LET'S TALK WAHOO

WAHOO ARE A FISH THAT MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS WANT TO CATCH. THEY ARE ON AND OFF HERE, DEPENDING ON BAIT, WATER TEMP, AND CURRENTS. RIGHT NOW WE ARE HAVING A GREAT BITE, WITH ONE OF OUR BOATS HOOKING 10 YESTERDAY, NETTING 2 IN THE BOAT. WHILE WAHOO PROBABLY HAVE ONE OF THE LOWEST YIELD RATIO (ON THE HOOK: IN THE BOAT), APPROACHING THAT OF CUBERA SNAPPER, THERE ARE WAYS TO INCREASE THAT RATIO, IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE FISHES BEHAVIOR, AND REACT TO IT WHILE TRYING TO REEL THEM IN. WAHOO HAVE A HARD MOUTH. HOOKS OFTEN DO NOT PENETRATE WELL, AND HENCE COME OUT MORE EASILY.

SHARP HOOKS ARE A REQUIREMENT. I ALWAYS HAVE A COUPLE OF EMORY BOARDS IN MY TACKLE BOX, AND CERTAINLY TOUCH UP ANY HOOK UPON WHICH i WOULD LIKE TO IMPALE A WAHOO, BE IT A BAIT HOOK OR ONE MOUNTED ON A LURE. WAHOO GENERALLY APPROACH A BAIT/LURE FROM THE BOTTOM, AND BITE IT NEAR THE MIDDLE. THIS IS WHY SOME PREFER A TWO HOOKED RIG WHEN RUNNING BAIT. MY EXPERIENCE SAYS THAT I'LL GET MORE HITS WITH ONE HOOK, BUT A HIGHER HOOK UP TO BITE RATIO WITH 2 HOOKS. YOU CAN CHOOSE WHICH YOU WANT, PERHAPS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE BAIT THAT YOU ARE USING.

WHEN USING BAIT, AND SLOW TROLLING THERE WILL OFTEN COME A VERY QUICK BITE, FOLLOWED BY A SEEMINGLY LIMP LINE. THE 'HOO HAS EITHER CUT YOU OFF, OR HAS PERFORMED SURGERY ON YOUR BAIT. WAHOO WILL COME AT BAIT, SLASHING AT ANY AND ALL, AND THEN GO BACK TO PICK UP THE PIECES. IF YOU QUICKLY KICK THE REEL INTO FREE SPOOL, ALLOWING YOUR BAIT TO DRIFT DOWN LIKE A RECENTLY LIVE ONE, THEY WILL SOMETIMES COME BACK AROUND AND PICK THEM UP.

KEEP THE LINE TIGHT. WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED HARD MOUTH THEY ARE SOMETIMES NOT WELL HOOKED INITIALLY, AND YOU WANT TO KEEP WORKING THAT HOOK INTO A DEEPER POSITION.
WHILE TRYING TO KEEP THE LINE TIGHT THE WAHOOS' COMMON TENDENCY TO SWIM AT THE BOAT CAN BE ANNOYING. IF YOUR LINE GOES
SLACK AFTER HAVING "HOOKED" ONE, KEEP REELING. DON'T PUMP WAHOO, JUST KEEP REELING UNTIL YOU EITHER SEE A HOOK OR A FISH.

WAHOO WILL GENERALLY COME TO THE BOAT MORE QUICKLY THAN SAY A TUNA OR DORADO OF COMPARABLE SIZE. THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN THAT THEY ARE SPENT. AS THE FISH COMES WITHIN GAFF RANGE LIGHTEN UP ON THE DRAG JUST A TAD, AND KEEP AN EYE ON HIM. CAREFULLY WORK THE FISH INTO A POSITION THAT MAKES IT EASY FOR THE CAPTAIN TO GAFF IT. THIS WOULD BE PARALLEL TO THE BOAT, ON THE SURFACE. WORK WITH THE CAPTAIN TO GET THE FISH INTO THE RIGHT POSITION, STEADY, NO HURRY 'MON.

OVER THE YEARS, AND WITH SOME CONSULTATION WITH FRIENDS WHO ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL ON WAHOO IN CABO, WE'VE CONCLUDED THAT ALTHOUGH YOU CAN CATCH WAHOO ON ANY PART OF THE MOON CYCLE, THE PERIODS OF THE MOST INTENSE ACTION ARE THE 3-4 DAYS LEADING UP TO A FULL MOON. THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY FULL MOON WILL PRODUCE WAHOO, BUT IF THE MOON, BAIT, WATER TEMPS, AND COSMIC ZEITGEIST ARE ALL IN ALINE, THAT'S THE TIME.

THAT'S WHAT I KNOW, CHECK BACK SOON,
DAVID