# Wahoo lures?



## Michael f sights

Just wanted to know your favorite wahoo lures & if you use trolling weights? Also, do you use a Bimini Twist for a double line?

I fish out of PC & Destin, I have only caught a few on Black Bart's Rum Cay Candy. I am running a 30w & 50 Shimanos both w/ 50lb mono.

I am new to the site, but the info here looks great.
Thanks for your advice!


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## IrishBlessing

Not sure I am new to trolling but doing an 18hr trip sat night. We are going to try a #3 planer a #5 planer. We will use an assortment of lures and bait. I will post and let you know Sun night.


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## billin

*Hoo*

Not sure exactly what you are asking but any dark colored will work and yes a planer or weight helps


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## eddiem84

Dark colors, purple/black or orange/black work well. Yozuri Bonitas work well, as do Hawaiian Eye/ballyhoo combos.


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## MSViking

trolling weights are primarily used when high speed trolling for wahoo (excess of 12 knots). It is virtually impossible to high speed troll in an outboard boat due to the boat wanting to plane at such speeds. In a larger inboard boat you can troll at those speeds and then the weights are critical. In an outboard boat at slower speeds they are not near as important Lipped plugs like the Mann 30s are good wahoo baits at slower speeds.

I tie both the Bimini and the australian plait for my double lines. I prefer the plait as it allows me to tie a long double w/o help and w/o having to have the entire length of knot under tension when tying. You could tie a 300' double line all by yourself in a closet using the plait.

Robert


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## MrFish

> I prefer the plait as it allows me to tie a long double w/o help and w/o having to have the entire length of knot under tension when tying. You could tie a 300' double line all by yourself in a closet using the plait.


This is the reason I tie a spider hitch as opposed to the Bimini.


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## billin

*Hoos*

Don't get to spun up about the high speed thing either it works sometimes but I have found a 32 oz trolling weight with a islander (anything with black I
It) pulled at 7 knots on the second wake to be deadly more times than I can count wahoo aren't particuarly boat shy same set up with a yozri wobbler works as well without the weight or you can use a #3 planner it all works


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## BILL_MONEY

second the spider hitch unless tourney rigging... as for the HOO's... i have caught way more trolling for marlin on the short corners on accident than i have ever caught high speeding for them.... but i did catch my largest 70# plus on a high speed doing 19 knots.... Blue and white islander flash with the extra rubber skirt and stiff cable rig...


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## catdad100

16.oz.or bigger trolling weight and wahoo wacker(red/black or purple/black) has worked well for me.


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## Yaker88

Not sure if you can get ahold of any but the No-Alibi orange head with black & red feathers.....preferably with a good rigged ballyhoo right behind it. I've won good money in a bunch of tournaments with that set up for wahoo.


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## Kim

_Dark color lures work great. _ Just remember sometimes you're not the only one fishing in the same spot! I've had good success with the Cruiser lure in dark colors rigged with a horse bally hoo.


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## PCfisher66

Your supposed to catch the whole fish not just the head. That would have been a nice fish.


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## matttheboatman

*Wahoo - The easiest AND most difficult fish to catch!*

Everyone knows I've been on a 5 year mission (some might say a very looooong learning curve) chasing these allusive fish. When everything is just right, they seem like the easiest fish to catch. But, on other days in the exact same spot you can not find one if your life depended on it. 

In December, we were treated to the most amazing day of Wahoo fishing off the coast of North Carolina. Every 5 minutes we reeled in a beautiful 50 pound Wahoo (pics attached) with so little ease it almost seemed unfair. Finally, after the 10th fish we decided the sea had surrendered enough bounty. I truly feel we could have caught 100 had we kept fishing. Whenever I experience a catch like this I ask myself what was going on that contributed to such a good catch? Here is my list of "perfect" conditions:

* a great temperature break - we fished a line that was 68 degrees on one side, and 74 degrees on the other!
* a deep drop off - we were on the canyon's edge where 200 feet drops off quickly to 600 feet.
* a low pressure - talking about falling pressure - we fished directly beneath a big "L" on the weather chart with full cloud coverage
* New moon - the new moon causes large tidal movement which causes the bait to pile up and turn on the bite 
* Great lures - we had a spread of 4 lures out with HEAVY cigar weights which put our lures down deep

These conditions were the holy grail of Wahoo fishing. Very rarey will you see all of them line up so perfectly. Mostly, you will only experience several of them together at the same time and place. 

Now, I can't give away all my secrets but in general here is what I would say:

* Fish FAST AND DEEP - you will find these 2 things are in constant conflict. Weights and a heavy lures help a lot, and so do extremely heavy drag settings.
* Lure color doesn't matter as long as they CONTRAST.
* Lures should RUN STRAIGHT. They can wiggle and wobble but don't let them jump out of the water
* Fish WAY BACK - far as necessary to keep everything in the water
* Fish ANY SPEED- any speed between 9 knots - 20 knots, they don't care - whatever your tackle and boat can stand. 

Good luck on your pursuit of this easy and hard to catch fish!

Capt. Matt


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## Jagsare1

MSYellowfin said:


> trolling weights are primarily used when high speed trolling for wahoo (excess of 12 knots). It is virtually impossible to high speed troll in an outboard boat due to the boat wanting to plane at such speeds. In a larger inboard boat you can troll at those speeds and then the weights are critical. In an outboard boat at slower speeds they are not near as important Lipped plugs like the Mann 30s are good wahoo baits at slower speeds.
> 
> 
> Robert


Sorry I am a little late to this discussion but I have to strongly disagree that it "is virtually impossible to high speed troll in an outboard boat due to the boat wanting to plane at such speeds." During wahoo season, that is all we do. Trolling speeds range from 12.5-17 knots depending on what speed we seem to be catching them at. I fish a 31 Cape Horn and with 3-blade props...it just didn't work. I switched to 4-blades and it made a world of difference. This is my 16th boat and first outboard boat so there was a learning curve but I can guarantee you that high speed trolling in an outboard is not only possible but deadly. We have been doing it in this boat since 2008 and do quite well over here on the NE coast of Florida. 

Generally, I use 48oz lead for the flat lines and a 24 and 36 oz for the tag lines and if I pull a shotgun, it will have either a 24 or 36. You cannot go wrong pulling a C&H Mr. Big or a C&H Express(red/black is my favorite). 

I agree that it is more difficult with a OB boat but not impossible. Realize, I am talking a 31' boat and I think it is much more difficult as the boat gets smaller.


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## Ocean Master

I catch most Wahoo as by catch while pulling trolling lures. When I do pull my "Wahoo Lures" I use 300 lb. fluorocarbon leader material. The lures I use are YoZuri and other similar lures. At times I will use the heavy custom made Wahoo lures with the heavy heads and weights tucked inside the skirts behind a trolling sinker. 

I too have a 31' boat with twin outboards with 4 blade props. I changed to 4 blade to stay on plane at slower speeds as low as 18 knots. This does make "high speed trolling" very hard to do. My top speed is down to 40 knots.

Next time out I will try to pull high speed and see how fast I can go without planing and still have manageable steering.


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## Jagsare1

Not that you guys aren't but we are pretty dialed in over here when wahoo season rolls around. My crew doesn't find it difficult at all. I've been doing it a long time beginning with inboards and now with an outboard.


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## Ocean Master

Yep...I would say you got it right..!!

Another note on lures;

I caught 5 last year on the machined aluminum "cedar plugs" in pink and blue. 6" in lenght.


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## Chris V

I think what Robert meant on the "high speed from outboard" comment wasn't so much that it is impossible but that it's fine as long as you don't mind burning a considerably higher rate of fuel. The ass-end will bog down until you hit that magic point on the RPMs where you finally climb on plane. The problem is that it seems on most centers between 24-31ft is that your plane point brings you from 14-16knots straight to 25+. The 12-16 knot speed is perfect but your fuel consumption is doubled.


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## Ocean Master

Chris V said:


> I think what Robert meant on the "high speed from outboard" comment wasn't so much that it is impossible but that it's fine as long as you don't mind burning a considerably higher rate of fuel. The ass-end will bog down until you hit that magic point on the RPMs where you finally climb on plane. The problem is that it seems on most centers between 24-31ft is that your plane point brings you from 14-16knots straight to 25+. The 12-16 knot speed is perfect but your fuel consumption is doubled.


 
Exactly..


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## jasoncooperpcola

Chris V said:


> I think what Robert meant on the "high speed from outboard" comment wasn't so much that it is impossible but that it's fine as long as you don't mind burning a considerably higher rate of fuel. The ass-end will bog down until you hit that magic point on the RPMs where you finally climb on plane. The problem is that it seems on most centers between 24-31ft is that your plane point brings you from 14-16knots straight to 25+. The 12-16 knot speed is perfect but your fuel consumption is doubled.


 This is what i am building my boat for doing along with tuna. I am installing a 30" bracket and closing the transom on my 83 V20, do yall think i will have this problem with my 2.5L Mercury 200? My V20 is a cuddy version. Performance with the Mercury 200 is unknown at the moment.


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## Island24

Anyone use wire line or braid to get the lures down deeper?


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## Jagsare1

I am old school and rarely use braid on anything. I don't like wire on plugs because wire kinks relatively easily and is a 1-fish leader. I recommend cable.


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## Island24

Sorry...I mean a wire line like stainless or monel for the main line not just for the leader. Anyone with experience with these?


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## jim t

Hot Pink colored Stretch 30.

Jim


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## Jagsare1

I use a wire line rig. Mostly, it is just fun for us. Good fish makes the reel smoke and you can smell the heat. It does catch fish. I use it high speed trolling. Penn 115L on a short bent butt run in the corner.


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## Huff

A friend of mine custom makes these lures for wahoo.... He makes other trolling lures as well.


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## MillerTime

Huff said:


> A friend of mine custom makes these lures for wahoo.... He makes other trolling lures as well.


What brand/company name is your friend? I couldn't read it clearly in the resin.


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## Huff

His website is http://www.luremin.com/

This is his new Daisy chain, and the tuna dart and mahi lure


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## MillerTime

That's pretty funny actually. I thought they looked like his lures but i wasn't completely sure. I found him on another boating website and was having him put together an order for me already.


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## Huff

MillerTime said:


> That's pretty funny actually. I thought they looked like his lures but i wasn't completely sure. I found him on another boating website and was having him put together an order for me already.


He does a good bit on THT, these things look much better than the pictures show. Let me know what you think when you get yours!


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## skram

Huff said:


> His website is http://www.luremin.com/
> 
> This is his new Daisy chain, and the tuna dart and mahi lure


They look nice. How pricey are they and where can you order them?


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## MillerTime

[email protected]
That is his e-mail. You can find him on THT as well.


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## Huff

Wahoo lures are in the $50 range, daisy chains I think are $50 for small and $65 for large.

I have a few at Barber Marina if you would like to see first hand


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## Jagsare1

Chris V said:


> I think what Robert meant on the "high speed from outboard" comment wasn't so much that it is impossible but that it's fine as long as you don't mind burning a considerably higher rate of fuel. The ass-end will bog down until you hit that magic point on the RPMs where you finally climb on plane. The problem is that it seems on most centers between 24-31ft is that your plane point brings you from 14-16knots straight to 25+. The 12-16 knot speed is perfect but your fuel consumption is doubled.


Sorry, late again with a response. I am not disagreeing in whole, just specifically my boat. I get the same economy at 15 knots as I do at 25 or 30 knots so there isn't really a fuel penalty for me. Now if you compare that economy to trolling at 8 knots, then yes, big penalty but there isn't a boat made that doesn't have the same issue. Your numbers don't fit my boat at all. I wish you could ride this boat to see what I am saying but specifically for my boat, those comments don't hold true. I think you are correct on the "most" comment. Most center consoles do not go slow well. For whatever reason, the switch to the 4 blades I have made a major difference.


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## Kenton

Yaker88 said:


> Not sure if you can get ahold of any but the No-Alibi orange head with black & red feathers.....preferably with a good rigged ballyhoo right behind it. I've won good money in a bunch of tournaments with that set up for wahoo.


This the one you are talking about? With head painted orange?


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## Jagsare1

*Pro Alibi*

If you like that lure, you will love their Pro Alibi. Great lure with a horse ballyhoo. You might have to call C&H to get a Pro-Alibi but it is very similar but with a "sparkly" head instead of plain silver.


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## Kim

Here are some more Wahoo lures.


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