High-Speed Wahoo Trolling: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
Before you start worrying about tackle, lures, skirt colors, and everything else, there are a few things you need to consider before getting set up for high-speed wahoo trolling.
High-speed trolling for wahoo is probably one of the best ways to target big fish and put multiple fish in the boat.
High-speed wahoo trolling takes money, the right conditions, a properly set-up boat, and most importantly, patience.
Here's what you need to know.
High-Speed Wahoo Trolling Is Expensive
The first thing you need to understand is that high-speed wahoo fishing is expensive.
The average speed that guys troll worldwide is about 16 miles per hour. When you're trolling at 16 mph, you're burning a lot of fuel.
Then you have to think about where you're actually fishing. Most of the places around the world where guys are targeting wahoo aren't necessarily close to land.
Whether you're running to the Bahamas, fishing the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, or you're up in the Northeast running to the canyons, you're usually running a long way just to get to the area where you're going to start fishing.
Then you get there and start trolling at 16 mph.
So understand that you're going to spend some money. High-speed wahoo trolling is expensive.
Pick the Right Weather for High-Speed Wahoo Fishing
The second thing to consider is the weather.
High-speed wahoo trolling, especially in rough seas, can be somewhat brutal.
Being wet all day, getting splashed and having to clean your glasses 15 times in an hour is just not enjoyable.
Try to pick your days.
If you can find that good window of weather, you're going to have a much more pleasant day of wahoo fishing.
The Most Important Thing: Have Patience
Here's the most important thing when it comes to high-speed trolling for wahoo:
If you plan on high-speed wahoo trolling, you have to remember that wahoo are a school fish. It's not necessarily one single fish swimming around out there.
Generally, when you find wahoo, they're in an area where there's a wreck, a current edge, or a bottom that's holding fish. We call it an edge.
When you find them, there can be a lot of them there. There could be a hundred wahoo in that area.
The hard part is finding them.
You may high-speed troll for two or three hours before you find that school of fish.
You can go from trolling for hours without a bite to catching 10 or 15 wahoo in an hour, two hours, or three hours.
That's what makes the whole thing worth it.
All of a sudden, you forget about what you spent getting there because you're looking at a box full of fish.
What Is the Best Speed for High-Speed Trolling for Wahoo?
When we're talking about high-speed trolling for wahoo, the average trolling speed guys use worldwide is around 16 mph.
That's moving.
It's also one of the reasons fuel consumption is something you need to consider before getting into this type of fishing.
You're not only making the run offshore. Once you get to the fishing grounds, you're continuing to burn fuel while trolling at around 16 mph looking for that school of wahoo.
What Is the Best Tide for Wahoo Fishing?
Another big thing to consider when high-speed trolling for wahoo is when you're actually fishing.
A lot of guys just pick a random time to go fishing.
From experience, I can tell you that the first several hours of the outgoing tide are the best time to target wahoo high-speed trolling.
When that water starts moving out of the inlets and from behind the islands, that's when I really like to fish.
And this doesn't have to happen right along the beach.
You can find current changes and tide changes 50 miles offshore, and they can still have an effect on the wahoo.
Wahoo love the outgoing tide, especially those first couple of hours.
If I'm planning a high-speed wahoo trip, that's something I'm definitely paying attention to.
What Is the Best Moon for Wahoo Fishing?
The moon is another huge factor when you're trying to successfully target wahoo.
In my experience, the best of the wahoo bite is generally three to four days before the full moon, through the full moon, and three to four days after it.
That's a very important window.
Think about what you're spending to go high-speed wahoo trolling. You're buying the tackle, burning the fuel, making the run and then trolling at high speed once you get there.
If you're going to spend that kind of money to specifically target wahoo, I highly recommend trying to do it around the full moon.
That's one of the most productive times to target wahoo.
Setting Up Your Boat for High-Speed Wahoo Trolling
Now let's talk about the boat.
Whether you're fishing out of a center console or a sportfish, rod holder setup is extremely important for high-speed trolling.
You have to have sturdy rod holders.
Most newer boats are going to come from the factory with sturdy rod holders, but if you're fishing an older boat with older rod holders, take a look at them before you start doing this.
You may want to use a backing plate underneath the gunwale to help support the rod holder.
Remember, we're high-speed trolling. There's a lot of pressure being put on this equipment, so you want to make sure those rod holders are stable.
The Best Rod Holder Angles for a High-Speed Wahoo Spread
On most boats, I like to set the rod holders up in a transition.
The rod holders farthest back toward the motors should be 30-degree rod holders.
When you're using a bent-butt rod, those 30-degree holders allow the rods to point almost straight back.
So your two rods in the back are going to be at 30 degrees.
As you move farther forward toward the center console, you're going to have another two rod holders.
Those should be 15-degree rod holders.
Then, if you have another two rod holders even farther forward toward the console, those should be zero-degree rod holders, basically straight up and down.
So the setup looks like this:
30° in the back → 15° in the middle → 0° toward the console
There's a reason for doing it this way.
Setting Up a Six-Rod High-Speed Wahoo Spread
Let's say you're high-speed trolling with six bent-butt rods.
By changing the rod holder angles as you move forward, all six rods can clear one another.
The line coming off one rod isn't hitting the rod in front of it.
That's what you're trying to accomplish.
Your six-rod setup would be:
- Two 30-degree rod holders in the back
- Two 15-degree rod holders in the middle
- Two 0-degree rod holders farther forward
That transition from 30 to 15 to zero is very important when you're setting up the boat for high-speed wahoo trolling.
High-Speed Wahoo Trolling Comes Down to Preparation and Patience
High-speed trolling is a great way to target wahoo, especially if you're looking for big fish and multiple fish.
But you need to understand what you're getting into.
You're going to burn fuel. You may have a long run to get to the fishing grounds. You need a good weather window. Your boat needs to be set up correctly.
And then you need patience.
Remember, you're looking for that school of fish.
You might troll for two or three hours before anything happens. But when you finally find them, you may catch 10 or 15 wahoo over the next few hours.
If you're going to spend the money to do it, pay attention to the outgoing tide, try to plan your trip around the full moon, make sure your rod holders are strong and properly positioned, and be prepared to put in the time it takes to find the fish.
