Wahoo Fish
Wahoo are one of the fastest fish in the entire ocean as they’ve been clocked at speed upwards of 60 MPH. Once hooked they take off on scorching runs which have been known to blow out even the best reels. If their blazing speed wasn’t enough, they are also fully armed with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Unless you have a wire leader on in preparation of a wahoo bite it’s quite common to reel back nothing but a leader that
looks like it has been sliced by steak knife.
looks like it has been sliced by steak knife.
The majority of the wahoo caught in Central America are in the 20-30 lb range, but we do regularly get 40-50 pounders as well. Their tube like bodies and blue strips make them easily recognizable, and of course they have a smile you don’t want to get close to. Wahoo are a prized table fish as their soft white meat is a delicacy around the world.
Wahoo are typically loners or travel in small groups so targeting them is always a bit of a challenge. They are caught every month of the year, but for the anglers who want to better their chances we do tend to see more of them in the months of May-September. One reason for that is due to that being our green season when we get more rain so there is more debris in the water and more baitfish being carried out to sea by blown out rivers.
What They Eat?
Wahoo are so fast and so aggressive there aren’t many things that aren’t on their menu. They typically feed on other pelagic species like dorado and squid, but will eat anything from sardines to mackerel to needlefish. Wahoo rarely take to the air when hooked so most anglers know they have a wahoo hooked by the high pitched scream of the reel that few other fish can replicate.
Where To Find Them?
Wahoo are found worldwide in warm tropical waters. Occasionally they are caught while inshore fishing, but they are best targeted when trolling around offshore pinnacles and islands. They can also be caught when trolling for billfish, but if you don’t have a wire leader on there is a good chance their razor sharp teeth will cut through any other leader you have out there.