There’s not much in fishing that causes excitement like a screaming reel. When a 60-pound fish moving at 30 knots slams a lure being pulled in the opposite direction at 15 knots, it’s a situation that can make picking up that reel and the rod it’s attached to precarious.
Over the next few months, countless anglers will get the chance to experience this adrenaline rush off the coast of northeast Florida. The winter wahoo season ramps up in January and will last through early spring.
Wahoo have exploded in popularity over the last decade or so. They’ve made a name for themselves with long, powerful runs and a bite that is a lot more predictable than once thought. It helps that they are also very good tablefare.
In blue water off rocky ledges on the edge of the continental shelf, ’Hoos will be hunting in packs along the color changes, temperature breaks and dropoffs. And while the Bahamas may claim to have the best wahoo fishing in the world, north Florida’s wahoo season picks up each year as the bite in the Bahamas begins to wane. It’s also a whole lot closer for the vast majority of U.S. anglers.
Double-digit days are very possible when conditions are right. But timing those conditions can be difficult. There are limited windows when north winds aren’t howling around the full and new moons of winter when the fish feed best. High-speed trolling in heavy seas is brutal, but it can be worth it for those hard-core enough to take advantage.