[PanamaJack]

It’s years since I last fished in the Canaries. But if I start with the Wahoo, and add to the comments already made.

There’s certainly a current obsession, amongst particularly ‘Stateside anglers, with high speed trolling for Wahoo. They tend to fish with heavy lures, often referred to as ‘Wahoo Bombs’ on single stand wire lines on 80lb class tackle at 12 to 15 knots, but none of that’s really necessary.

So where do you find them? They usually a species that school and, in the Canaries, I’ve found them in 100 metre plus depths outwards tracking species like Skipjack Tuna or Flying Fish. Drop-offs can be effective places in finding them.

(Very, very occasionally you’ll see them aimlessly cruising just sub surface in calm conditions. In such cases they’re virtually impossible to tempt! But watch the locals ‘soft wire’ a 16/0 – attached to a rod and reel - to the end of one of those 20’ poles they use, roach pole fashion, for catching Skipjack cruise up and gaff them. Not for one moment I’m going to suggest that you use that as a ‘sporting method’!)

So, in my experience, I’ve found a slight chop can help. And you need the lure to work just sub surface, not skipping. One of the lures I tend to use is something that was designed in Southern California, Hoo-Nobs. You can find them on this site -
http://www.profishco.com/home.asp. Speed’s not too critical, but even at 12 knots they’ll stay sub surface. The optimum speed I’ve found that works is 7 to 8.

Alternatively, at slightly slower speeds, I’ve found something like the Halco Trembler is very effective. There’s something in that fast, vibrating action that induces strikes.

Obviously they will hit others, preferably straight running lures and, to keep them down, on lighter tackle planers work. There’s even something, from memory, called a ‘Z’ wing that pushes, by using the different attachments, to left and right enabling you to fish a pattern of lures.

They will also hit livebaits but ‘HIT’ is the operative word. You’ll see the livebait vibrating and then it stops. Once you’ve wound it in, and its always the back of the bait that’s missing, the bait looks just as if it’s been attacked with a meat cleaver – a clean cut. So if you’re using livebaits it’s worth rigging them on two hooks.

I suppose the Wahoo’s modus operandi is to remove the ‘propeller’ on that first fast pass, then turn and eat the bits at leisure.

Just a few other things.

Always use a braided wire trace. Their teeth are formidable! Just like razors. So beware! Steer clear of the teeth when you gaff them and be extremely careful when removing hooks.

Then you won’t need a lot of strike drag with Wahoo, probably a quarter of the line’s breaking strain will suffice. They’ll hook themselves on that first, very fast run. And, once they’ve ‘blown’ themselves out and stopped, then’s the time to push the drag up to ‘strike’ around a third of the line’s B/S.

 

[PanamaJack]

Not that it's ever happened to me, but you'll find most skippers prefer to rig lures with a black, as opposed to silver, ball bearing swivel at the end of the trace.

I guess like all gamefish Wahoo have incredible eyesight and the theory goes that others in the school, attracted by the hooked specimen's actions, will occasionally strike at the swivel.

And there's an interesting bit in this article - http://www.bluewatermag.com.au/feb04feature1.asp - where Australian anglers, having got hook ups, immediately drop jigs and get hook ups from other fish in the school. Worth considering?

 

[PanamaJack]

Hi Marc
There’re an excellent lure and attract a whole range of species including those offshore. (Finding other lures that similarly fish that slow offshore in a pattern may be your problem though.) But I tend to use them inshore. Certainly they’re very effective for species like Bluefish and the European Barracuda that you’ll encounter around the island.

They can be fished of downriggers or planers but make sure you fish them at least 30’ back before ‘clipping’ them. (It gets them away from the turbulence of the 'ball' or planer.) Another technique though that’s just as effective, once having run the lure back, is to pull the lure at a lower angle by using a light rubber band attached to a short length of string tied to one of the ‘D’ rings, low on your transom. (Hope that makes some sense.) Just be careful how you wrap the band around your line – 6 wraps should be enough - to create the two loops that’s attached to your string. If you knot the band you risk, with initial slippage, it slicing through your reel line.

For both species you’ll need a short wire trace.

If you’re over structure though things like the large Bream and small Grouper will also take them. And there’s always the possibility of Amberjack. Although most of the time they’re be present in deeper water. Jigging then’s the preferred method. If it’s of interest there’re some notes (and pictures) on these threads - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52503&highlight=Amberjack and http://www.caranx.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2274 .

I still ‘owe’ you some notes on Dorado and Tuna but, unfortunately, the lawns beckon!
Dave

 

[PanamaJack]

Hi Marc
As already mentioned it’s also worth trolling around any surface structure for Dorado, be it anchored or just drifting, or flotsam on current lines. Any drifting objects, once they’ve been in the water for more than a couple of days, is likely to provide shelter for small pelagic crabs or fry. And, in turn, some will attract the Dorado. I’ve even targeted a pair literally around a plastic bucket. Sometimes you can see them in the water flashing, other times they can be deep or even a couple of hundred yards from the object. But it’s always worth trolling around such objects.

Another sign to look for is a single frigate bird, not circling but tracking. They’re often immediately above Dorado or Marlin. (Um…. You might find your 30lb outfit a tad too light for a Blue Marlin!)

Normally if you get a single strike it will be from the larger, more aggressive Bull, but, as Spitfire mentioned, attendant females will often follow it literally to the transom. That’s why it’s always worth having other outfits – fly or spin gear – rigged. Don’t gaff the first, just leave it in the water, and either cast a fly or a chunk of bait or a small lure at them. Often you can take several members of a school, providing the first is always left in the water until the action stops.

What lures? Literally anything will work, right up to huge Marlin lures. But for preference I use smallish 6 to 8” surface lures that create smoke trails. They do have small conical teeth but a mono trace, slightly heavier than your reel line will suffice.

As to the tuna I prefer smallish straight running lures that sit just sub surface. And, if they’re the intended quarry, I prefer to set the drag at a third of the line’s breaking strain from the outset. You always need to force the issue with Tuna, if you can.

Whilst the Skipjack tend to shoal in the surface layers for large parts of the day the Yellowfin and BigEye will be deep, just above the thermocline. You should be able to pick them up on your sounder. There they can be tempted with livebaits, jigs or ‘chunks’ fished deep. And there are ways, with bait, to get chum down to that level, but it’s fairly specialised.

When they detect bait schools though, and start to surface the birds will congregate above them. That’s the time to start to troll around the edges of the school.
Alternatively you’ll often find, particularly Yellowfin, in company (but beneath) pods of Dolphin. For large parts of the day the Dolphin will just be frolicking but, as soon as they detect bait, they line up (across) and start purposefully ‘porpoising’. Then you need to race to get just in front of them, that’s where you will normally encounter and get strikes from the Tuna.

The only problem with Yellowfin and BigEye is that they’re often LARGE. And your 30lb outfit really not going to be ‘man enough for the job’! Once hooked they’ll spook, together with the rest of the school, and sound. And they’ll attempt to stay with them. I recall battling one estimated 250 pounder on 30 for nearly 3 hours and, with it apparently beaten, the line popped! Unfortunately I’d forgotten that I’d push the drag way up past the pre-set after those first dynamic runs to make any headway on the fish. I’d literally pushed the drag up until I’d taken all the stretch out of the line and it started to ‘sing’ before easing it back a tad. Something I’d forgotten with the fish just 20’ away. C’est la vie!

Just one last point, if you have any problems sourcing lures for the smaller pelagics it might be worth contacting Matthias Henningsen. Matthias is one of the skippers I fish with in Ascension Island. I think he finished chartering there at the end of April and will then return to his home in Gran Canaria.

Most of the tackle on his embryonic web site - http://www.walhallatackle.com/principal.html - is geared to Blue Marlin but he’s well worth talking to and discussing possible options. Both Matthias and his wife Emi speak excellent English.

Here’s wishing you every success.
Dave
PS We’ll have to compare notes at the end of May. I’ll be fishing the banks off Panama and Costa Rica in the Pacific. It’s the time of year when, although there’re less Marlin present, the BIG 300lb plus Yellowfin can be there in force. Rest assured I won’t be tackling those on 30s! It’s going to be either stand-up 80s or 130s from the chair.

 

[PanamaJack]

30lb it is then!

As Kingfish said Marc you'll have much more fun on the lighter gear. But, if you have one out there, have a spin rod - a 7 footer's about right - and 12lb line, rigged with a small lure, ready at all times. You'll have immense fun on that either casting at a shoal of Skipjack on the surface or, with the boat stationary, casting at Dorado following the hooked one in.

Perhaps consider a stand up 50 once you've got a few of the smaller pelagics under your belt.
Dave

 

[PanamaJack]

For wahoo and presumably cuda in that area (the two often hang around in the same neighbourhoods. This is what I have found...

..............................

Don't underestimate the power of live / dead bait. Often small skipjack trolled behind the boat are deadly.

Hi Makubwa
And to some extent this links in with your earlier post regarding your access to a small boat off Fuerte Ventura.

Unlike most other parts of the world you'll find the Barracuda encountered off the Canaries are an 'emaciated' European variety, not the Great Barracuda. They seem to range up to about 12lbs maximum. I've only ever caught them closer inshore using either small Rapalas or tiny livebaits. Someone's going to correct me - in the Azores they call them, phonetically, chicharro. I'm sure the names the same in the Canaries - they're a small bream like species.
Dave

 

[PanamaJack]

Well after finally getting the work finished on the boat i went out on Monday evening if only for a couple of hours just to get the tackle sorted and make a list of things id forgotten for the next trip !

Just wondered what a good all round setup regarding lure spacing/placing would be for 4 rods?

Also i saw a hell of a lot of flying fish gliding out of the water, are they being chased by something or is this something they do usually ?

Sorry, missed your post.

Unfortunately without outriggers it will be quite difficult to get good lure separation. Certainly make sure though that your lures are straight running lures. If the lures are too 'active' you'll be forever untangling them.

You may want to try with the two short (inner) lines 'banding' then down to the mooring 'D' rings on your transom. Make sure though that the rubber bands you use are light and that you wind then carefully around the line. It's important that they don't slip or that you knot them. Either way might result in a broken line.

Also I should try staggering the short and long lines to assist in separation. Be very watchful though when you execute turns. You want the 'longer' to pass over the 'shorter'. And, as soon as you're straight, make absolutely sure the lures aren't tangled. That can be extremely difficult but, as you turn, the shorter of the pair should slow down and sink slightly and the longer speed up. The critical point to watch for is where the line from the longer might touch the water. That's the point that the hooks on the shorter may tangle with it.

Now to your flying fish. An excellent sign because it suggests the water's warming up. As to what eats them? Just about anything! Dorado, Tuna but also Dolphin (the mammals) and the 'switched on' sea birds. (I've watched them off places like Venezuela keep pace with the boat and then swoop down and seize them whilst they're airborne having been spooked.)

Please make sure you keep us up to-date with your catches.

All the Best.
Dave

 

[PanamaJack]

Presume it was a Wahoo as the squid was a total mess.

Could well be Marc although Wahoo with those razor-like teeth can often be quite 'surgical', chopping skirts or even backs of the backs of baits completely. It can look as if someone's taken a meat cleaver to them!

Just experienced some of that around the Bat Islands, Northern Costa Rica - Pacific side. And in fact the only one we suceeded in landing took a small feathered jig NOT rigged on wire. We were somewhat lucky! The 'giveaway' though those strikes and initial runs are blindingly fast, even with the smaller fish.

I guess if you were relatively close inshore the other 'candidate' to mess up a lure would have been a Bluefish. They quite often though give away their presence by tail walking and head shaking.

Both species tend to stay relatively close to the surface.

Any way keep trying, it's going to happen soon.

BTW back to other species. If you spot Skipjacks harrying small bait fish, normally over quite a tight area, try trolling through them just on tick over. They tend to go down with any boat disturbance but will readily take small flashy lures fished on planers. It's also as well worth trolling a similarly small lure way back on the surface in the shotgun position.

Fingers crossed.
Best wishes
Dave