Wahoo
Nothing strikes fear in the hearts of offshore anglers like a wild wahoo loose on the deck. With teeth like a band saw and jaws that close like a pair of scissors, a wahoo can do some serious damage with little effort. "Wahoo will tear you up," says Captain Jimmy Hillsman (
outerbanksfishingschool.com). "They'll actually make an effort to bite you." Hillsman makes it a point to get two gaffs in a big wahoo before carefully lifting it out of the water and into the box. "They go wild when you put a gaff in them," he says. "Jumping off the gaff then thrashing around the deck swiping at people's legs and feet." Even with the fish in the fishbox, the danger isn't over. "Most people get bit trying to get their hook back," Hillsman says. "I don't even worry about the hook until we get back to the dock."
Location: Oregon Inlet, North Carolina.
Season: April through October.
Tackle and Tactics: Although wahoo are aggressive feeders that will hit almost any bait in the water, anglers targeting these fish will pull a dark purple Marauder or a black and red seawitch/ballyhoo combo behind a planer. Look for wahoo around the bluewater wrecks and reefs that they call home.
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