Wahoo Lures and Trolling Speeds: How to Catch Wahoo
How to target wahoo off Sodwana, St Lucia and Mozambique: where they hunt, high-speed vs normal trolling, the best colours and why you need wire.
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Wahoo are among the fastest fish in the ocean. The first run after a wahoo strike is something every ski boat angler remembers. They have a long, slim body, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and they hit lures hard. Here's how to find them and what to put in the water.
Where to find wahoo
Wahoo are found in warm, blue water. In South Africa they're most common on the northern KZN coast, around Sodwana and St Lucia, and further up into Mozambique. Look for:
- Drop-offs and deep reef edges, where the bottom falls away quickly
- Pinnacles and deep reefs that hold baitfish
- Warm, clean water, especially when a warm current pushes in
- Bait on the fish finder, along with birds working over deeper water
Wahoo are usually found alone or in small groups, so cover lots of ground until you find them.
High-speed trolling vs normal trolling
There are two ways to troll for wahoo, and both work.
High-speed trolling means pulling lures at around 12 to 18 knots. It covers a lot of water quickly, and the speed triggers reaction strikes from wahoo, which are fast enough to catch anything. For this you need lures built to stay in the water at speed, like our lipless Guzz lures, the Kingi and the Orange King. Normal diving minnows will blow out and skip at these speeds.
Normal trolling with diving minnows at around 5 to 8 knots also catches wahoo, often while you're fishing for dorado or couta. The wahoo in the photo above was caught on a Purple Mack diving minnow at St Lucia. If wahoo are around, a minnow running a couple of metres deep near a reef edge is a strong option.
A good approach is to high-speed troll to search for fish, then slow down and work an area with minnows once you've had a strike or found bait.
Best colours for wahoo
Wahoo often hit darker colours that show up as a strong shape against the light:
- Purple and pink. Purple is one of the best-known wahoo colours. The Purple Mack has a strong record for us.
- Dark lures. The Zulu and Blood Pearl give a dark silhouette that wahoo hunt from below.
- Natural and copper. The Kingi and Orange King Guzz lures have natural and copper patterns that look like fleeing baitfish at speed.
Run a mix of dark and natural colours until you see what the fish prefer that day.
Always use wire
Wahoo teeth cut through nylon and even heavy fluorocarbon in an instant. Always use a wire trace. For high-speed trolling, many anglers use a longer, heavier cable trace, since strikes at speed are violent. With diving minnows, use a shorter and lighter trace so the lure still swims properly.
Tips for landing more wahoo
- Set the drag before you troll. The first run is extremely fast. A drag that's too tight can pull hooks or break line.
- Keep the boat moving after a strike for a few seconds at high speed, then slow down and fight the fish.
- Watch for other wahoo. When you hook one, others are sometimes nearby. Keep a second line in the water.
- Gaff with care. Wahoo have dangerous teeth and can shake violently at the boat.
Quick wahoo checklist
- Warm water, drop-offs, deep reefs and pinnacles
- High-speed Guzz lures at 12 to 18 knots to search, minnows at 5 to 8 knots to work an area
- Purples, pinks, darks and natural patterns
- Always a wire trace
Not sure whether to use a minnow or a Guzz? Read diving minnow vs lipless Guzz lure.
