Premium Hand-Crafted Wahoo Fishing Lures

So you want to catch a Wahoo…

Wahoo are easily my favorite fish to target. Their blistering speed will have you sprinting around a 100-foot long-range boat faster than you thought possible.
 

Like most fish, the common ways to catch a Wahoo are trolling, casting jigs/Wahoo Bombs or live bait. Although I have caught them on the kite, I have only caught 1 that way and it’s the only one I have seen on the kite in my 40+ years of fishing.
 

I fish my jigs straight tie to mono or fluorocarbon, you might lose a few jigs but I feel you get bit better.
 

The technique is pretty simple, cast as far as you can, let the jig sink then wind like your life depends on it. You will never be able to out-wind a Wahoo. When they hit, don’t try to set the hook, just keep winding until they are peeling line off your reel and be prepared to run. No matter what you do, never give the fish any slack, keep turning that handle until it’s has a gaff in it.
 

Wahoo often bite sideways and can hold on tightly without being hooked. Use a slick jig that can slide inside their mouth so the hook can set. Otherwise, they might simply open their jaw at the boat and swim away.
 

Sometimes they want something different, I have caught Wahoo on a surface iron while fishing for Yellowtail or Yellowfin and a “granny grind” retrieve so you never know.
 

A lot of anglers like fishing Wahoo Bombs, it’s the same method as jig fishing, cast, let it sink then wind like hell. Wahoo Bombs are typically a shiny or painted torpedo sinker style head with a shiny mylar skirt in some color pattern with a single hook with a spinner blade attached to the rear eye of the bomb. Use single-strand wire secured with a haywire twist or crimped multi-strand wire. Never use shiny rings or swivels, as wahoo might strike the hardware and cut your main line. When fishing jigs or Wahoo Bombs, if you aren’t getting bit, try a different depth or jig.
 

Wahoo can get very aggressive and have been known to chase a jig out of the water. This has resulted in fish ending up on deck and worse, severely injuring you or another angler. When you get your lure to the boat, leave it just above the water for about 10 seconds before you bring it in to make another cast. I have been fishing next to an angler that did everything right and a Wahoo still flew out of the water, hit the boat right below the opening under the rail and the tail nailed me in the chest. Luckily it wasn’t the business end of the fish.

When live bait fishing for Wahoo, a wire leader is preferred to avoid being cut off. While I have caught Wahoo on straight tie mono, it was pure luck that I landed them.

The wire you choose is your preference, single strand or multi strand but I have seen light multi strand wire bitten through. Use a J hook that matches the size of your bait.

If you feel a faint, tiny tap, your bait was likely bitten in half. Leave the line alone—wahoo frequently circle back to eat the remaining half. It is not uncommon to reel your bait in and it looks like it was cut in half by a scalpel.

My first Wahoo was caught on a 10 day trip on the Royal Polaris back in the mid 90’s on the troll. Took me a long time to get my first Wahoo.

Trolling is a great way to find some.

The Yo-Zuri Bonita, Invader Lures and the Nomad DTX are probably the most popular trolling lures but Wahoo will also hit feathers that you might be trolling for Tuna or Marlin. When trolling I prefer to set my drag a bit heavier than normal to make sure I can get a good hookset.

Local waters now offer real opportunities to hook one without taking a long-range trip, though a 5+ day trip still gives you the best odds of landing one of these toothy torpedoes.

I hope this gives you some insight on Wahoo fishing and helps guide you in your gear & technique decisions.

These are my lure preferences:

Jigs: Salas 6x jr., Raiders, Catchy/Sea Strike 33’s, Hopkins

Wahoo Bombs: CB Outdoor

Trolling: Invader Lures & Yo-Zuri Bonita