Wahoo
Acanthocybium solandri
The speedster of the deep water off KZN and Mozambique: a long, barred mackerel that hits fast-trolled lures, mostly at first light.
Size: Wahoo grow fast and big: a 42.7 kg wahoo has been landed from a kayak off Umhlanga, and the world angling record is 83.5 kg.
Where: Common off KZN and Mozambique, and scarce south of the old Transkei, though strays reach Cape Point. In KZN they are caught from the south coast to Sodwana, on deep ledges, pinnacles and colour lines well offshore.
How to spot it
A very long, slender fish with a pointed, beak-like snout and a shiny blue back. It has 24–30 bold cobalt-blue bars down its silver sides. The long, low first dorsal fin starts just behind the head and has many spines, and the mouth is full of razor-sharp teeth.
Varieties and look-alikes
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Wahoo - A long, spiny first dorsal fin that starts right behind the head, a beak-like snout and bold blue bars.
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King Mackerel - Short first dorsal fin, many thin wavy bars, and a lateral line that drops sharply under the second dorsal fin.
What it eats
Wahoo hunt small tuna, flying fish, anchovies and other fast baitfish, plus squid. They often hunt alone or in small, loose groups, and strike at high speed.
Where it feeds
- Over deep ledges and pinnacles with a bit of current
- Along colour lines and current lines in clean blue water
- Around anchored ships off Durban
- Where shoals of small baitfish gather over a reef
How to catch it
Troll lures fast, around 18 km/h, faster than for tuna, along colour lines and over deep pinnacles; diving plugs like Rattlers and skirted lures both work. Small live baits fished on colour lines and reefs also catch wahoo. Put a short wire leader in front of the lure or bait, because wahoo bite through nylon and fluorocarbon in an instant.
| Way of fishing | How well it works |
|---|---|
| Bait on the bottomA sinker holds your bait still on the bottom. | Not used |
| Under a bobberA bobber is a small buoy on your line: it holds the bait off the bottom and dips under when a fish bites. | Not used |
| Natural or dead baitReal food on the hook: worms, liver, sardine, chokka. | Sometimes |
| Live baitA small live fish or other live creature on the hook. | Works well |
| LuresArtificial baits you cast and reel in: spinners, spoons, plastics. | Sometimes |
| TrollingLures or bait pulled behind a moving boat. | Best |
| Fly fishingLight artificial flies, cast with a fly rod. | Not used |
Baits and lures that work
- Crankbaits and plugs
- Skirted trolling lures
- Live baitfish
- Metal jigs
- Fish strips or dead fish
Flavours it likes
Wahoo hunt by sight and speed, not smell. Fast movement and flash draw them, so lure speed and colour matter more than scent; orange and pink lures have worked well off KZN.
When it bites
Time of day
| Time | Bite |
|---|---|
| Dawn | Best |
| Day | Slow |
| Midday | Slow |
| Dusk | Good |
| Night | Rarely |
Be on your spot at first light: the best wahoo bite runs from just before sunrise to an hour or two after. There is a shorter chance again late in the afternoon.
Best months
- Best: July, August, September
- Good: January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November, December
Wahoo can turn up in most months in KZN. North coast anglers rate July to September for the biggest fish, and many are caught in winter and spring.
What affects the bite
| Condition | What it likes | Effect on the bite |
|---|---|---|
| Water temperature | Best at 22–28 °C | Medium |
| Time of day | Best at dawn and dusk | High |
| Tide | Hardly matters | Low |
| Swell and surf | Best when the sea is calm | Medium |
| Air pressure | Best when it is falling | Medium |
| Cloud cover | Best on overcast days | Medium |
| Wind | Best with a light breeze | High |
| Rain | Best in dry weather | Medium |
| Water clarity | Best in clear water | Medium |
| Moon phase | Hardly matters | Low |
| Spawning | Hardly changes | Low |
High means it makes a big difference to whether this fish bites. Low means it hardly matters.
Tips
- Keep trolling after the first strike: double and triple hook-ups are common.
- A shoal of small baitfish over a pinnacle is a good sign that wahoo are near.
- Calm, clean water fishes best, and flat seas also make the long run offshore safer.
Good to know: Wahoo teeth cut deep, so unhook them with long pliers. Check the current rules: wahoo are not listed on their own, so the general DFFE bag limit of 10 fish per person per day applies, with no minimum size.
Are they biting today?
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