Fishing for Wahoo in Key West Florida

Wahoo Fishing in Key West

Wahoo fishing in Key West is done by anglers for the wonderful tasting meat and the sport. The Wahoo is considered the fastest fish in the ocean, it can hit bursts of speed up to 80mph while attacking bait fish. The Wahoo can be found in the Pacific, Atlantic and the Caribbean Oceans. The Wahoo can reach weights in excess of 100 pounds, but the average fish caught is around 30 lbs. The Wahoo spends most of its life in the deeper waters of the Ocean, its camouflage allows it to attack its prey undetected in the deep blue waters of the open ocean. If you have ever seen a wahoo, you know it is almost identical in color to the blue ocean waters.

Seasons for Wahoo Fishing in Key West

Most of the Key West fishing charters go after the Wahoo sometime after October. The Winter months are the best action for Wahoo Fishing in Key West. The Wahoo can be caught in the summer time offshore in the colder waters of the open ocean. In the winter months of November through February the water temperature becomes ideal for this open ocean predator. The Wahoo as well as almost all of the species of fish in Key West can be caught all year round, but one week on either side of the full moon in December seems to be the best time of year to catch this fish.

Where to Catch Wahoo

Knowing the best place for Wahoo Fishing in Key West comes down to proper depth control by your Key West Fishing Charters . In depths ranging from 100 to 200 ft seems to be the ideal depths for this blue water predator. These fish can be caught on top of our natural reef system of Key West in search of its favorite bait fish the Speedo. When large debris is spotted offshore this is a favorite spot for these fish as large congregations of bait can be found near any structure that has been in the water for any extended period of time.

How to Catch Wahoo

Slow trolling with live bait, or high speed trolling with dead bait seems to be the most effective methods of fishing. With one large hook placed behind the head and a stinger treble hook placed near the tail is the best way to increase your percentage of landing this extremely difficult fish to keep on the line. Always use steel wire, a 6 to 8 inch peace of wire from the mono line is best connected with the Albright knot. While high speed trolling use a naked ballyhoo or an artificial lure resembling the most abundant bait fish in your area. Ballyhoo, Bonito, Speedo's and Blue Runners are a favorite bait fish in Key West of the Wahoo.

Equipment Used to catch them

Since this fish will only be caught while Key West deep sea fishing, it is recommended to come prepared with some larger tackle. Any Conventional Reel ranging from 20lb class up to 50lb class is ideal for this open water sport fish. This fish can make runs up to 200 yards in a matter of seconds, so make sure you have a smooth drag on your tackle. Spinning reels can be used as well, but make sure your spool has a large line capacity as you can run out fast with a fish exceeding the 100 lb class. Diawa, Penn and Shimano are the main reels used for Saltwater sport fishing in the Florida keys.