Features | Waylon's Fishing Features Part One - Introduction | Part Two - Bait Collection | Part Three - The Wahoo | Part Four - The Tuna |
Part Three - The Wahoo -"Pure Adrenaline"
Aptly named, this torpedo of a fish must surely rate as one of the most exciting to catch on rod and reel. The acceleration and behaviour after hook-up (especially on live bait) is astounding. Most fish can be subdued within 10 minutes on medium class tackle by an experienced fisherman/angler (bigger fish take a while longer). The fight is a short one but anything but boring! Once hooked, it is not uncommon for a Wahoo to rocket of in one direction only to surface seconds later in a completely different direction, cranking in slack line to keep tension on the fish can certainly add a little perspiration to the admiration!
Methods of capture include harpooning, trolling and live baiting with the latter being the most productive. Trolling is used mainly to locate the shoal (or crowd as known locally). Artificial lures of all shapes, sizes and colours have been designed over the years; some of these are very expensive and can be destroyed by just one fish. All fishermen have their favourite lure and colour/s; I’ve found a combination of pink and white to work well. Bright colours have always been associated with Wahoo, I’ve fashioned a few experimental prototypes myself using what ever was on hand e.g. kitchen foil, frayed rope strands, multi-coloured insulated copper wire and caught fish on them. So, are the beautifully designed lures there to trick fish into biting or us into buying? Trolling is a great way to catch Wahoo, as they can turn on the acrobatics when a bait or lure is trolled at a good pace, but nothing notches up the numbers as quickly as live baiting.
Simply throwing live bait out to the Wahoo with a hook and line attached works, but nothing drives a Wahoo crazy like the spin down. This method involves flicking out one eye of the bait fish, this causes the bait to spiral downwards at high speed, Wahoo simply cannot resist! (Not all bait fish will perform this kamikaze action as well as others).
During the years of subsistence fishing here on St Helena the Wahoo was of very little value to the fishermen. The white flesh was not a favourite amongst the public, and the fish was only targeted during lean Tuna periods. This has now changed, the Wahoo’s popularity has steadily grown, and the development of our commercial fishery has opened up an export market option. This has escalated the Wahoo to one of our most valuable fish, second only to the Swordfish.
Wahoo are the ideal big game fish for beginner or recreational fishermen to target, however I cannot stress strongly enough that these fish are extremely fast and with speed comes danger. Trolling is the safest method as there is no slack line on the deck to be concerned about and the hook is set basically by the fish and the boat’s speed. It’s when one is attempting to capture fish on live bait that accidents are most likely to happen. If the fish takes the bait whilst you are still paying out line, it can be almost instinctive to try and set the hook with your hand and then reel in the slack. This might hold a thrill in itself, but always be aware that a Wahoo can accelerate with such violence when it feels the hook or tension of the line that the corresponding backlash can entangle fingers, hands or even your head. I’ve caught thousands of these fish and I’ve had my share of close calls, but thankfully all body parts are still intact! The best advice is not to touch the line but try and reel the fish tight and then use the rod to set the hook. The Wahoo has a formidable set of teeth; they slice as cleanly as a knife and are as dangerous in the mouth of a live fish as a dead one. Take great care when removing hooks and it is advisable to keep feet protected when targeting these fish.
So, you find yourself on a boat someday, being introduced to your first Wahoo. The reel is emptying at an alarming rate; you steal a glance back at the skipper, he saw the fish take the bait, knows it’s a big one, he smiles. You tighten your grip fearing the rod will be torn from your hands, there’s an urge to shout something; you’ve got it... “Wahoooooooo!”
