Rigging Wahoo Lures

[BahamaLure]

This wahoo Lure thread is designed to follow on from the Mahi Lure Rigging thread, there will be some common ground so if you have not read the Mahi Lure thread click on this first Rigging a big lure for Mahimahi

So to begin we have the lure laid out and the 2 hooks placed where they should end up at the end. The front hook is an open face J hook and the rear is a Southern & Tuna style with the point slightly recurved back toward the eye. I chose the J at the front to maximize the gap between the lure head and the point to allow the fishes jaw to fit between the two and the rear is a ST because it is harder to shake loose and wahoo do like to shake their heads. Notice that the rear hook is well aft of the skirts, this prevents not only tangling of the skirt on the hook curve but also at higher trolling speeds the skirts can actually impale onto the hook point and jam it thus impeding good penetration on the bite.



Next begin to measure out the cable, this is again 1/16" Stainless aircraft cable with 1.9mm copper sleeves. Here is the tag end against the lure head with a little to spare


Mark the rear where you want the crimp to stop just above the hook


Now take the long end of the cable and do a figure 8 wrap around the hook shank, I like to go around the 'smooth' side of the hook away from the eye to reduce the chance of chafing between the eye and cable.


Draw it up tight keeping your mark on the tag end in place, drop a sleeve down it and bite it. Notice the sleeve is flared top and bottom.


Now return to the top hook and mark the 2 legs of the cable where you want to top sleeve to stop


Drop another sleeve down both legs and do the twist as per the Mahi thread to keep any curve out of the rig, then pass the legs through the eye of the top hook. In this case you will need to 'clock' the top sleeve so it lays flat against the top hook shank and the cable comes out of the sleeve and passes through the top hook eye without any effort to twist it straight. This will take practice and often does not come out right without some considerable effort. I like to over twist the cable on the way up, then when I reach to the top mark let it unwind a bit until I have the top sleeve sitting in the right plane, if it stays there still uncrimped when I let go of it (the rear hook) then its right and I bite down on it to set it.


It should look like this. Notice the two hooks are in a zero degree offset, in other words lined up with each other. This is because wahoo do not open their mouths very wide on the bite plus you want the hook in the roof of the jaw if possible, not the weaker lower jaw. This is more important the faster you are trolling as the forces are dramatically increased with all that speed, the lower jaw can actually tear away so if you can get the hook in the top jaw all the better. This is where a keel weighted lure really shines, the hook set will be placed with both hooks up in the scorpion tail position, and kept there by the keel weight in the lure head.


Here is finished with the final sleeve above the top hook. Make sure and keep that tag end just inside the top of the sleeve so it does not cut you


I like to use a bit of heat shrink just to clamp the top hook close and in line with the rest of the rig, but that is all the shrink you need. Wahoo tear it to shreds so it really does not serve any purpose to cover the whole rig with it. Besides it will trap sea water once penetrated and that just promotes rust.


All done


and set into the lure. The leader is SHORT and there is a good reason for this. Wahoo often travel with their friends and what happens is the first fish hits the lure and tears off with it, the lure then rides up the leader to the top and a second fish whacks it usually cutting the mono leader just above the snap swivel. The two solutions are to use a second length of cable above the swivel, or use a very short ( 2ft max ) leader on the lure. The short leader keeps the lure close to or even against the side of the first fish and this prevents the second fish from hitting it.


Here is a variation on this theme using an islander or any other small bullet lure head


It is the same basic rig except this time use a 12" squid skirt with an egg sinker in the bulb to give it a bit of mass


You can add a second smaller different color skirt under the big skirt




A couple of other thoughts here, these lures will work well at all but the slowest trolling speeds, you do not have to be doing 18 knots but having said that they are at their best at between 8-20kts. If you find the lures are surfacing because of speed you will need to either slow down or use an inline cigar lead. If so then add a 30ft 300# mono shock leader between the lure and lead and a leash on the reel. It may seem to be a bit big too, at 16" but not so, wahoo like a long lure. The rig is also not exactly stealthy either, but at 8 or more knots that starts to go out the window anyway!

[Ponce]

Another great how too thread, thanks for taking the time to share this information.

[92 feet down]

That is a F-ing awesome way to wrap the cable under the skirt! Thanks for sharing.

[Wound Up James]

Another informative post by Bahama Lures !! Whether or not they say it, there are a lot of people on this site that appreciate that info.

Not to be negative, but I'd worry about the bulkiness of the rig with the pink Islander in it compared to the size of the hook set.
Looks like it might get tangled of there may too much mass around the lead hook that could decrease hook up ratio.

The balance between the hook set and your red and black lure looks spot on.

Again, a very tidy looking rig. Thanks for taking the time.




Have you changed your policy about selling lures to charter fisherman that sell their catch ?

[BahamaLure]

Another informative post by Bahama Lures !! Whether or not they say it, there are a lot of people on this site that appreciate that info.

Not to be negative, but I'd worry about the bulkiness of the rig with the pink Islander in it compared to the size of the hook set.
Looks like it might get tangled of there may too much mass around the lead hook that could decrease hook up ratio.

I would agree except that this is one of the most successful rigs for wahoo ever! I can not tell you how many fish myself and many others have caught on this rig I have re-done the hook set several times. We even had a name for it - Paris Hilton. Why? Because it is pink and gets nailed every time it goes out.

balance between the hook set and your red and black lure looks spot on.

Again, a very looking rig. Thanks for taking the time.




Have you changed your policy about selling lures to charter fisherman that sell their catch ?

yes I do sell to charters and I'd love nothing more than to have you try a few out in Bermuda, I do believe in the right to catch legal fish and sell it too if that is also locally legal.
By the way congrats on your World Cup win last year!

[gtrfred]

Great write up and pics

Thanks for posting.

[bisquit]

Fantastic how-to info; much appreciated.

[Nauti Natured]

We even had a name for it - Paris Hilton. Why? Because it is pink and gets nailed every time it goes out.

HAHAHAHAHAAAA ... Classic .. Im going to have to share that one with her.

[Wound Up James]

I can't agree w/ you more about that pink thing Alan. There is no substitute for the real thing....and Islander has got that lure down...one of the all time classics...bar none !!

it is refreshing to have someone besides Roddy offer great informative advice with out pimpin their product.

this site needs more people like the both of you....

Thanks.

[Captain Michael Buffington]

my only question(and you may have answered it with the top jaw tidbit)is we do a ton of high speed trolling. We cruise 80+ miles a 12 knots so they are always out. We have concluded we get better hook up to land ratio's with free swinging hooks. I love the explanation on the different hook styles! Thanks!

Mike