Fall wahoo fishing off the Crystal Coast of North Carolina is as good as you can ever ask for, and October is the peak of this fishery. Whether you and your buddies take your own boat or maybe select one of the charter boats here on the Morehead City waterfront, get on out there and experience some incredible offshore action.
Once again this year, our wahoo fishing has started early with the fish beginning to show back up in August and the bite has steadily improved through September. The fleet has been seeing a good amount of bait and some really nice catches of fish. An added bonus has been that we are starting to see some of our fall yellowfin tuna action again with several boats getting a couple of shots most days. The blackfin tuna will be hanging around, as always there will be some mahi here and there is always a chance you may have a run-in with a sailfish or two.
Wahoo fishing is a fairly simple recipe, find some bait over a ledge or other good bottom structure and then pull your spread in their face – you will get the bites. We run wire leaders on everything this time of year, even our naked baits. The wahoo are definitely the dominant species found offshore right now and they will absolutely ruin a spread of mono or fluorocarbon leaders. The good news is that despite all the theory out there about what you “must use” to catch tuna or sails, we find that these fish will readily take properly prepared and presented bait when rigged on wire. Dark color combinations work well, but it is a good idea to have at least one bright color contrast out there, and you should never overlook the proven success of a blue/white combination. Make sure you have plenty of wire twisted up before you leave the dock and have more than enough ballyhoo prepped, as these fish are notorious for bite-offs and you will typically go through a lot of tackle before the day is over.
On a bit of a side note and, based on recent personal experience, make sure you have your boat in the best condition possible and that you are prepared for any type of emergency. These fish have a very nasty set of extremely sharp teeth and the slime that gets into a bite can cause a terrible infection. Things happen – people get cut or stuck with hooks, through hull fittings let go or other leaks start, motors break down – it happens to us all! Make sure you have a good first aid kit, more than the ones you buy at WalMart. Have some basic spare parts and tools. Make sure you have a spare bilge pump and some wire and hose. You never know when that little bit will make the difference between coming home under your own power or being picked up by the Coast Guard. Even if you think you have everything you need, there seems to always be a way of needing one more thing. Heading offshore 40+ miles is a great time to practice being prepared like a boy scout!
Final thought, whether you bring your own boat or hire one of us to take you, get on down here and take part in some world class wahoo fishing!