How Much Drag Do I Need For Wahoo?

The “general” rule is to set the reel’s drag to 1/3rd of the line’s breaking strength. So if the reel is spooled with 50lbs mono, set the drag for 15lbs for the fight.

How many pounds of drag is a wahoo?

To troll for wahoo beneath the waves — wahoo typically bite below the surface — Hunt uses 100-pound mono atop Spectra on 50-wide reels with drags set to 30 pounds. His wahoo trolling lures are rigged on four feet of No. 19 piano wire attached to a 25-foot 400-pound monofilament shock cord.

What should your drag be set at?

Your drag should be set at a number that is 1/4 to 1/3 of your line’s breaking strength. So if you’re using a 40 lb braid, your drag setting will be between 10 and 13 lbs at strike.

How many pounds of drag do I need?

“One-quarter or one-third of the line’s breaking strength should be your drag setting at strike,” says Ben Secrest, previously Accurate Reels’ vice president of marketing. “If you are fishing 200-pound braid, that equates to 50 to 65 pounds of drag.

How much line do you need for wahoo?

Either fill the reel with the braided line, or start with a couple hundred feet of 60- to 100-pound mono, followed by 1,200 yards of 100-pound braid, joined to the backing with a uni-to-uni or loop-to-loop connection. 3. Fill the reel with 100-pound braid, wound on under pressure, and finish with a Bimini twist.

What depth should I troll for wahoo?

Most will troll for wahoo in the 13-17 knot range, while others will pace around 20. The idea is to zig-zag from roughly 150-foot depth out to 500-feet essentially dragging your baits off the reef like a baitfish being flushed off the bank with the tide.

How much drag do I need for inshore fishing?

Since the line I use for inshore fishing is 10 lbs, the recommended range is 2 to 3 lbs. So I was pleased to see that my time-tested drag setting is 2.3 lbs, which is in the middle of the recommended range.

What does Max drag mean in fishing?

Max drag is measured when the line is loaded to maximum on the spool. In the actual fight, your line is out of the spool for the depth where the fish is. Your line load is less in diameter. Your spool is harder to be dragged to turn.

How much drag do I need for bass?

As a general rule, the proper drag setting for nylon mono lines up to 20-pound test is 20 percent of the breaking strength of the line. For 30- through 50-pound mono, it’s 25 percent of the breaking strength, and for 80- through 130-pound mono, it’s 30 percent.

Is 15 lbs of drag good?

Registered. A good rule of thumb is that the drag is set at 1/3 of the breaking strength of your line. With that said, 15 pounds of drag is alot. Try it by hooking a scale on your rod and have someone pull it to 15 pounds.

Should drag be loose when casting?

Also, keep in mind that it is better to have a too low drag than a too high drag. You can always tighten the drag after hooking a fish, but you won’t always have the chance and time to loosen it when something really big takes the bait.

How much drag is needed for sharks?

A reel with at least 25 pounds of maximum drag capacity is necessary for sharks over 100 pounds. Smaller sharks will require reels with 15 to 20 pounds of maximum drag pressure.

What depth do wahoo swim?

While wahoo can be found from inshore waters to well over 100 fathoms, their preferred depth is 30 to 40 fathoms. They are warm-water fish, primarily inhabiting blue Gulf Stream waters, but can tolerate temperatures as low as 65 degrees as long as warm water is close by. Wahoo are structure-oriented fish.

What water temperature do wahoo like?

72F to 77F
Wahoo are found in water from 150 feet to 300 feet deep. They are found most often directly over ledges. Wahoo can be found in water with surface temperatures between 70F and 86F, but prefer 72F to 77F.

What tide is best for wahoo?

As Hunt explained, 200 to 400 feet is a good depth for wahoos on a low tide. But on the last of an incoming tide and the first of an outgoing tide, bait is congregated around inlets and gamefish will be where the food is. “You’re getting your flyers, your ballyhoos, and your bonitos are in there chasing them.

Are wahoo fish hard to catch?

With speeds topping 60 miles per hour, you’ll know if you snagged a wahoo because your reel, quite literally, will be screaming. “There’s not much else that can pull line off the reel like a big wahoo,” Capt. George McElveen told Sport Fishing Magazine.

Where is the best place to wahoo?

Key West, Florida: Looking for sheer numbers on your Wahoo fishing adventure? Florida’s southernmost point is the place to visit. Perfectly positioned at the meeting point of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, you can target Wahoo in these deep waters year-round.

Is wahoo good eating?

Hawaii Wahoo is an excellent source of healthy, extra lean protein. It is also low in saturated fat and low in sodium. It is rich in niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, phosphorus and selenium. Hawaii Wahoo also provides about 375 mg of omega-3’s (DHA and EPA) per 4 ounce serving of fresh fish.

What does wahoo fish taste like?

Wahoo is mild-tasting, with a firm, lean texture and large, circular flake. Grilled wahoo has been compared to chicken or veal in flavor. Cooking Tips: Although a versatile fish, wahoo benefits from cooking methods suitable for species with low fat content so the meat doesn’t dry out when cooking.

How much drag do you need for redfish?

You need a reel with at least 15 pounds of drag when you target larger redfish around structure like docks and bridges. You only need 5 to 10 pounds of drag when you are targeting redfish on open grass flats or off of the beach.

How much drag do I need for yellowtail?

You set your drag to about one third the breaking test of your line. So if you have 20 lb test, you’d want it set to about 7 pounds. You can set it up by using a scale tied to the end of your line to check where the drag is starting to let the line play out.