Fast, aggressive and armed with a serious set of teeth, Wahoo are one of Australia's ultimate offshore sportfish.
There's nothing subtle about a Wahoo bite. One second you're trolling through blue water, the next the reel is screaming as a fish accelerates away at blistering speed.
Found throughout tropical and subtropical Australian waters, Wahoo are a regular target from Western Australia across the tropical north and down the Queensland and New South Wales coasts. They're fast, unpredictable and don't always hang around for long, which makes finding the right water and covering plenty of it essential.
From trolling DTX Minnows and Madmacs to casting and jigging around concentrated fish, here's how to find and target Wahoo in Australian waters.
WHERE TO FIND WAHOO
Wahoo love warm, clean oceanic water, particularly where current pushes against reefs, drop-offs and other offshore structure.
On the east coast, warm currents pushing south along Queensland and into New South Wales can bring Wahoo within reach of offshore anglers. They're also encountered throughout northern and western Australia anywhere the combination of water temperature, current and bait comes together.
Some of the best areas to investigate include:
- Offshore reefs and reef edges
- Steep drop-offs
- Continental shelf edges
- Seamounts and pinnacles
- Current lines
- Temperature breaks
- Areas holding schools of bait
- Floating debris and FADs
Don't get too hung up on one particular depth. Find the bait and find the right water. Clean, electric blue water pushing onto a reef edge or drop-off with bait stacked on the sounder is exactly the sort of country worth working.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO CATCH WAHOO?
Wahoo are strongly associated with warm tropical and subtropical water, so their availability varies considerably around Australia.
Along the east coast, summer through autumn is generally an excellent period to start looking as warm oceanic water pushes south. In tropical areas, opportunities can extend much further through the year.
Water temperature is useful, but don't treat one number as a guarantee. Instead, look for changes. A temperature break combined with clean water, current and bait can be far more important than simply reaching a particular temperature. When you find that combination, stay with it.
TROLLING FOR WAHOO
Trolling is one of the most effective ways to target Wahoo because it lets you cover huge amounts of water while searching for active fish.
And with Wahoo, speed is your friend.
A traditional offshore trolling spread around 6–10 knots is extremely effective, particularly when combining deep-diving DTXs with Madmacs running higher in the water column.
But Wahoo are also perfectly suited to high-speed trolling.
When searching large areas, increasing your trolling speed allows you to cover significantly more ground while presenting a lure at exactly the sort of pace capable of triggering a Wahoo's predatory response. The trick is using lures designed to handle it.
WAHOO WEAPONS - BEST NOMAD LURES FOR WAHOO
The Madmacs is one of our go-to high-speed trolling lures for Wahoo.
Designed to produce an aggressive vibrating action while remaining stable at speed, the Madmacs incorporates our Patented Autotune™ System, helping it track straight through changing speeds and conditions.
The 160 and 200 can be trolled from approximately 5–20 knots, making them ideal for both conventional and high-speed Wahoo trolling. For a dedicated Wahoo spread, the Madmacs 200 is difficult to go past. Run it higher in the water column and let that aggressive vibration do the work.
If the Madmacs is covering the upper section of the spread, send the DTX 220 HD downstairs. The DTX 220 HD is a serious deep-running trolling minnow capable of reaching around 15m/50ft under suitable trolling conditions.
It's designed to operate from approximately 4–12 knots, making it an excellent option when running a conventional Wahoo spread and particularly useful when fish are sitting beneath bait. The HD construction features Nomad's Metal Matrix Plate System and Diamond Armour internal strength, designed for the sort of punishment large offshore predators can deliver.
The DTX 200 HD provides another excellent combination of speed and depth. Capable of reaching approximately 12m/40ft, it gives you another deep-running option without the larger size and pulling power of the 220. Running a DTX 200 and 220 at different positions within the spread lets you cover multiple depths below your higher-running lures.
The DTX 180 HD Shallow is built for anglers wanting the classic DTX minnow action without sending the lure deep. Running around 3m/10ft, it's capable of trolling at speeds up to approximately 18 knots, making it an extremely versatile Wahoo lure. It bridges the gap beautifully between the deeper DTX models and the higher-running Madmacs.
The Madscad 190 AT gives you another high-speed shallow option. Running just below the surface, it can be trolled at ridiculous 18+ knots while its Autotune™ system helps maintain stability at speed. When Wahoo are feeding high in the water column, it's a great way to add a different action and profile to the spread.
SETTING A WAHOO TROLLING SPREAD
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is putting every lure at the same depth.
A better approach is to cover the water column.
For example:
Deep: DTX 220 HD
Mid-Deep: DTX 200 HD
Shallow: DTX 180 HD
Upper Water Column: Madmacs 200/160
Near Surface: Madscad 190 AT
You don't need to run all five. Even a simple three-lure spread combining a DTX 220 HD, DTX 180 HD and Madmacs 200 gives you very different presentations at different depths. Before putting any lure into position, watch it beside the boat and make sure it's swimming correctly. Then stagger your distances so each lure has clean water to work in.
HOW FAST SHOULD YOU TROLL?
There's no single magic trolling speed for Wahoo. If you're running deeper DTX Minnows, 6–10 knots gives you an excellent starting range.
If you're specifically high-speed trolling, the DTX 180 HD, Madscad 190 AT and Madmacs open up a completely different style of fishing, with all three designed to operate at much higher speeds. Whatever speed you're running, watch your lures.
Sea conditions, current, leader diameter and distance behind the boat can all affect how a lure performs.
HOW TO RIG FOR WAHOO
Wahoo have extremely sharp teeth. If you're specifically targeting them, we recommend using a wire or cable bite leader.
A straightforward setup is: Main line → Mono leader → Wire/Cable bite leader → Lure
Around 140lb single-strand wire is a useful starting point for many Wahoo trolling applications. Heavier multi-strand cable can be used when greater bite protection is required.
The other rule is to keep your rigging simple. Large snaps, swivels and excessive hardware create drag and can affect lure action, particularly with deep-diving DTX Minnows. Where possible, tie or crimp your leader or wire directly to the lure's tow point and keep everything clean and streamlined.
For larger DTX models, an offshore setup might use 80–100lb braid with 80–150lb mono leader and a wire bite trace, adjusting everything to suit the tackle, lure and size of fish you're targeting.
Click here for more rigging Pro Tips
JIGGING FOR WAHOO
Wahoo aren't always near the surface. When they're marking beneath bait or holding along a deep reef edge, metal jigs allow you to quickly search the water column.
Streaker and Ridgeback Jigs are excellent options for fast, aggressive presentations, while the Buffalo and Gypsea offer different actions when fish aren't responding to pure speed.
Drop beneath the bait and work the jig quickly back through the zone. And remember those teeth. If you're getting bitten off, use a short wire trace or an assist setup incorporating wire-core protection.
BEST COLOURS FOR WAHOO
Wahoo are aggressive predators, so there's room for both natural and high-contrast colours in your spread.
In clean blue water, start with natural baitfish patterns such as:
Sardine
Silver Green Mackerel
Candy Pilchard
Then add some contrast with colours such as:
Black Pink Mackerel
Wahooligan
Hot Pink Mackerel
Don't run five identical colours. Mix natural, dark and high-visibility options until the fish tell you what they want.
5 QUICK WAHOO TIPS
1. Find the bait. Reef edges, current lines and drop-offs holding bait are always worth investigating.
2. Cover different depths. Combine deep-running DTX Minnows with Madmacs and other shallow runners.
3. Don't fear speed. Wahoo are built to chase fast-moving prey. Our lures are built for it.
4. Use wire. A short bite trace can save a lot of expensive lures.
5. Turn around after a bite. Mark the strike and work the area again. Whatever attracted that Wahoo may be holding more fish.
BUILD YOUR WAHOO ARSENAL
Madmacs 160 & 200 – High-speed trolling and aggressive vibration.
DTX 220 HD – Deep-running option for getting underneath bait.
DTX 200 HD – Versatile depth and trolling speed.
DTX 180 HD Shallow – High-speed shallow minnow presentation.
Madscad 190 AT – High-speed subsurface option.
Streaker & Ridgeback – Fast jigging options when fish are holding deeper.
CLICK HERE TO SHOP OUR OFFSHORE TROLLING BUNDLE Includes a range of our famous trolling lures with DTX200HD and Madmacs 160 plus the new MadScad 190 AT, DTX 180 Heavy Duty and Squidtrex190 to cover all your trolling needs for Mackerel, Tuna and Wahoo.
Wahoo fishing doesn't need to be complicated. Find clean water. Find the current. Find the bait. Cover the water column. Then hang on.
