How do YOU catch wahoo?

[Kayak fisherman]

In my endless quest to find a tuna, I figured I'd broaden my goals and shoot for some wahoo too. While I'm trolling for tuna, I'd like to also make it more friendly/appealing to deeper dwellers. It's my understanding that wahoo tend to need a deeper-running setup.

I've got a planer (with bridle setup) that could get me down there. Any good suggestions for the leader/bait. I was thinking of using a heavy mono leader (150-200lb) with a "wahoo whacker"-type of lure, roughly 10-30' behind the planer. We did get a cutoff last fall while trolling something similar and it didn't even trip the planer. So, I assume it was a wahoo (and I guess I can assume my boat is not a repellant to all types of fish, just tuna). Any thoughts.

[striper_on]

This works for me. I use more leader on my bridle than you don't know if it makes a difference. But I use 3' of piano wire haywire twisted to a pink or purple drone spoon. Or a black and purple jet with meat, or red and white ilander jr. with meat

[cantgetenough]

Yea i agree with the islander jr, they love those things. Also purple and black aliens wack em pretty good.

Rudy Levasseur
Above Average Sportfishing

[kapoc]

On our boat we drag a red and black islanderwith a med hoo rigged with a small trace of wire followed by 150lb mono with a long leader attached to the planer. If you want to see the set-up i belive i pm'd you our number here a while back

Capt. Mike

[twobyfour]

We have never really set out to catch wahoo, but have caught quite a few. They are not school fish and your not liklely to catch more than 1 or 2 per trip. Most all we have caught have been while trolling for tuna or more or less by accident. We don't really target them, but somtimes we'll drop a spoon down. Easy setup is 20' to 30' mono to spoon connected to a 24 or 28 oz inline sinker. Alot of people fish the big planer setup down 30 to 50' but all we fish is 10 to 15 and it works for us. Be sure to put a chafe guard on the loop.

[torquetowers]

Purple and black matanza/med hoo is the heat with 5-6 feet of # 9 piano wire to help stop the bite offs.

If you fish it right it will look like this

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d126/frosfedrado/017.jpg
And mabe produce this

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d126/frosfedrado/009.jpg

[PlaynHooky]

Oh no here comes the madness with the WAHOO now.....LOL.......Good luck bud, you got the basics......now go get em!!! They were caught deep to shallow this weekend in Hatteras...most in less than 30 fathoms!!

[TAT-TUNA]

On the death from above planer rod 200 lb power pro wind on planer rig with red and black mantaza with a horse hoo or a drone offshore spoon pink or black with blue flash..ps we caught 16 whaoo off of one floating net In hatteras all on the pink spoon on Rob Loftus boat was flat out AWESOME..:thumbup:

[coveredup]

my best wahoo bites are between 1/2 hour before sun up to an hour after. they are crazy for the am bite. meat on top with black and any other color binnicle tackle bullets in the dark and pre dawn light. and deeper with planer after 1 hour of sunup. try trolling in the dark sometime as the sun is coming up. excellent. weve done this from venezuela all the way up to o.c. over the years. if they are around, they will hit just about anything trolled over 8 knots even the planer- especially at slower speeds. best depth is generally 30 to 50 fathoms to find them.
capt. slm

[coveredup]

150# mono leader has always worked for us. and we do get cut off once in a while. no real need for wire. weve always done very well.
just play them right. good luck this year!
capt. slm

[gary49]

If you want to keep it simple, a 3 1/2 inch Drone Spoon behind a planer has caught quite a few for us. Works well for Kings, too.

[TEAM BILL ME]

We lost some wahoo trollin with 100 lb mono but caught a few too.
I drag skirted ballhoo, nakid ones, usually a few islanders, Red & purple was good last year for us.
However I did get some Malin wire 80lb that took care of the cut offs,, pretty simple stuff there. couple handmade haywires, worked great and were no pros. also we are way to lazy for planers!!!! maybe a inline sinker with wire on both sides cause a hoo will go after the sinker.
We dont expect to much when we go offshore and we keep it simple, mostly nakid baits for all peligec fish, hoping we will find whitey.

Maybe go marlin fishin and youll catch a tuna and a wahoo.
You certainly dont need to go out and buy tackle for wahoo, sounds like you got enough.

[Scotsman]

In the past, when :fishing2: with Lucian or Kimmy K, we put over the "Wahoo whacker" (orange/pink drone spoon on wire) and the shovel and wait, it will happen eventually. Alternatively, to boost you chances of interesting mr tuna as well some folks use cheater rigs (short stretch of wire (1-2 inch) at end of mono leader) onto witch/ballyhoo, do a search on here going back to 2005/2006 and you will find some good pics that someone posted of the rig and how to makle it.

H.

[lmontagnaj]

In the past, when :fishing2: with Lucian or Kimmy K, we put over the "Wahoo whacker" (orange/pink drone spoon on wire) and the shovel and wait, it will happen eventually. Alternatively, to boost you chances of interesting mr tuna as well some folks use cheater rigs (short stretch of wire (1-2 inch) at end of mono leader) onto witch/ballyhoo, do a search on here going back to 2005/2006 and you will find some good pics that someone posted of the rig and how to makle it.

H.

Simple but EFFECTIVE!!!

1. Pink Drone spoon with a small wire cheater to save the bite offs on a wind on planer or inline sinker (bridle rig). I learned the bridle technique from Marty (Wahoointhebox) years ago.

2. Wind on leader, my favorite, med or small hoo with a small eye catcher, green and silver mylar witch, no weight, just DEADLY on BIG WAHOO's.. Trust Me... 13 Wahoos up to 83 lbs. off Hatteras... MMGOOD!!!!

Dang it, now I'm all EXCITED!!! I NEED TO GO WHACK a few WAHOOS!!!!

Time to get the trailer out and get her ready!!!

NOTE: If you're tuna fishin in an area where the Wahoos are thick, I always make my rigs TOOTH PROOF... It's SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE... Just take some #9 Wire and run it through the crimp, through the egg sinker, around the hook, back through the egg sinker and crimp it tight. Most bite offs occur behind the crimp on the hook. This will save the day many times over when the hoos are thick...

Now Go Catchem Up!!!

[Rock On]

Black and Purple Montaza with a horse or select on the trap. If its Sept and hoo season up here or pulling where we think they are, especially on a good temp change you can catch plenty. They will school up or stay tight to an area. Pull dark colors black purple,black maroon etc. Islanders or witches.
I Put us on the one on the cover of Prop Talk last month that Julie is holding and also a 76lber year before last on that horse Montaza combo it produces. I love some hoos and the sashimi is awesome. I'll be pulling the trap this weekend at hatteras looking for some fresh sashimi.
I'm no expert but have found if you start targeting them more you'll switch from one or two incidentals to a nice 5 or 10 fish day when you find em.

[c-note]

you have a planer with bridal system and your asking questions about baits :wacko:

Do you know what a cheater rig is?