Wahoo fishing out of Sebastian Inlet runs winter into spring for boats willing to go deep, with one summer exception: an 80 lb fish caught in 100 ft just north of the inlet in late July. The Sebastian Inlet District reported that catch, and Big Easy’s February note says wahoo are "for those going deep." This guide covers when the fish are around, where boats run from Sebastian Inlet, how wahoo are fished here, and which charters list them. The general picture is in our wahoo guide. A guide like this can help you decide where to look, but it can’t promise fish.
When wahoo are around off Sebastian Inlet
The window here is winter into spring, with a single late-summer report on the books. That fits the Atlantic southeast wahoo pattern (see also the Atlantic Southeast fishing guide), though the local sources below set the dates for this port.
Winter into spring
Per Big Easy, winter into spring is the wahoo window. Its February note says wahoo are "for those going deep" and puts the fish on color and temperature breaks in 120 to 240 ft. The methods section below covers those breaks.
The late-July 80 lb fish
The Sebastian Inlet District reported an 80 lb wahoo in late July, caught in 100 ft just north of the inlet while bottom fishing with cut bait. Details are in the Sebastian Inlet District July report. It is a single report and doesn’t make summer a wahoo season.
Where boats run and the grounds that hold fish
The grounds below run from the inlet outward, shallow to deep. Only the 100 ft bottom has a wahoo catch attached to it; the reefs are named structure along the way.
| Ground | Depth | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| North and south jetties, T-dock | At the inlet | |
| Indian River County artificial reefs (8) | 65 ft | 11 to 12 mi east |
| Big Easy reef complex | 85 and 90 ft | |
| Bottom north of the inlet | 100 ft | Just north of the inlet |
| Swordfish drop grounds | 1,600 ft | 35 to 45 mi off Melbourne and Sebastian |
Jetties and T-dock
The north and south jetties frame Sebastian Inlet, and the T-dock is the inlet’s dock area. Every run out starts here.
100 ft bottom north of the inlet
This unnamed bottom ground produced the July 80 lb fish. The Sebastian Inlet District is the source for the catch.
Indian River County reefs
Eight Indian River County offshore artificial reefs sit in 65 ft, 11 to 12 miles east of Sebastian Inlet. They are structure on the way out and not a proven wahoo spot.
Big Easy reef complex
The Big Easy reef complex is a set of named reefs in 85 and 90 ft. On the depth line it sits between the county reefs and the 100 ft bottom.
Monster Hole
Monster Hole is a named shoal near the inlet and another piece of structure on the local chart.
Gulf Stream edge
Nauti Girl lists Gulf Stream trolling for wahoo. The 120 to 240 ft breaks that Big Easy describes lie between the reef run and the Gulf Stream edge.
Swordfish drop grounds
Nauti Girl’s swordfish drop grounds sit in 1,600 ft, 35 to 45 miles offshore of Melbourne and Sebastian, and mark the outer limit of local runs. No wahoo catch has been reported from them.
How wahoo are fished here
Local reports show three methods: trolling fast, working the breaks, and fishing cut bait on the bottom.
High-speed trolling with heavy deep-running lures
Wahoo here are trolled at higher speed with heavy deep-running lures. The spread goes where depth and a break line up, as described in the next section.
Working 120 to 240 ft color and temperature breaks
Big Easy’s February note puts wahoo on color and temperature breaks in 120 to 240 ft. The contour runs from 65 ft at the reefs, through 85 and 90 ft and the 100 ft bottom, out to that 120 to 240 ft band. A break in that band is where to set the high-speed spread.
Three layers help you find that break before you leave the dock:
- OBS SST shows the temperature break
- Chlorophyll shows the color change
- Chart Contours lays the 120 to 240 ft band over both
Chart layers are not for navigation, and cloud blocks satellite SST.
Bottom fishing with cut bait
The July 80 lb fish took cut bait on the bottom in 100 ft while the boat was fishing for snapper and grouper. Other offshore species fished on the same grounds are covered in our other offshore species guides. With only one report behind it, this isn’t a method to count on.
Who fishes for wahoo out of Sebastian Inlet
Two local charters list wahoo.
Nauti Girl Sportfishing
Captain Scott Wigal runs the 22 ft Sea Chaser center console named Nauti Girl. The charter lists Nauti Girl Gulf Stream trolling for wahoo.
Kraken Down Charters
Kraken Down Charters lists wahoo. Current trip details are on its Kraken Down Charters offshore trips page.
FAQ about wahoo fishing out of Sebastian Inlet
When is wahoo season off Sebastian Inlet?
Winter into spring, per Big Easy’s February note that wahoo are "for those going deep." The Sebastian Inlet District also reported an 80 lb wahoo in late July, in 100 ft just north of the inlet, but that is a single report. For wahoo fishing out of Sebastian Inlet, winter into spring is the window.
How deep do boats fish for wahoo here?
Big Easy’s February note cites color and temperature breaks in 120 to 240 ft. The July 80 lb fish came from the 100 ft bottom just north of the inlet, per the Sebastian Inlet District. Those two depths bracket the local reports.
Can you catch wahoo bottom fishing off Sebastian Inlet?
One was caught that way. The Sebastian Inlet District reported an 80 lb wahoo on cut bait in 100 ft just north of the inlet, while the boat was fishing for snapper and grouper. It is one report and not a pattern, so don’t plan a trip around it.
How far is the run to the Gulf Stream edge?
We give no number. Nauti Girl lists Gulf Stream trolling for wahoo, and the breaks are worked in 120 to 240 ft on the way out. Nauti Girl’s swordfish drop grounds, 35 to 45 miles offshore of Melbourne and Sebastian, are the outer limit of local runs.
Which charters target wahoo from Sebastian Inlet?
Nauti Girl Sportfishing, with Captain Scott Wigal and the 22 ft Sea Chaser, lists Gulf Stream trolling for wahoo. Kraken Down Charters also lists wahoo. Both are local options for wahoo fishing out of Sebastian Inlet.
