Nov 2024
Wahoo
Peto
Acanthocybium solandri · Scombridae
- Category
- Dorado & Wahoo
- Found in
- Pacific Baja, Sea of Cortez, Pacific Mainland, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean
- IUCN status
- Least Concern
- Mexico fish counts
- 171 counted, 12 so far in 2026
About Wahoo in Mexico
How to recognize it
Long, thin and built for speed, a wahoo has a pointed, beak-like snout lined with flat, razor-edged teeth. The back is iridescent blue, and the sides carry wavy vertical bars of blue-gray that are bright on a fresh fish and dull once it dies. Its first dorsal fin is long and low. Those bars, plus the longer first dorsal, separate it from mackerel such as the sierra.
Where and when in Mexico
In Mexico the wahoo is peto. On the Pacific side it is mainly a southern Baja and mainland fish, caught off Los Cabos, East Cape and offshore banks and seamounts, with fall often the best period. Mexico Fish Reports' counts show a steady trickle from Cabo San Lucas boats over the years rather than big numbers, which matches its reputation as a bonus fish. In the Caribbean, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres produce them, mostly in the cooler months.
How it's fished
High-speed trolling with weighted lures or diving plugs at 12 to 18 knots is the classic method, always on wire or heavy cable leader. Wahoo also hit live bait slow-trolled near structure, and some crews use fast-retrieved jigs on the banks.
Good to know
Handle a wahoo carefully near the head; the teeth slice easily. The white flesh is excellent fresh.
Fishing rules in Mexico
- General limit: 10 fish per angler per day, max 5 of one species
Source: NOM-017-PESC-1994 §4.9.1 (2013 mod.). Rules change; confirm current limits, seasons and permits with CONAPESCA before you fish.
Where Wahoo are caught in Mexico
- Cabo San Lucas 171 counted · last Oct 2026
Fish counts by year
| Year | Kept | Released | Trips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (so far) | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| 2025 | 19 | 2 | 18 |
| 2024 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2015 | 20 | 0 | 8 |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| 2013 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 2012 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2011 | 37 | 0 | 11 |
| 2010 | 15 | 0 | 14 |
From fish counts posted by the Mexican landings on Mexico Fish Reports. Years with no posted counts are not shown.
Boats catching Wahoo (2025–2026)
- El Budster Pride Cabo San Lucas 27 counted on 24 trips
- El Budster Cabo San Lucas 6 counted on 6 trips
Wahoo photos from Mexico
Photo: Javier Mata
Photo: Courtesy of El Budster Sportfishing
Photo: Courtesy of El Budster Sportfishing
Photo: El Budster Pride
Recent Wahoo reports
Fishing on the EL BUDSTER PRIDE. The SARAH JOHNSON´S party, CAUGHT ONE 50 LB. WAHOO. The fish was caught 12 to 14 miles from the coast of Cabo San Lucas.…
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Fishing on the EL BUDSTER PRIDE. The LAURA SCHLAGETER´S party, CAUGHT AND RELEASED ONE 120 LB. STRIPED MARLIN. They also caught ONE 45 LB. WAHOO. The fish was caught 14…
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Fishing on the EL BUDSTER. The RICK DAVIS´S party, CAUGHT ONE 30 LB. WAHOO. The fish was caught 12 to 14 miles from the coast of Cabo San Lucas. The…
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Fishing on the EL BUDSTER. The MOLLY GINGERICH´S party, CAUGHT AND RELEASED ONE 130 LB. STRIPED MARLIN. They also caught ONE 25 LB. DORADO and ONE 35 LB. WAHOO. The…
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Fishing on the EL BUDSTER PRIDE. The JAMES UNDERWOOD´S party, CAUGHT AND RELEASED ONE 140 LB. STRIPED MARLIN. They also caught ONE 45 LB. WAHOO. The fish was caught 14…
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Fishing on the EL BUDSTER PRIDE. The COLLIN NELSON´S party, CAUGHT ONE 40 LB. WAHOO. The fish was caught 15 miles from the coast of Cabo San Lucas. The water…
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