Quote:
Originally Posted by MITCHELL
What does the small boat charters look like for wahoo there where your at. Mr JohnMckroidJr
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Small boat charters are $100-300 per person for a morning group fishing trip. Wahoos are an exceptional catch in SE Florida.
They are frequently targeted a few days before and after full moons. Theories are that they feed more voraciously because of the larger tidal changes and that they are hungrier because they spawn on the full moon cycles. Anglers monitor charter boat's Instagram for indications. They are mostly an incidental catch.
Common methods include high-speed trolling skirted lures, medium speed trolling Nomad or Rapala type lures, Slow trolling live baits or planner trolling bait strips.
Planner trolling bait strips is the bread and butter method employed by most charter boats. Typical planner catches include Mahi, King Mackerel, Little Tunny, Barracuda, Blackfin Tuna, Amberjack, and the occasional Wahoo. It is a lousy way to catch a fish as the passenger only winds the fish up to the planner. Once the planner is at the rod tip, unless the boat has a removable planner, the next 90ft of a leader is hand-lined by the deckhand up until the fish is gaffed. The boat is never stopped so the fish does not have a chance to throw the hook.
High-speed trolling singles out Wahoo as the boat is trolling too fast for other species. It is very successful in the Bahamas and far offshore in NE Florida. It is hardly sportfishing as boats are never stopped at the strike, and once winched up to the long leader, the fish are handlined to the gaff.
The most rewarding Charter taken Wahoos are incidentals on the kite. The fish is often seen skyrocketing on the bait prior to hook up. Fish are reeled all the way to the gaff from a stationary boat.
I have friends that have been fishing in Florida by boat and Kayak for a decade and have yet to catch a Wahoo. Others have success within their first few trips and then have been at it for years without repeat success. If one wanted to travel somewhere to catch Wahoo, they would probably have better luck either in the Bahamas, Mexico, or Hawaii.