That's My Story

FALL WAHOO – PUBLISHED WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS OCT. 2004

Show up on the beach with one of these or pull back to the docks with one to show off, and the reaction from other anglers will certainly confirm that you got yourself a prize. No doubt the exotic wahoo are among the most sought-after, and elusive fish in the Baja. Known for their speed, fighting ability and great taste, this elongated fish with the mouth full of razor-sharp choppers is quite a prize, especially during the later months of the year.

They’re not easy to catch and maybe even harder to locate. However, from about October to December the waters of Baja are among the best areas to find these fish which rate high on the scale of “exotic fish.” Unlike say, dorado and tuna which are also hard-chargers and certainly get anglers twitchy about catching, there’s never any guarantees about wahoo since they don’t school up like their gamefish brothers and even when caught, don’t often stay caught!

Insofar as you probably won’t encounter “Mr. Hoo” on a normal basis, trying to increase one’s chances of getting one should start with finding the best location. Just like real estate, it’s all about location…location…location. For the long range San Diego boats, one of the best spots for wahoo used to be Roca Partida and Clarion Islands, but those areas are currently closed and short of jumping on a long ranger which has the ability to chase big game fish for several days, you’ll have to narrow it down.

Interestingly, it seems that wahoo are more likely to be in larger congregations in the Pacific than in the Sea of Cortez. Areas off of Magdalena Bay such as the Thetis Bank have been prime wahoo honey holes for years. However, unless you’re long ranging out’ve San Diego, there’s not much to charter out of nearby San Carlos so either you roll your own rig or you charter out’ve Cabo San Lucas. Still, if you can get something that floats under you, I consider this area to be among the best anywhere to stick a ‘hoo.

The areas around Cabo and San Jose can also be productive although as you move closer into the Sea of Cortez, you don’t seem to find the larger concentrations. Still, that being said, San Jose’s Gordo Banks, Cabo’s Golden Gate and Jaime Banks and several offshore ridges off Los Barriles can produce some nice flurries of fish. Moving north, one of the little known hot spots for wahoo is Cerralvo Island with it’s steep drop offs and nearby reefs. Insofar as I fish these waters almost daily, several points at the north and south end of this massive island where deep waters join warmer currents can be banner for wahoo as can the area known as “El Bajo” (The Embudo Bank) north of Espiritu Santo Island about 32 miles north of La Paz.

As mentioned, putting one aboard is almost as difficult as finding them. They are well-known for their dental work with a scissors-like jaw that can cut easily through hundred pound monofilament. On several occasions, I have seen Rapalas bitten in half or nearly by the hard bite coupled with blinding speed of attack. Arguably, I seen it written that they are the fastest fish in the ocean and have been clocked (I don’t know how they do this!) as fast as 70 mph.

If an area looks promising, one of the best ways to bring them up is by trolling. Deep running lures like large Rapalas or fast swimming lures like Marauders have been extremely effective fish takers as well as heavy chrome coated feathers. Colors such as blacks, purples, oranges, and fluorescents are most popular. One trick is to take off any treble hooks that may come from the factory and replace them with single hooks to increase the effectiveness of the hook pentration of the bone-hard jaw and to prevent the twisting fish from using the torque of it’s body to get free.

Where fish are schooling, such as in the Pacific, throwing heavy “wahoo bombs” or lures, especially flashy chrome coated jigs on a fast retrieve or using live bait can be employed. Studies have shown that a wahoo will often charge in and bite it’s food in half, then swim back and pick up the pieces. If you feel that first tug or bite, anglers often make the mistake of immediately retrieving their lures or thinking their bait is gone. Waiting a moment for the fish to come back often results in a hook up.

The most controversial thing about fishing wahoo is whether to use wire leaders to prevent losing the fish (or an expensive lure) to the mouthful of teeth. It’s the topic of endless debate and a personal choice of your own fishing style and depth of pockets to replace lures! If I’m trolling, a lure such as a Marauder or heavy headed feather, I always use wire. At 20 to 40 bucks a pop, I’d rather not take a chance. I hate losing my big Rapalas as well, but I’ve found that fishing without wire produces more strikes and, if I tie a double leader or use some of the new flexible and tie-able coated wires, I really don’t lose that many. It’s the same with my casting lures. I just get more bites without the wire although I’ve noticed that many of the folks who advocate the use of “no wire” are also lure manufacturers!

Either way, there’s nothing like getting bit by one of these speedsters; nothing quite so good eating as the meat; and a great time to fish for them is right now.