Angler Lands 60-Pound Wahoo to Win Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s Wahoo Windup 2024

There were no birds overhead or floaters on the water to indicate something big lay beneath the waves. Yet, as the 27-foot Sea Hunt, Morning Wood, trolled the edge of the South Drop, angler Enzo Newhard hooked up a whopper wahoo.

Ten minutes later, it was in the boat. At the weigh-in at IGY’s American Yacht Harbor Marina, the wahoo hit 60.71 pounds, securing Newhard the Top Angler title in the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s Annual Wahoo Windup Tournament.

Newhard’s catch was less than 15 pounds shy of winning the $25,000 prize for landing a wahoo over 75 pounds.

Strong Competition and Big Catches

“We knew the wahoo were biting this week,” says Morning Wood’s Captain, Kai Holmberg. “We circled the spot where we caught the fish for an hour or two afterward. As they say, don’t leave fish to find fish. But we didn’t catch anything else.”

Other top catches included:

• Second Largest Wahoo: 53.5 pounds caught by AJ Cabrera aboard Mixed Bag
• Third Largest Wahoo: 37.0 pounds caught by Lauren Gewinner

The Best Boat prize, determined by the most wahoo caught by count, went to Double Header, which landed five wahoo totaling 129.1 pounds.

“We left from Sapphire, headed south to French Cap, and then trolled west,” says Double Header Captain Tyler Maltby. “The first two fish came between 8-9 a.m. There was a long break until 1 p.m., when we caught our biggest fish. Then, back off French Cap, with 30 minutes left in the tournament, we hooked up and landed a doubleheader.”

Maltby added, “What’s fun about this tournament is seeing what the other boats catch and the camaraderie.”

Tournament Results and Community Impact

In total, 14 boats from St. Thomas and St. John caught 25 wahoo, weighing a combined 637 pounds.

“The quantity and size of wahoo caught this year is something we haven’t seen in a long time, and that’s exciting,” says Kelvin Bailey, Jr., President of the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s Board of Directors.

Trophies, bottles of Cape Fear Distillery premium spirits, and cash prizes totaling over $7,000 were awarded to the winners.

Fishing Education and Future Events

Bailey credited the Club’s recent Free Lunch & Learn Fishing 101 – Wahoo Windup Prep session, taught by Club members and Neptune Fishing Supply employees on October 19, as helping anglers improve their skills. Due to the popularity of the clinic, the Club plans to host another training next spring ahead of its annual Dolphin Derby.

About the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club

Founded in 1963, the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club (VIGFC) is dedicated to saltwater game fishing and marine conservation. Over its nearly six-decade history, its members have set nearly 30 IGFA world records.

Based in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, the Club hosts multiple sportfishing tournaments and social eventsannually.

For more information, visit www.vigfc.com, call (340) 775-9144, or email [email protected].

Carol Bareuther has written for ALL AT SEA since 2004.