From all points across The Bahamas, the reel screaming word is WAHOO, with a little yellowfin action coming into the mix.
ABACO
June Russell from Blackfly Lodge, Schooner Bay, South Abaco, reports February will produce a nice catch of wahoo and deep drop selections of queen snappers and groupers. Based upon reports from Hole in the Wall that die hard fishermen have been chunking it up to haul in yellowfin, June is getting geared up to try her hand at some yellowfin action too.
BIMINI
According to Capt. Chase Camacho, Chase N Dreams Yacht Charters, which is based out of Bimini Big Game Club, the wahoo continue to be thick and heavy with fishing coming in at up to 65 pounds. Chase offers recommendations for tackle, depth of water, and marking coordinates (50’s tournament reels, Island lures in bright colors, a 200 pound leader off of a cigar weight of about 18-to-20 feet, and more), which you can read in entirety on The Bahamas Coastal Angler Magazine website (www.coastalanglermag.com/bahamas)
GRAND BAHAMA
Capt. Johnaceo “Nay Nay” Saunders and Reef Tours continue to deliver the wahoo action for their customers. For fly enthusiasts, Capt. Whitney Rolle from Firefly Bonefishing reports the cooling water temperatures have most of the larger bonefish cruising the flats as singles or doubles, not in large schools, and he shares these fish will easily be in the 10 pound range.
NASSAU
Capt. Teddy Pratt on the Reel Deal reports wahoo season is in full swing with big numbers of fish being caught. The consistent cold fronts have the wahoo snapping at bait. And when the trolling action gets boring or slows down, he suggests bottom fishing, which has been great when chumming with squid, ballyhoo, silversides and even conch.
ELEUTHERA
Capt. Ryan Neilly from Spanish Wells tells us the wahoo bite has been hot and better than last year’s action. He says mahi-mahi are in the mix, and that while the yellowfin tuna bite has been slow, that’s going to change. Down in South Eleuthera, Chad Melton from Ocean Fox Cotton Bay Deep Sea Fishing said mahi-mahi are showing up in larger numbers and are of nice size. Chad also reported Cero mackerel are around, bringing in the marlin, and to prove the point, Capt. Daryl Miller of Underdog recently released a 300 pounder caught on a large cedar plug.
EXUMA
Capt. Doug Rowe from Fish Rowe Charters in Exuma confirmed, “Winter wahoo madness will be in full swing in February, with the larger wahoo in the 60 pound and up class going ballistic.” Capt. Rowe said tuna have arrived ahead of schedule, and that yellowfin and blackfin are already in Exuma.