Wahoo/Dolphin Spread???

[Hroonk]

Well, I think most would agree with the statement that the yellowfin have been a NO SHOW to mid-atlantic so far this year (not counting NJ in mid-atlantic). That said, Sept is almost here and I'm thinking of switching tactics and targeting the wahoo that I hope show up in numbers this year off of OCMD.

So, abandoning all hope of consistently catching yellowfin on the troll, what would you set out soley for wahoo/dolphin? Would you stick with a few spreader bars or drop more planers down? I'm busy wahoo proofing my seawitches and thinking about a spread consisting of 2/3 dark (blue/black, purple/black, red/black) and 1/3 lighter colors. Just off the top of my head, I'd go with red/black and blue/white on planers, so other stuff on flat lines, a big, funky squiddy thing on the short shotgun and wahoo proofed seawithes on the longs. Any thoughts???? Would like to put a few more of these in the boat.

[clt_capt]

The purple/black matanza from squidnation has been very solid for us on the planer. Pink/black and Black/purple Islander work well on the planer. I prefer the island flashers on the planers.

[Sea Draggin]

Don't forget about the trusty boone bird rig with a chase bait. That will get your wahoos and maybe even a lost tuna.

[92 feet down]

Good thread, Larry. I was doing just that last Thursday at the Hambone. I had two pink & blue daisy chains of skirts with 2oz. egg sinkers in the head up top on the riggers. A red & black jet head on the planer. A dorado patterned diving plug on the other flat, & a pink skirt with an 8oz. egg sinker shoved in the head down the middle. All skirts were tooth-proofed with 270lb. cable under the skirt. I bumped between 8 & 10 kts. I did alright on the dorado. No Mr. Wahoo, though.

[SeaMarie]

Now we're just talkin wahoo/mahi spread..... You got the colors right and I tend to like the larger islander jets on the planers as well. I normally cut that inner skirt off, dont know if it makes alot of difference but it does in my mind. On a mixed spread, especially on a day like your picture, I always have some type of flat nosed popper (anything like a Sailure) and one of Islanders Sea Stars.(one in a short rigger, one in a long) The mahis love both of those lures any day and on nice days have caught many hoos on them as well. Its fun to see a ripping ass wahoo take those top baits!! I haven't tried any cable for leaders, just #10 wire so cant comment on the seawitch rigs....

[BTH284]

Blue crystal witches, black and purple witches, chartreuse and purple witches, all black witches up top. Each of these with lots of green metallic tinsel flash. Usually all the same color in the spread with one of the other colors as the only odd man out. Sometimes if the seas are a little calm I will run one of those colors in a popper style lure off my flat usually the odd man out color.

I still keep that naked ballyhoo as a pitch to the sails that show here in NC in the fall.

I always run an ilander or ilander jr on the long line either blue/crystal, purple black or chart/purple all with flash to match the rest of the spread.



Planer gets either blue/white or crystal rubberskirt upright troller, or a purple/black rubber skirt both with lots of flash. I do not black out my planer during wahoo time either.

I will be trying some different colors on the planer this year and will hopefully have some good reports down the road.

Dolphin will eat just about anything including all the above. Wahoo don't seem to be picky when they are around either. Neither sails, wahoo or dolphin seem to mind the wire either.

Everything is on wire except the pitch.

[Surfbass]

Probably goes witout saying but everyone is puttin a hoo on the ilandrs and witches right? My best wahoo bites last year were unbaited trackers behind small Boone birds wwwb

[30' PURSUIT]

WHEN I TARGET WAHOO I PULL A C&H JET ON EACH SIDE. WWB. USUALLY BLACK AND PURPLE ON 1 SIDE AND BLUE AND WHITE ON THE OTHER. I PUT A MOLDCRAFT DAISY CHAIN WITH AN ISLANDER EXPRESS IN THE MIDDLE ON THE 3RD WAVE . PULL AROUND 10 MPH. HAVE DONE VERY WELL ON WAHOO WITH THIS SPREAD. ALSO HAVE CAUGHT DOLPHIN UP TO 30#.

[Hroonk]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Interesting points and very inline with what I was thinking. Question though, I've caught most of the few wahoo I've caught off the planer. Because of this, I was thinking about running two planers or on planer and one dredge weight with a skirt/bally behind it plus a 9 oz squid thing (purple/black) off the short shotgun. Is this too much down deep? Should I just go with one planer and wahoo stuff on wwb on the longs?

Also, I realize hoo's are fast, but how critical is a faster trolling speed when totally targeting them? Again, the few I've caught has been when I decided to throw one or two hoo baits out in a tuna spread trolling around 5-6 knots.

Finally, when I say wahoo proof, the only thing I'm doing is adding some #92 tooth proof wire backing to the mono pin rig....basically, no wire is exposed in the hopes that a yellowin bite may acually materialize this year. Is that what most NC guys do when targeting hoos?

Thanks
Larry

[merry marlin]

If targetting wahoo, I'd favor Speed, Speed, Speed!!!! Doesn't matter around 10-12kts what color or lure you put in the water they'll wack it! Add maybe a 32 or 48 oz trawling sinker on the two short rods.
The most wahoo I caught was when I used to fish for marlin pulling large Moldcrafts at that speed....
Dolphins don't ask questions either!
MM