# Solo Wahoo 10/24/11



## BajaBob (Feb 4, 2010)

I left from Sherman Cove and caught a nice 40lb 9oz wahoo on a Wahoo Wacker trolling at 7 knots in 600' of 79 degree water at the Elbow on a solo trip Monday, 24 October. I had multiple sequential hits in the same area without a hookup. For perspective the stepladder in the photo is a 7' ladder. Love those translucent wahoo fillets!!

http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff390/rwasilausky/PA250013.jpg


















http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff390/rwasilausky/PA250014.jpg

Bob


----------



## grassbed hunter (Apr 6, 2008)

that is a pretty woo bet u dont get that told to u offend great catch


----------



## Captain Mickey O'Reilly (Dec 18, 2008)

Nice hoo! Lots of em out there right now, although the weather is going to be terrible for the next few days! As soon as it lays down, time to get after em again!


----------



## Justin B (Apr 4, 2011)

good looking wahoo!


----------



## amarcafina (Aug 24, 2008)

I'm heading down this morning and get the boat ready ! I'll be waiting on good seas , and go look for em !!


----------



## MSViking (Oct 11, 2007)

Very very cool! I am a big fan of solo bluewater fishing (as long as done safely)! Good job!

Robert


----------



## BajaBob (Feb 4, 2010)

*Working on safety*

I have been working on trying to make solo trips safer. I have an inflatable life vest that I wear at all times when I go solo. It has a small zipper pocket that I have a personal EPIRB in. The EPIRB is waterproof to a dozen feet or more so should survive a dunking. At least the water here is still 78 degrees. Biiiiig sharks out there though!! I have looked at the electronic kill switches and that's my next purchase. We have an autopilot with a remote control that is a godsend for solo fishing. It makes catching wahoo almost easier than with a group. Keeping forward motion with the autopilot at the start of the fight and wearing the fish down until it is docile by the time it gets boat side is critical. Putting the rod in the pole holder and two handed gaffing is easier than you might think. I also never go solo with a forecast more than 2 to 3 ft wave heights. What I like about solo is that I don't have to deal with a rebellious crew if I am trolling for hour after hour waiting for that one big hit of the day. If I have guests with me I always feel responsible for getting them fish and you can't beat the amberjack fishing here for wearing the sports out!! As you can guess I have been at this offshore fishing for a considerable number of years. Experience is the best thing to scare you straight!! Things happen quickly in a small boat offshore but it would beat dying in a coma in a hospital bed! It won't be too many more years that I will be able to physically do this activity. 

There are a couple of issues that maybe someone can help out on. Getting the boat back onto the trailer solo is the most difficult part. The aluminum trailer floats away if I back it far enough into the water to drive the boat up to the restraint. By backing it partially into the water very close to the dock/cement at Sherman Cove I can keep it from floating and I can step out of the boat and work it up onto the trailer but I can never seem to get it all the way up like when someone powers the boat onto the trailer and someone else clips it up and winches it tight.

The second most difficult item is dealing with getting all the fish out of the boat without breaking my back lifting the cooler!! A lot of times I will ask for help at the wash down location but someone isn't always around. Then of course if they help lift the cooler and put it in the back of the truck they ALWAYS want to look inside and see what all that weight is. That leads to long conversations clogging up the washdown!!!

I have a great fish story from my trip today that I will post tomorrow.

Bob


----------

