Wahoo harvesting in Cayman Islands is an interesting commercial pastime, and 2025’s season continued thrillingly with a 2,500-dollar fishing contest.

At 8 a.m., February 2, 2025, Kat Watkinson and Julius Hubbell won the HoosWho competition after landing a 64-pound monster, reports Cayman Compass. 

Watkinson, a veterinarian by profession, described the win simply as “the first bird catches the worm.”

In fact, the winning 64-inch long fish was not the biggest during the competition. A little afterward, another competing crew landed a record 163.8-pound wahoo that won them $500. 

The consolatory prize of $1500 for the second fastest fishermen went to the Key Card team, with their 44.2 pounder. 

Coming in third was the Blind Love team, winning $1,000 for bringing up a 44 pounder at the third fastest time.

In the aftermath, competitors dished out free local lore for future contestants, including how banana leaves on board bring bad luck!

What is It?

The fish behind this sporting interest is scientifically known as Aconthocybium solandri, a large scombridae related to mackerel and tuna. 

This fast squid-hunting carnivore of the deeps tops 50 miles per hour, which makes it a favorite for yachtsmen. 

The only downside for sportsmen is that the fish hunts in very little groups, which makes harvesting difficult. 

While the above information indicates a mere sporting fish, wahoo is nevertheless a rare culinary treat that attracts even fish haters. Its taste is more palatable than that of other fish, for its mild aroma compares with that of veal. 

Each country in the Pacific has a nickname for it, with Hawaiians calling it Ono and other islands simply Hoo. 

In the Cayman Islands, a British overseas group in the Caribbean, wahoo fishing is a franchise venture. Many sea resorts operate primarily for water-sports featuring wahoo and charge between $700 and $1,000 per fishing stay. 

The ultimate experience however resolves to the excitement of chasing the fish, comparing weights and sampling its dinner table experience. To learn more, below are statistics on wahoo in the three-island archipelago of Cayman Islands.

Cayman Islands Wahoo Statistics 

Pacific wahoo catches in various territories and countries from Cayman Islands to El Salvador and Costa Rica shot up in 2006 to 1,339 tonnes. In retrospect, 1993 catches were just 137 tonnes, according to Science Direct. While very little information on stock numbers is available, it is nevertheless clear that wahoo catches have been gaining in recent times. This way, a healthy wahoo stock helps make the Pacific Ocean provide 70% of the world’s pelagic (open ocean water) fish catches. 

What are the biggest wahoo weighted catches in Cayman Islands?

Although most wahoos in Cayman Islands’ waters average 25 to 60 pounds, monsters weighing 150 pounds abound. One of these was a 2007 record breaker by Elvet Conolly at 146 pounds. More recently on February 2, 2025, the Liquid Limo team won a fourth prize for their 163.8-pound wahoo catch. 

When is the Wahoo season in Cayman Islands? 

The peak season for landing “queenfish” runs from December through March. This is when the fish migrates north along the coastline of the islands of the Caribbean.