04-13-2001, 05:49 PM
Aloha!<br>In Hawaii, we get plenty wahoo, mostly on the troll, average speed is between 6 & 12 kts. our ono (wahoo) range between 15 & 60 lbs. even the smaller ones like bigger offshore lures (7 - 12inch). A good lure for marlin, is usually good for ono, (watch their teeth) Tuna lures are good also, Metal Jets / Bullets, on the heavy side, will give the best hookups and keep the lure just under the surface, I like to use as big a hook you can get away with, 10`0 - 11`0 - 12`0, double hook rigs will help with hookups, black & red for some reason, is good anywhere in the world for wahoo, find out what kind of baitfish they are eating and match color, I get allot of fish on "pink on pink". <br>Troll as fast as you can & still keep the lures in the water, ono are speedsters, you can't go too fast. Run a stiff drag, make sure your tackle can handle fast runs sometimes over 100 yards, 30 lb tackle with good line capacity should hold most ono you might run into & be good sport. Don't be afraid to run at least one lure very close to the boat, one of the best spots on my boat is about 20ft. from my transom, rubber banded down, in the center of the wash. Often, there will be more than one, keep going after the first hookup and you can maybe double-triple up. While fighting the wahoo, try to keep the boat moving or make sure to keep the line tight to prevent the fish from shaking it's head, they will swim forward fast & flair / shake their heads and swim off the hook or cut you off.<br>With 300 - 400 lb. mono leader, my average is pretty good on being cut off, you will lose some on mono but it is easier to handle & possibly get more bites from other fish in the neighborhood. 9 foot should be plenty long enough, you can go shorter if you want. (Always check your leader! after any strikes from wahoo!) They can cut rite thru or close enough to lose the next bite. Or use 49 strand wire, it is easer to handle than piano wire, if you stay on top of it & wash in fresh water 175 lb, wire should be good. Put a crimp about a foot up from the lure to keep the lure from sliding up the leader to the swivel on the run - fight, other wise you can get cut off from another ono traveling with the one you hook if it bites the lure following the fish.<br>Look for any good drop offs over 150 ft. of water, in Hawaii, 40 fathoms (240 ft.) works best, any good bottom can hold. Look for bait, if you can find drops with bait there might be ono. You can find them in deeper water, often close to smaller yellowfin or skipjack tuna. They will also hold to floating rubbish with mahi-mahi. Here on Kauai, if you don't know where to go, stay on the 40 fathom ledge & you will find them.<br>At Leader, keep the boat moving forward fast enough to keep up with the fish, be ready for the ono to start going faster as you bring them close, try to keep them off to the side of the white water & keep their head IN the water till you have the gaff ready, when ready, try to stick them as they break water, try for the head, not only to save meat but mainly so you can control them better. I like, for ono, a 4foot stick gaff with a 3inch hook. Place the gaff over the fish, slightly ahead of where you want it to land, (the water will bring it back when you hit the fish) EYEball shots are best. Have a bat ready, give lumps as soon as safely possible. Try rite behind the eyes on top of head, one or two should do. Put on ice and enjoy, and get your lures in the water as fast as safely possible, the bite is on, it might not last so stay in the area for a couple passes. WATCH the slime! it's slippery, if you let it dry in place it will become like rubber cement.<br>WAHOO HAVE VERY SHARP TEETH!<br>They are small but they will get you, careful when taking pictures and looking at it after it comes stiff, you'll get cut trying to open mouth!<br>Be careful with wahoo when you bring them on board, their slippery & have a sharp point.<br>Wahoo are very good eating here in Hawaii, they only have the center bone with the rib cage, cleaning them can be easy, you can cut them in steaks or filet them by the side.<br><br>You might get some response from the guys that do the long range boats, a little different answers for that.<br><br>Dan<br>Stand Up!!!<br><br><br><A HREF="http://www.fishingkauai.com" target="_new">http://www.fishingkauai.com</A><br><b><font color=blue>ALOHA & Good LUCK</b></font color=blue><br>