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 Post subject: Wahoo!
PostPosted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:15 am 
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Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:13 pm
Posts: 59
Location: Okinawa
I've posted here before about trolling from my cats. 14 & 16. Out here in Okinawa Sept through January seems to be the season when the big pelagics, Spanish Mackerel, Wahoo and Tuna come in close enough for me to catch them only 2/3 kms offshore.

I have been sailing here for about 10 years but only started trolling about a year ago. I often manage two rods and mostly troll using skirted pusher type lures. I figured I'm covering 20-50kms each time I'm out, must be passing a fair few tasty fishes so why not throw a lure out the back. Sailing is still my first motivation but knowing I can come home with supper is an extra boost.

Wondered if anyone else has any experience trolling from their cat? Seems with the sorts of speeds cats can do and the stealthyness of our approach we'd have an advantage over a regular boat. Just conjecture I know but I do wonder. I have had fish at speeds between 4 and 10 knots with most at around the 6 knot mark. Speed will differ for different kinds of lures but for the skirted lures I mostly use 6 knots seems to be the sweet spot.

Here's todays catch - 9.4kg wahoo.

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Hobie 14 1991 Plum 40525
Hobie 16 1985 Nationals White Prism 91964
Hobie 16 1985 European Championships Palma 114072

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 Post subject: Re: Wahoo!
PostPosted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 9:20 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2018 12:20 pm
Posts: 166
Location: Galveston, Texas
C'mon - you're a fisherman - that first picture ain't right. Got to hold it WAY out towards the camera!

Nice fish! I've been wondering the same. There is a contingent around here that apparently sails to the first rigs on their cats and fish for Red snapper and the like. Usually good fishing there. About 10-15 miles out; within sight of land.

Very cool - will have to try it when the weed lines and Mahi come in.

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 Post subject: Re: Wahoo!
PostPosted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 5:54 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:32 am
Posts: 424
Location: Lake Gaston, NC
Nice fish!

One day, sailing on a small cat from Maui to Oahu, we trolled two lines. One with a lure on the first wave back, and the other two waves back. Off the coast of Molokai, we landed about a 25 pound Ahi on the nearest bait. The cooler lid wouldn't shut because of its tail hanging out one end. It wasn't as big as your Wahoo on the mast. The waves were pretty big that day, and I feathered the boat between waves, while the Ahi was reeled in. We were going a lot faster than 6 knots when the fish hit.

A short while later, we had a fish on the other line. When it was maybe halfway to the boat, a shark took it, severing the wire leader. The owner of the boat was a big Hawaiian guy, and I couldn't understand all the cussing he was saying, as he stood up, shaking his fist at the shark, but there was no doubt it was profanity!

I saw Fred Hayward pull in maybe a 10 lb. fish by dragging a line behind a sailboard on Maui. He sailed the board up to the beach, and pulled the fish in by walking the board up the beach.


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 Post subject: Re: Wahoo!
PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 4:44 pm 
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Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:13 pm
Posts: 59
Location: Okinawa
ChuckC :lol: right about that - what was I thinking! I started out trolling one handline but found it a little messy once you start trying to land a fish. I now have a couple of trolling rods and Penn 4/0 reels, one off port and one off starboard quarter. I have lashed some PVC pipe in between the frame and rear tramp lacing as rod holders. The rods are also tethered to the tramp frame. I had one wahoo take the rod into the drink when it hit and I had the drag set too tight. That bit of line saved my gear and the fish!

Tom - excellent stuff, great to hear stories like that. I did read about folks trolling from sailboards, esp in Hawaii, from an old book called "Fishing Hawaii Style" by Jim Rizzuto. I sometimes wonder whether I will be sharked as I reel in a big fish. It's in the back of my mind for sure. Watching some Youtube kayak fishing vids it seems to happen more often than you'd think.

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Hobie Wave 2004
Hobie 14 1991 Plum 40525
Hobie 16 1985 Nationals White Prism 91964
Hobie 16 1985 European Championships Palma 114072

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 Post subject: Re: Wahoo!
PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:19 am 
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Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:13 pm
Posts: 59
Location: Okinawa
Great day yesterday, 8kg Bigeye Tuna and my first Mahi Mahi. Great sashimi!

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Hobie 14 1991 Plum 40525
Hobie 16 1985 Nationals White Prism 91964
Hobie 16 1985 European Championships Palma 114072

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 Post subject: Re: Wahoo!
PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 5:30 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2018 12:20 pm
Posts: 166
Location: Galveston, Texas
Josefk,

Dang! Nice fish! It's a 3 hour boat (at least and if in season)ride for anything that nice for me.

That's a nice mix of favorite things to do and, my favorite 2 fish to eat...nice. Just nice. We get Mahi, but usually the chicken dolphin that school, so its spinning reels, one in the water at all times and reel in as many as you can. The bulls come in periodically.

Now I've got to try it...

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 Post subject: Re: Wahoo!
PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 7:03 am 
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Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:13 pm
Posts: 59
Location: Okinawa
More wahoo, this one a new personal best, 33lb (15kg). turned me around at one point and filled my sails which sent me careening ahead for a while till I had it head to wind again. Quite the thrill ride.

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_________________
Hobie Wave 2004
Hobie 14 1991 Plum 40525
Hobie 16 1985 Nationals White Prism 91964
Hobie 16 1985 European Championships Palma 114072

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 Post subject: Re: Wahoo!
PostPosted: Mon Dec 09, 2019 4:04 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2019 4:03 am
Posts: 1
wow great fish.


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