102-pound wahoo bit a tomtate
Fishing out of Sneads Ferry on April 18, 2021, Capt. Daniel Gentry Smith-Powell and the crew of Reel Deal Sportfishing caught a 102-pound wahoo. They were using light tackle and had to chase the fish down before it finally tired out.
The outing started out as a bottom-fishing trip. The snapper were biting hot at first, and when they cooled off, some nice amberjacks started up. The crew also caught a barracuda before hooking a tomtate onto an 8/0 Gamakatsu circle hook and freelining it off the stern.
“We were using a 50-pound mono leader, a Penn Spinfisher VI 6500, and an Ugly Stick Tiger Lite rod, all purchased from Yopp Brothers Marine,” said Smith-Powell. “We had to chase it down.”
Once the wahoo hit and realized it was hooked, it peeled off line all the way to the backing on the reel — quickly. Smith-Powell said luckily, the boat wasn’t anchored at the time.
“It had the reel into the backing on the braid in under 30 seconds,” he said.
That’s when the crew decided to crank up and give chase to the 102-pound wahoo. The fight took about 30 minutes before a crew member stuck the fish with a gaff, then hoisted it aboard for the ride home.
Reel Deal Sportfishing (828-493-6486) offers inshore, nearshore, and offshore fishing charters. With numerous species biting in all locations, right now is a great time to book a trip.
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