Top 3 tips for catching more March wahoo

Proper speed is number one key to hooking wahoo in spring

March is one of Jeremy Burnham’s favorite months for offshore fishing. The owner of Atlantic Game and Tackle in Mt. Pleasant said the wahoo bite is off the chain this month, and he offers some tips on anglers heading offshore in search of these aggressive fish.

“My favorite way to catch them this time of year is by high-speed trolling. They are just dying to chase down a lure trolling past them at anywhere from 9 to 12 knots, and they don’t tap on these baits. They hit them hard, and when they hit, the fight is on,” he said.

One thing anglers shouldn’t worry about this month, said Burnham, is how good their lures look. The only thing they need to worry about is to make sure they are big enough to stay on the water when trolling at such high speeds.

“You just need a symmetrical lure that pulls straight. Don’t worry about getting a lure that has any wobble or action. Just use lures that swim straight and will stay on the surface. This is the time of year for lures with no action,” he said.

Burnham’s other main tip for wahoo this month is to forego using wire leaders. He opts instead for leaders made up of 150- to 300-pound monofilament.

“Honestly, you are going to break off more when using mono. But with mono, you’re going to get bit as much as three times more than you will if you’re using wire. So you’re going to have more chances at fish, and in the long run, you’re going to catch more fish.

No matter what lure or leader you’re using, Burnham (843-881-6900) said it won’t do you any good if you aren’t fishing in the right place. And this time of year, the right place is where you find a temperature break in the ocean.

The “hard edge” is what Burnham is actually looking for. This is that section of water where multiple offshore currents are meeting, creating an edge that has a difference in temperature by as much as 4 degrees. Once anglers find that edge, Burnham suggests they work that area really hard.

“That is where the fish will be, and if they don’t bite right away, you need to have a little more patience right here than at any other time. Keep trolling along that break, and you will get into some fish. Don’t be shy about going too fast. This time of year, along a hard edge, you will catch your share of wahoo if you give it some time,” he said.