Wahoo fishing out of Pompano Beach is blue-water trolling on the shelf drop-off east of Hillsboro Inlet. Boats leave from the Pompano Beach port page inlet and run east to deep ledges and current breaks. The fishery runs from fall into winter, and local boats work it with high-speed and planer trolling.
When wahoo are off Pompano Beach
Local operators agree on fall into winter but differ on the edges of the window, so each window below is credited to its operator.
Fall and winter
Four operators state their windows:
- Don’t Panic Sportfishing: fall through winter.
- RingMaster Charters: November through February.
- Captain Sunshine Fishing Charters: October through March.
- Hillsboro Inlet Fishing Center: fall.
All four windows cover late fall and early winter, so that overlap is the safest time to plan around. For the wider picture, see wahoo along the Atlantic Southeast (see also the Atlantic Southeast fishing guide).
The summer window
RingMaster also lists July and August. It is the only operator here that names a summer window.
Where boats run and the grounds that hold them
Boats run east of Pompano Beach into blue water along the shelf drop-off, working deep ledges, current breaks and reef structure. The grounds below run from the broad edge to named structure close to the inlet.
The Edge and Sailfish Alley
The shelf drop-off east of Pompano Beach goes by two local names: Sailfish Alley and the Edge. The fleet runs to this line first, then works down to the ledges and current breaks along it.
Shipwreck Park
Shipwreck Park has two named wrecks near the inlet. Lady Luck sits in 126 ft, about 1 mile SE of Hillsboro Inlet, at map grid K-7. Okinawa sits in 70 ft at the same grid. Pompano Drop Off is at grid K-8 on the Pompano Beach visitor dive map.
| Site | Type | Depth | Location / grid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Luck (Shipwreck Park) | wreck | 126 ft | About 1 mile SE of Hillsboro Inlet, grid K-7 |
| Okinawa (Shipwreck Park) | wreck | 70 ft | Grid K-7 |
| Pompano Drop Off | named site | Not listed | Grid K-8 on the Pompano Beach visitor dive map |
Dive-map grids and chart references here are not for navigation.
Ledges and reefs
The named reef and ledge sites off Pompano Beach are Pompano Trench, Lost Ledge, Suzzane’s Ledge, Pompano 3rd Reef Ridge, Steve’s Twin Ledges, Shark Reef, Touchdown Reef, Grouper Bend and Nursery. Hillsboro Ledge, Lighthouse Ledge and Horseshoe Reef are also listed as Pompano Beach dive sites.
Wrecks
Sixteen named wrecks sit off the port:
- Sucre
- Miller Lite
- Mariner II Tug
- Union Express
- Mary St. Philip
- Rodeo 25
- Quallman Tugs
- RSB-1
- RBJ
- Chris Corey
- Renegade
- Lowrance
- Captain Dan
- Guy Harvey
- SS Copenhagen
- Caicos Express
How wahoo are fished here
RingMaster and Don’t Panic describe the local method set, which is built for covering water at speed along the ledges and drop-off. For tackle detail and biology, see wahoo species and tackle.
High-speed and planer trolling
Both boats troll at high speed or with planers to work the deep ledges and current breaks along the drop-off.
Wire leaders
The same boats run wire leaders. Leader detail is on the species page.
Low light and moon windows
RingMaster and Don’t Panic fish low light and moon windows. Both boats use these windows to pick their days within the fall-and-winter run, and RingMaster does the same in its July and August window.
Who fishes for wahoo out of Pompano Beach
Wahoo here are fished by a charter fleet working out of the inlet and by tournament anglers in winter.
Charter fleet
These Pompano Beach charters list wahoo:
- Hillsboro Inlet Fishing Center: Crowd Pleaser (45′ Hatteras, Capt. Rob Archibald) on its listing page.
- RingMaster Charters in Pompano Beach: 53′ Hatteras RingMaster with 3 fighting chairs.
- Killin’ Time Charter in Pompano: 53′ Hatteras Killin Time.
- Don’t Panic Sportfishing charters: Don’t Panic (47′ Buddy Davis) and Don’t Panic!! (42′ Post).
- Captain Sunshine Fishing Charters: Captains Jade and Zoli.
- Lisa B Sportfishing: custom 44-foot sport-fisher Lisa B (Marlin).
Sailfish Challenge
The Sailfish Challenge is the wahoo tournament out of Pompano Beach, usually held in February.
FAQ: wahoo fishing out of Pompano Beach
What are the best months for wahoo off Pompano Beach?
Fall into winter. Don’t Panic lists fall through winter, RingMaster lists November through February plus July and August, Captain Sunshine lists October through March, and Hillsboro Inlet Fishing Center lists fall. Wahoo fishing out of Pompano Beach centers on the overlap of those windows.
How far do boats run for wahoo?
Boats run east into blue water along the shelf drop-off, known as the Edge and Sailfish Alley, working deep ledges, current breaks and reef structure. Lady Luck sits about 1 mile SE of Hillsboro Inlet. The same water holds other offshore gamefish.
How deep are the Shipwreck Park wrecks?
Lady Luck is in 126 ft and Okinawa is in 70 ft. Both sit at map grid K-7, which is not for navigation.
What leader do local boats use for wahoo?
Wire leaders. RingMaster and Don’t Panic run them alongside high-speed or planer trolling.
Is there a wahoo tournament out of Pompano Beach?
Yes. The Sailfish Challenge is usually held in February.
