Break out the 80w reels and bent butt rods! The wahoo are here and it is high-speed 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. Diana Bank, located approximately 25 miles south of Long Island, can be a tricky place to fish for those who are not in the know. To troll anywhere on the bank besides the south western tip is often futile. All of the fish seem to congregate on the south western tip of the bank. We prefer high-speed trolling with durable attractive lures that can take a beating, such as the Islander flash lures and Wahoo King by Ace Lures rigged with 11/0 and 12/0 size hooks and 400 pound cable. We also like to use 400 pound cable as our shock leader as well as either cable or Monel wire wind-on leaders to prevent cut offs. We normally run a four rod spread and zig zag the edge at 13 knots. Don’t be scared to slow the boat right down to 3 knots when reeling in the fish as the sharks pose more of a threat then fish throwing the hooks.
Here is a complimentary recipe for cured wahoo sashimi. Cut out a top loin of wahoo filet. Make a seasoned salted rub out of fresh herbs, like cilantro and chives as well as roasted sesame seeds. Mix the spices together with kosher salt to form a dry cure. Cover the wahoo loin all around to a centimeter thick with the spiced salt, set in the fridge for two to three hours then wash off all of the salt thoroughly with drinking water. Cut thin slices and serve with either lemon juice or soy sauce, and wasabi. Compliments to Chef Shane Oporto for this mouth-watering recipe.