Everything You Need to Know About Florida's Wahoo Fishery

Last winter, it seemed Florida Keys wahoo fishing was great for some and lackluster for others. Our crew spent several days getting skunked, or if we were lucky—gaffing day-saver kingfish. Typically, winter is the most productive time of year for wahoo fishing in the Keys. But this past winter, the wahoo? They weren’t wahoo-ing.

Meanwhile, up in Jacksonville or “San Salvador North,” the fishery was booming. Tournaments were being won with monster fish over 120 pounds and recreational boats were stacking their coolers with their daily limits. A stark contrast to the Florida Keys reports.

Why is the wahoo fishing in these areas so drastically different? Of course, there are the usual factors such as the presence of bait, wind direction, and current. But, there is something to say about biology—how these fish move, eat, and reproduce.

So what’s going on with this fishery? Let’s dive in.

Where Do They Live?

Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) are a pelagic fish found worldwide in tropical and temperate seas. Here in Florida, they make the rounds on our peninsula and are found anywhere from Jacksonville to the Keys and in the Gulf to the Panhandle.

Wahoo favor deep, blue water from 60 feet to 1,600 feet and beyond. Anyone who has been kingfishing in 90 feet of water and has hooked a wahoo on a stinger rig knows that they do in fact eat in the shallower end of that range. You’ll find wahoo off the continental shelf in Northeast Florida, off the reef edge in Southeast Florida, on FADs and oil rigs in the Gulf, and on floating debris offshore.

“Wahoo are generally structure-oriented,” says Capt. Daniel Owsley out of Fernandina, in Northeast Florida, “but, I’ve caught them in a desert if there’s a bait ball around. They’ve got to eat and they’re going to be where the bait is.”

What Do They Eat?

Wahoo primarily eat fish. Tunas, bonito, flyingfish, herring and pilchards make up about 90 percent of their diet; squid comprise about 10 percent. Small tunas and bonito can’t outpace a wahoo that can swim with bursts of speed over 46 mph. Wahoo are built for speed. Their torpedo-shaped body, propelled by a V-shaped tail, allows them to cut through the water at ripping speeds. Wahoo also have retractable fins, which further reduces drag in the water.

Is it starting to make sense why we high-speed troll, 10 to 18 knots, for these critters? That’s typically how anglers target them in the Keys, high-speed trolling lipped diving plugs or Ilander-style skirts. Low light conditions early in the morning or late in the evening often are best. Sending a planer down with an Ilander or sea witch paired with a fresh bonita strip can also be effective at getting a wahoo to eat.

Up in Jacksonville and Fernandina, “the newest craze is live baiting on mini bonitas,” says Capt. Owsley. “Traditionally, we dead-bait trolled. Then we started high-speed fishing some years ago, and now we put up some really big fish, all live baiting.”

How Big Do They Get?

Big. The current IGFA all-tackle record is 184 pounds, caught off Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. The current Florida state record is 139.56 pounds caught off of Marathon in the Florida Keys. On average, wahoo live for around 2 years, but they reach their maximum age at around 9 years with some individuals living up to 10 years of age.

Typically in fish biology, species grow large as a defense mechanism when they’re younger. That’s no exception for wahoo. This fish grows the fastest during its first two years of life. On average, they grow around 1 to 1 ½ inches per month during the summer. In fact, a wahoo tagged off of Bermuda was found to gain 22 pounds in just ten months. That’s some rapid growth!

Wahoo reach sexual maturity in their first year of life. Spawning may occur year-round, but is thought to peak in the June through August timeframe, when females have been known to spawn every 2-6 days.

Wahoo reproduce by way of broadcast spawning—males and females release sperm and eggs at the same time, increasing the chance of fertilization. One female wahoo has the ability to produce around 26,000 eggs per pound of body weight per spawn—that’s several million a year!

At one year old, male wahoo can reach around 34 inches and females reach around 40 inches. Catch a 24-inch “weehoo?” Regard it as a tyke too small for the peg board—snap a picture, let it go, and let it grow.

How’s the Wahoo Population Doing?

No comprehensive population assessments have been completed to date on Atlantic wahoo and because of that, we don’t know if the population is subject to overfishing or not.

Tagging studies are in the works to measure growth rates and migration patterns, thanks to the Beyond our Shores Foundation Dolphinfish Research Program, a 501(c)(3) non-profit based out of Rhode Island and supported by government grants and donors.

“We set out to start gathering data on wahoo at the end of 2021,” says Dr. Wessley Merten, Executive Director of the program. “That’s when we started putting satellite tags on wahoo in Puerto Rico.”

Merten noted that there are a lot of unanswered questions about the wahoo fishery.

“For wahoo, there are big data gaps in terms of what is being landed commercially and recreationally,” says Merten. “In the United States, 99 percent of the catch is recreational. There are international recreational and commercial fisheries throughout the Caribbean—and many nations are not reporting or underreporting commercial catch. Without better data collection, you’re left guessing as to what is happening with the fishery.”

What’s Needed to Better Understand the Wahoo Fishery?

Beyond my personal griping that we couldn’t seem to catch a sizeable wahoo last winter in the Keys, there are some serious questions about the fishery.

One, we don’t truly know the stock status. Anecdotally, captains and mates are reporting lower catch rates and smaller wahoo in specific places like South Florida and the Florida Keys. Meanwhile, across the South and Mid-Atlantic regions, the species seems to be doing just fine.

John Hadley, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Economist and Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, noted that, “Recreational wahoo landings are highly variable. The years 2022 and 2023 were generally good for the recreational wahoo fishery, with landings that were above average both on the east coast of Florida and along the Atlantic coast. We don’t have very good catch data for 2024 just yet, so it’s tough to comment on catches in the Florida Keys versus other parts of the state. I personally have not heard of low catch rates for this year, but that certainly doesn’t mean that they are not occurring.”

“It was rough as hell all season and that’s not conducive to wahoo fishing,” says Capt. Jon Reynolds with Dropback Charters out of Islamorada. “Slick calm, heavy current, that’s when you have this amazing wahoo fishing. We didn’t have that hardly at all this year—those days were few and far between.”

“Wahoo are getting a lot more pressure,” adds Reynolds.“When I look back at my logs, we used to catch a lot of really big wahoo trolling on the way in and the way out. That’s not happening anymore. In my opinion, wahoo could use a little more conservation.”

In a November 2023 Fishery Performance Report, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Dolphin Wahoo Advisory Panel noted that locations in South Florida and the Florida Keys are feeling more fishery pressure. The report noted that “some divers seem to be targeting spawning aggregations around wrecks and that divers are responsible for notable removals of wahoo, either through direct harvest or through delayed mortality when a speared fish escapes.” It was also noted that “there are many new recreational participants in the rod and reel component… catching and keeping very small fish, often while vertical jigging or fishing along weed lines.” The panel also observed, “a strong and increasing general recreational demand (both charter and private) for wahoo, in both the South and Mid-Atlantic regions as well as the Caribbean.”

Changing currents may also figure into the here-one-season, gone-the-next aspect of some wahoo fisheries.

“There are indications that climate change could impact the AMOC and that can have huge implications on the entire pelagic ecosystem,” says Dr. Merten of DRP.

The AMOC, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, is a system of ocean currents that circulates water in the Atlantic Ocean. “Pelagics or highly migratory species follow bait and structure in a seasonal migration throughout the region,” said Merten. “Surface and deep surface current movement can have an impact on prey, structure, and where predators ultimately go.”

“We just don’t have a lot of movement data on wahoo,” said Merten. “We are doing our best with the resources we have to attempt to acquire data on the species to better understand status and movements.”

A second problem for wahoo management is, we don’t understand the genetics.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lists four separate populations of wahoo: South Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico stock, a Puerto Rico stock, a St. Croix stock, and a St. Thomas/St. John stock.

Current DNA testing suggests that wahoo from the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic are genetically similar enough to be considered a single stock for population purposes. If this is true, that means the population could be regulated as one stock in these areas. If it’s not entirely true, we could end up with more specific regulations based on geography and migration patterns. The ongoing genetic testing and satellite tagging studies will help scientists determine how best to classify these wahoo.

The Dolphinfish Research Program is currently looking for anglers and captains to help with tagging efforts.

“Tagging can lend insight into growth, age, movements, and fishing mortality—all of those questions are answered through putting a tag in a fish,” said Merten. “It’s an amazing tool for citizens to be able to contribute to their fishery.”

Until We Know More, Let Some Swim

While there isn’t a lot of science on it just yet, many captains agree that the wahoo fishery is changing, and some changes in our fishing practices merit consideration.

Because small wahoo are relatively easy to handle and release alive, the South Atlantic Council Wahoo Advisory Panel has discussed potential size limit options to be consistent with other species, such as a 24-inch fork length to match the minimum size limit for king mackerel.

In April of this year, the Caribbean Fishery Management Council moved to implement (pending NOAA review) a 32-inch minimum size for wahoo in the U.S. Caribbean Sea federal waters.

“What we know with a lot of reproductive biology studies is that bigger fish produce more spawn, more eggs, and more spawning biomass,” says Merten. “Small wahoo haven’t been given time to reproduce. That’s why we want you to tag and release small wahoo, instead.”

Protecting undersized wahoo helps improve the spawning biomass associated with the population, Merten adds.

Wahoo are toothy critters and it’s important to be mindful of your own safety when handling these fish. Captain Daniel Owsley suggests trying out a release tailer—a tool that replaces the need to gaff a fish and instead allows you to secure a tail loop around it. “Don’t underestimate the teeth of a dead or live wahoo!” he says.

If you intend to release a wahoo, ideally, keep it in the water and use a long-shank dehooker. If you are fishing with a wire rig with multiple hooks (stinger rig), it might be best to cut the wire leader as close to the fish as possible with long-handled snips.

Keeping the boat in gear and moving forward can aid in controlling an unruly wahoo boatside. If you must bring a fish onboard, minimize the time the fish is out of the water. Ensure your hands are wet and avoid using towels or gloves. Support the fish from its belly, preventing it from flopping on the deck, which can damage its protective slime coat. Avoid using gaffs, jaw-locking grips, or holding fish by the gills or eyes.

There is currently a 2-fish per person recreational bag limit on wahoo in Florida state waters and South Atlantic federal waters, a conservation measure in effect since 2005. At present there is no bag limit for wahoo in Gulf of Mexico federal waters.

For more information on how to get involved with wahoo tagging, visit beyondourshores.org.

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• This article was featured in the February 2024 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe.

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