Where to find wahoo
The drop-off from 150 to 400 ft, the humps and any colour change or current edge outside the reef. They hold on structure in the current and follow the bait schools along the edge.
- Reef edge drop-off · Offshore
- Blue water off Islamorada · Offshore
- Islamorada Hump · Offshore
- 409 Hump · Offshore
When to go
November to February is peak, with fish into March and a smaller summer showing. The days around the full moon on a cool, clear morning with a hard current are the classic wahoo days.
Best window on the day: First and last light. Today's window and score are on the conditions page.
How to catch them
High-speed trolling at 12–16 knots with heavy lures and wire leaders covers the water; slower trolling with rigged ballyhoo under a skirt, or a live speedo or ballyhoo on a planer, works along the edge. Wire or heavy cable is essential: their teeth cut everything else.
Bait & tackle
- Bait
- Rigged ballyhoo behind a planer or under a skirt; live blue runners slow-trolled along the edge
- Lures
- Weighted high-speed trolling lures run at 13–18 knots; deep-diving plugs
- Tackle
- 50–80 lb class conventional for high-speed trolling; 30 lb class for ballyhoo
- Rig
- 2–3 ft of #9–#12 single-strand wire or cable (their teeth cut mono); 7/0–9/0 hooks; an in-line weight or planer to get the bait down
Tips for your level
- Keep your hands away from the mouth: a wahoo's teeth are razors even when it looks finished.
- Let the rod and the drag do the work on the first run; do not try to stop it.
- Wahoo trips are mostly trolling: bring something to do between bites.
Keeping one
Excellent: white, firm and mild. Cook it gently; it dries out if overdone.
Keep only what you will eat, within the limit, and release the rest in the water where you can.
Questions anglers ask
- What is the best time of year for wahoo in the Keys?
- Late autumn and winter, especially around the full moon from November to February.