fishing rod, tackle, etc?

[jim99]

I admit, I've never fished off my boat while underway. I've thought sometimes that I really should take advantage of free food, but have no line, hooks, etc -- figured I would get some gear and then never bothered. Friends who come sailing with me ask about it and I pretend to talk oh so knowledgeably...

Anyway, now the love of my life is starting to express an interest, asking questions. She likes all kinds of fish and actually knows how to cook.

I've thought of just trailing a line, but figure I probably wouldn't notice if I actually caught a fish.

What setup do you use?

 

[Steve Clayton]

This guy knows how to fish.....

 

[copterdoctor]

Two weeks ago my two daughters (aged 31 & 30 !!) got themselves a kids fishing net each, one of them caught a fish as we crossed Weymouth Bay. Cost me a £5 bet I think the fish must have been female too.

 

[ChrisE]

I see that you are based in Thailand, lucky chap.

With the warm water there you'll be able to catch fish trolling a lure behind the boat. All kind of lures work, most are designed to catch fishermen rather than fish, a simple plastic squid about 5-7 inches in length will catch most things in your neck of the woods. If you ask at a tackle shop they'll show you how to set this on a hook which is quite simple but difficult to describe in words. I've caught fish in the tropics on all colours although my personal favourites are black, pink and lime green (US call this chartreuse). About 6 feet or so above the squid place a 'bird' (an artificial flying fish) to attract your quarry to the lure. Some use half a beer can or a CD, providing that it kicks up some spray it doesn't really matter.

Depending on how rich you are feeling you you could add a rod, ask for a 20 to 30 lb class rod, and a reel that will hold at least 300 yards of 40lb line. In the US this will cost from £50 up. Others just buy the reel and lash it to the pushpit or just wrap the line around a wooden frame. Personally, I prefer to use a rod and reel but then I've been fishing for a few years.

Once you've set the whole lot up trail the squid abt 30-100m behind the boat, you want to be doing over 4 knots to fool the fish. Best spots are near, but not in the middle of, diving seabirds and areas of sea where there are underwater ridges and plateuax, especially if they come up from oceanic depths to 20-50m below the surface. Other places to try are where islands drop off to oceanic depths.

Once you've hooked your fish, it is worth heaving to as you haul it in, if you don't you'll have to haul the fish aganst the boatspeed and even at 4 knots this is hard work and anything over about 10lbs might break the line or rip the hook out.

Best of luck, catching big warm water fish, like tuna and dorado, from behind a yacht is great fun and most of them taste great as well.

 

[gianenrico]

All above said is perfect; I just want to add that almost any sea fishing reel has a "clutch friction" to be set according to lure weigth, speed and sea state that will start unwinding the reel when the tension on the line is above a set value; the reel will turn AND send a little sound, so sleeping fishermen can catch their fish. If not using a rod and reel, similar effect can be obtained by using a "sinker", that is a plastic and lead piece You put in the line some 10 / 20 meters before the lure as it help to sink the bait and shift the line to either side of the boat (so You could employ two or three lines..); in this case as the fish baits, the increased tension on the line makes the sinker roll and emerge from the water, the catch then doing some surface acrobatics whic are easily spotted by the crew.
Cheers,
Gianenrico

 

[jim99]

Great suggestions. Much appreciated. Chris, thanks for taking the time to give such a good answer with explanations. I always wondered what colour chartreuse was and now I know! I can tell from your post that I will also have to buy a fish book with photos so I can look up what I have caught.

Gianenrico, I will investigate your suggestions, Copterdoctor my condolences, and Steve your photo is funny, but sadly too accurately sums things up.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

I use a paravane, mainly because I can troll behind the boat and it pops to the surface as soon as a fish is hooked, so you can just leave it to do its work.

The one from Veals can be adjusted for depth and yaw.

Try:
http://www.tacklebargains.co.uk/cgi-bin/...l%23a1080#a1080

or

https://www.veals.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001...l%23a1755#a1755

Or just use the website's search facility 'paravane'

Smoke a kipper for me.

 

[jim99]

Maybe that's the ticket, Crisser. Cheers. I'll order one if I can't find one locally.