Abaco
Per Coastal Angler Magazine-Bahamas’ Abaco offshore forecaster June Russell, the business manager at Blackfly Lodge, Schooner Bay, South Abaco, “November was a great month for wahoo, and December is going to drive them further south. Trolling at about 15 to 17 mph you will get the strikes you’re looking for. Weave on and off the ledge in about 200 to 250 feet. Use bent but rods so your lure is deeper in the water.”
Berry Islands
Forecaster Herbie Dean from Great Harbour Cay says, “December should bring a great dolphin (mahi-mahi) and wahoo bite to the Berry Islands. Southeast of Big Whale Cay, west of Chub
Cay and east of Great Harbour Cay are the primary areas where you will find the fish, anywhere between 300 feet and 800 feet. Artificial lures will be the best form of bait.”
Nassau
Capt. Teddy Pratt on the Reel Deal reports, “December is going to be smoking (wahoo-wise) by the look of things. The ledges are where to find those speedsters lurking for their next meal. Ballyhoo and a weighted lure with wire or cable leader is best if you don’t want to get cut off by those razor sharp teeth. Also, make sure to crank up your trolling speed a couple of knots.”
North Eleuthera
Capt. Ryan Neilly from Spanish Wells shared, “For December, the main fish of all will be wahoo. The action has already started to heat up and this speedy fish can be caught at either Dutch Bar, Shallow Ground or Pinnacle Points. The technique is high speed trolling with either artificial lures or lures rigged with ballyhoo. Live bait will work as well, all on conventional reels. December is also a wonderful month for yellowfin tuna, which you’ll find at the same places using the same bait and tackle as wahoo, but the preferred is live bait.”
South Eleuthera
Chad Melton from Ocean Fox Cotton Bay Deep Sea Fishing reports, “Wahoo, blackfin tuna and dolphin are here. Capt. Daryl Miller and Mate Lyndon Mackey boated three dolphin, five
barracuda and one wahoo on a recent trip. The “Kathy Jean” boated a blackfin, kingfish, snapper, grouper and yes, a 65 pound wahoo on a short six hour trip.”
Long Island
Capt. Luke Maillis from Reel Addictive Charters suggests, “Break out the 80w reels and bent butt rods! The wahoo are here and it is highspeed trolling time. There are numerous wahoo in the 40 to 50 pound range and the occasional 80 pound ones running through Long Island in December. Simms Bar always proves successful for wahoo of this size and has been known to hold some wahoo over 100 pounds. If you are focusing on catching that triple digit size wahoo, then Diana Bank should be your goal.”
Exuma
In addition to the great wahoo action that’ll arrive in December, Capt. Doug Rowe says, “There should be a small run of mahi his month. Nice sized fish last year (in the 20 pound class), so for this month I would run mahi rigs of blue and white, or green and yellow on the long rigger. Black down the center, way back! As I’ve told the mates over the years, put it back to where you think it’s ‘way back’ and then double it!”
For more in depth Bahamas fishing reports and forecasts, visit www.coastalangler.com/bahamas.