SPEEDSTER SLOWDOWN

Easy-does-it trolling speeds for wahoo

- BY CAPT. RICKY WHEELER

Wahoo are undoubtedly one of the fastest fish in the ocean, and their initial drag screaming runs immediately after hookup make them an exhilarating gamefish to target. Wahoo can be found worldwide wherever the water is warm, and they tend to gather in water temperatures ranging between 72 and 80-plus degrees, and love to hang out on structure.

Whether it's a wreck, hump, seamount, bank, ridge, drop-off, reef, weed line, or any other floating debris, wahoo typically hold tight to structure. Without fishing on some kind of structure or in the proper water temperature, your odds of catching wahoo are slim if not none.

There are many techniques used to catch these ocean speedsters, trolling being the most common. When talking about wahoo, nearly everyone immediately thinks about trolling fast. High-speed trolling at 12 to 18 knots is certainly effective, but trolling a mix of dead baits and artificial lures at 6 to 9 knots can also be successful and allow for more bycatch such as mahi, tuna, and even billfish.

DEAD-BAIT TROLLING

My tactics prove that you don't have to go fast to catch wahoo. Most of the wahoo I catch are when I'm trolling at dead-bait speed. Nearly all of my 100-plus-pounders were caught fishing with dead baits. This method has worked for me anywhere in the world I've tried it, consistently producing bites and catches of most gamefish species depending on the location and season.

At these speeds, I am primarily pulling dead baits such as ballyhoo, mullet and bellystrip baits, all rigged with my skirt of choice. The downside? At times, barracuda will terrorize you when using this technique. This is truly the only downfall to slow-trolling for wahoo. However, if you and your crew can work through it, this technique will win over with a full fish box.