight run-i think he's down near the keys right now


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## Island24 (May 12, 2008)

I have had wahoo hit a stretch as well. I have had them hit the stretch and not get hooked up and come back around and eat the ballyhoo. You can get them on the same stuff most troll for Dolphin like ballyhoo with Ilander. Try the yozuri bonitos as well. I like around 300' of water. The edge is always a good spot.


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## Bullshark (Mar 19, 2009)

Thanks. For some reason I thought they were deeper and followed the Dolphin. Last year we were getting the nicer Dolphin schools at about 1000' plus. This year I will try the reefline or just off it. Do most of you troll the top or do you get the bait down? Also what is a stretch?


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## Magic236 (Oct 1, 2007)

Troll the ledges from 90' to about 300,' especially 180'-300' at 8.5 knots/10 mph with a combination of Yozuri Bonitas, Rapala's etc. While fishing for Dorado in the deeper water include a plug with nice action at whatever speed you troll and you will have a shot at a Wahoo. They can be caught trolling live bait and I've caught them trolling as slow as 5 knots, so you should have a shot while trolling for Dorado. 'Hoo do like edges but are also out in very deep water.


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## Pair-a-Dice (Jan 20, 2009)

If you fishing off Key West ask or find the LAT & LONG to a place called the "WALL" its kinda the equivalent to our Edge...alotta Wahoo and Sailfish are caught around it but for the bigger Dolphin you are better off in the deep water as you already know


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## Bullshark (Mar 19, 2009)

I'm not going to Key west but I am pretty sure that the wall or ledge runs the entire east coast of Florida. It goes form 45' to 120' inabout thirty yards then a little past that there is another from 120' to 300'+. This year I will be hitting up the humps. I have been hearing about that place forever but never tried it. Thanks for the info Magic.


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## amarcafina (Aug 24, 2008)

any tackle shop carries a varity of stretch lures, I like Mann and for trolling speed about 5-6 mph is as fast as you can pull a stretch 25-30 maybe even 4 mph.


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## Bryan Bennett (Dec 29, 2007)

To me the best wahoo getter is a Yo-Zuri Bonita in the F52 or F53 size, the 53 preferred. Just make sure to get the single-hook version. You can run it at your dolphin speed. The best thing is that it has no lip to get out of whack like a Stretch. Stretch's work but that lip does them in after a while. Another thought is if you troll by a likely wahoo patch like a pallett or log, but you get no bite, it does not mean they are not home. Rig a 6 oz. or so diamond jig with some wire leader and drop it down and work it up very fast. Try a live bait on a wire leader, too; sometimes they won't bite a trolled line but will bite a jig or livie worked near the floating object. Purple, orange, and black/pink are the best Yo-Zuri colors, good luck.


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## Triple R (Feb 24, 2009)

How deep do you run a Yo-Zuri bonita on a down rigger? And is the nipple and elbow a good spot to try for wahoo? Thanks


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## Magic236 (Oct 1, 2007)

I troll plugs from the flatlines. I would think that there is two much pressure using a plug on a downrigger. I use bait, dead and live, with my downrigger.


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## BILL_MONEY (Feb 17, 2009)

we do the islamorada humps every year around the 4th of july.... wahoo are not the in fish at that time but are there..... i use mostly small baits and necked hoo mixed... my new favorite are the baby boddy browns from mold craft... pull a yozuri bonito black and blue down the middle about 200-300 ft back minimum.....on a big reel. change the gorrilla hooks to mustad tunas on split rings to get them to lay right or even on swivels.... get the baits back away from the boat and be ready for some bumpy water the humps are usually rough due to the upwelling from the gulfstream.... our daily run out there is in a 21 hydrosport and usually lasts about 1 case of corrona long. when we run out of beer we head in and drink rum.... cause as the shirt says down there everything is better with rum...... ron zacappa centenerio 23 if you want some of the best you will ever poor:letsdrink


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## User6882 (Feb 4, 2009)

we usually troll black/purple illanders with ballyhoos on about a 6 ft piece of wire ran at 5 -8 knots.. we run 2 flat lines with 1 at about 50 ft on the starboard downriggern the other at 75 - 100 ft depending on depth off the port downrigger..

also if were out far enough we will pull a cedar plug off a shotgun line WAY back for a tuna


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