Prevent break-offs

The sound of a big reel burning off drag will quickly energize a crew on a bluewater excursion, but the instantaneous pressure release and a limp rod will discourage even the most-patient angler when the line is severed for one reason or another.

Losing fish is just part of the trade, and anglers must accept the reality that every strike will not always produce an entry into the fish box, but they should prepare rigs without flaws and maintain strength between the lure and the reel spool.

Wahoo and mackerel are equipped with a razor-sharp grill intended to slash and slice prey to be eaten shortly afterwards. Most of this pelagic fishes ambush their prey at very high speed, and wahoo are at the top of the list. While lure shape, color and overall presentation is important, wahoo will strike at anything that closely resembles something to eat. But they will not always hit the hook, and rigs get great amount of abuse in a short time.

On a single pass, a small group of wahoo will buzz through a spread of baits at 40 miles per hour, slicing and dicing every shiny, fishy looking object in their path. No doubt, mackerel and wahoo anglers will incorporate wire and heavy-gauge monofilament into their rigging, but continual checking is needed to make sure the rigs are ready for the next flurry.

Capt. Jim Bowen of Lowcountry Fishing Charters checks his rigs for abrasion from the beginning of the shock leader all the way to the terminal end at the lure seat, and he always brings plenty of lures rigged with ballyhoo for a day of trolling.

“Always use new rigs, pre-tie rigs before you go and toss entire rigs with fish into fish box. Never reuse any rigs while you are fishing. A wahoo’s teeth are like scissors,” he said.

Wahoo are such brutes, even the smallest kink in the wire or the slightest nick in the shock leader will drastically reduce the odds of landing the next fish that hits. Stock up on lures and pre-rig several dozen before each offshore trip.

Often, wahoo will travel in small groups and will charge food together in a pack, but the lead fish will strike first, tossing the lure and leader sideways.

“Fish will be coming like a cruise missile. When he hits the lure, it will go sailing up the wire, and you want it to stop a short distance from the hook,” Bowen said.

Another fish will often hit the lure, snapping the line if it has travelled too far up the leader. He recommends only tying three feet of leader material between the swivel and the hook to prevent the lure from traveling too far.

“Using a short leader, the lure will hang along the fish’s body and not behind it,” he said.

Keep lures and leaders in good conditions and make effort to prevent break-offs. With much time and money invested in an offshore adventure, new leader material and correct leader/lure placement will improve an angler’s chances to make it back to the dock with fewer disappointments and happier faces.