by Robert Trosset
Wahoo Mania
December brings cooler weather to the keys, which typically lasts through February, and with it a wider variety of fish. Tuna, king mackerel, sailfish and wahoo are the big species that everyone targets. This year we had an early run of the wahoo around the full moon in December giving us ample opportunities to get out after this elusive fish.
Wahoo tend to show up in large schools in certain spots year after year. They are fast and fun fish and are known for the long hard initial run. When I spearfish for them I make sure to use a thin shaft on a long skinny gun. You need to be able to move the gun through the water quickly to keep up with the fast moving fish. A personal favorite of mine is the Rob Allen 120cm tuna gun.
Wahoo are very soft bodied and will pull the tip from their bodies easily in a long fight. I recommend using a slip tip to maximize the area the tip will grip once the fish is shot. The slip tip is a screw on tip attached to the shaft with a piece of cable or high tensile line. This allows the fish to move and pull with much less stress on the shot. The fish is far less likely to pull off when using a slip tip.
Another way to improve your chances of landing a wahoo is to turn your gun into a full breakaway system. I take the mono shooting line and wrap it in a way that when the gun is shot the entire shaft comes free from the gun. The diver would just hold the gun and let the shooting line come clear. If the line breaks for any reason the diver would only lose the shaft instead of the entire gun. Finz Dive Center has a special way to rig our full breakaway systems and we would be happy to rig yours.
A torpedo float and float line is the last piece of the wahoo shooting rig that should be assembled. The float should be small in diameter to move easily through the water with little resistance. It should have enough flotation though to wear out a large powerful fish. The float line should be small diameter and slick with enough floatation to keep it from getting pulled underwater by the clips and other rigging necessary to properly attach it to your full breakaway shaft.
The most important part of going after wahoo is to stay safe. Always dive with a buddy and stay close together. Spearing wahoo is usually hours of prep work for a few minutes of pure adrenaline. In the end it is worth it to get your trophy fish.
Stop by Finz Dive Center where we have all the proper gear to outfit you. We also can setup a custom trip to teach new techniques and get that fish of a lifetime.
Robert Trosset
FINZ Dive Center
5130 Overseas Hiwy,Key West • 305-395-0880
www.Finzdivecenter.com • Info@Finzdivecenter.com