How to catch fish off a boat?

[Babylon]

I'm a complete angling newbie and am looking for advice on how to fish (trolling or at anchor) off my boat and what kit I need to begin with.

So far, completely ignorant, I walked into a fishing tackle shop in Poole a fortnight ago (a bit like Mel Smith walking into Griff Rees-Jones' hi-fi shop and wanting to buy a gramaphone) and asked for some advice...

I was sold (for a grand total of about £65):
* a fairly stiff 5ft long rod rated at 20lbs (breaks in two for easy stowage aboard)
* a 3 ball bearing, 1-way clutch multiplier, 4.2:1 ratio, with 210yds of clear 20lb line (or 250yds of 16lb line, not sure which)
* a pack of swivel connectors
* a jointed 'blue sardine' winnow lure 130mm long with two 3-way hooks
* a silvers 4 hook sea trace
* a 6lb plumb-shaped weight

Is this the right sort of kit for trolling for mackeral and other fish - because that is what I suggested to the shop guy I'd be doing at first? Do I need to rig up some sort of tube holder for the rod? How much line to let out?

How different is at at anchor? Is the weight needed different, what about other sorts of lure or live bait, do I need a float, or a net to land heavier fish (I should be so lucky!), is the technique different?

I'm sure this fishing (angling) thing is something of an acquired art, but I just want to get started in a way that hopefully yields some catch.

All or any advice much appreciated.

Babs

 

[Tranona]

Saw you coming! All you need for mackeral is a hand line with a weight on the end and a trace with 6 colourful lures. About a tenner all in. tow it behind the boat, secured to a cleat and at about 4 knots if you hit a shoal you will get a line full instantly. Best straight on the grill (after killing and gutting), slice of bread and butter and glass of Muscadet.

 

[planteater]

That 6lb weight could prove a viable alternative to the new fourth generation anchors!

 

[Babylon]

Saw you coming! All you need for mackeral is a hand line with a weight on the end and a trace with 6 colourful lures. About a tenner all in. tow it behind the boat, secured to a cleat and at about 4 knots if you hit a shoal you will get a line full instantly. Best straight on the grill (after killing and gutting), slice of bread and butter and glass of Muscadet.

Fair cop, guv! But, in addition to trolling for supper, I also fancy sitting quietly for a few hours at anchor or on the end of some pier, with a rod in my hand, going for something a little different, a little more philosophical...

 

[Tranona]

Fair cop, guv! But, in addition to trolling for supper, I also fancy sitting quietly for a few hours at anchor or on the end of some pier, with a rod in my hand, going for something a little different, a little more philosophical...

Absolutely! Get drowning those worms! The whole point is never to catch anything because then you have a story to tell and it indicates that you have all the time in the world to do nothing useful.

Trolling for mackeral is completley different as little effort is required, you do it when you are also sailing and if lucky you get an exquisite meal at the end. Beats failing to catch any of those mullet swarming around the boat this time of year.

 

[Elemental]

Saw you coming! All you need for mackeral is a hand line with a weight on the end and a trace with 6 colourful lures. About a tenner all in. tow it behind the boat, secured to a cleat and at about 4 knots if you hit a shoal you will get a line full instantly. Best straight on the grill (after killing and gutting), slice of bread and butter and glass of Muscadet.

Absolutely - except I prefer a nice Semillon. An alternative to a weight is one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/120715804411. Everything you need to catch mackerel/pollack for £6.95.

 

[Cliveshep]

We've got a professional fisherman on here somewhere and I'm sure it was he who spoke of a home made paravane consisting of a baked bean or similar tin with both ends removed, the line being fixed part way down one side and off the opposite side at the end from memory, the offset fixing making the thing dive down when towed.

For mackerel a hand feather line and weight is a sure-fire dinner provider assuming you troll at around 3-4 mph through the water and actually pass a shoal. You "jig" the line, pull in smartly a foot or so and release, pull and release, so the feathers "jig" in the water emulating a shoal of small fish. I use a boat rod only to boom the line out from the side if we're using an inflatable - hooks and rubber tubes you know - otherwise on a grp hull straight over the side. "Jigging" is more effective that just towing. Vary the depth and amount of line, if you catch nothing with 50 feet of line, let out more line, or less, so vary the depth.

 

[Phideaux]

Given the very broad remit supplied to the tackle shop, I recon you came away well treated. A 5' boat rod, multiplier reel, line, lure(s) and ancillary bits for £65 isn't a bargain, but nether was it daylight robbery (all depending on the spec, of course). The kit you've bought will be OK for trolling when moving 2-4 kt and you could pick up some mackerel, pollack or even bass. Some feathers for when you're anchored (not particularly good for trolling IMHO) for mackerel, some ground tackle for bottom fish (flatfish like plaice, or even cod and whiting), again when anchored. You might need a gaff (pole with a hook on the end) for larger fish (tope, skate), but the smaller stuff you should just be able to lift over the side.

I would recommend buying a cheap "sea/boat fishing for beginners" book off Amazon which will give you most of the basic knowledge necessary to catch your supper, at least occasionally

I hate to ask, but do you know what to do with any fish you land; how to kill it, gut and clean it, cook it?

 

[Babylon]

...The whole point is never to catch anything because then you have a story to tell and it indicates that you have all the time in the world to do nothing useful... Beats failing to catch any of those mullet swarming around the boat this time of year.

Right! You're on!

 

[Woff]

Getting started

Hi Babalon, I know where your coming from, some years ago trailed a line from the W.I. home and caught a black bin liner and a gannet. Don't feel bad about the £65 its money well spent and you went to the right place to get advise. As you now know mackerel catch themselves and the fish doesn't get much better when fresh. This years new purchase was a gas bbq fitted to stern and a book published by the RYA called, believe it, Fishing Afloat, written by a cruiser Dick McClary and costs around £10-15. Its concise and definitive, a bible to the novice. Good luck!

 

[Phideaux]

a book published by the RYA called, believe it, Fishing Afloat, written by a cruiser Dick McClary and costs around £10-15. Its concise and definitive, a bible to the novice. Good luck!

Sounds like a good investment.

 

[Robin]

Mackerel are horrible, you really don't want to eat those when you catch them. I live in Poole and will be quite happy to take them away for you free of charge as a favour... I have a small smoking gizmo that gives them a suitable send off to fishy heaven.

 

[Baddox]

That set-up will be OK for catching mackerel and fishing at anchor too.
Trolling for mackerel is an easy way to start fishing, you can buy a “trace” of mackerel lures, usually smallish hooks with something shiny tied to them, for a pound or two. Tie the trace to the end of your line and add a weight of anywhere between 8oz and a pound, it’s not an exact science so try whatever feels comfortable.
Set off with the boat moving at only a few knots, 2 to 5 knots would be OK and slowly let 30 to forty yards of line out. If mackerel are there they’ll take the lure and you’ll usually get a string of them, not just one. If you want to keep them, knock them on the back of the head with a bit of wood, knife handle, etc.
Once you have some mackerel, you have fish to eat and good bait for other species. Fishing at anchor means you cover less ground so may not find hotspots but you’ll benefit by not dragging the line into snags as much. Look for areas of sea-bed with some features, any features are better than plain, flat ground.
Drop the line down until the weight hits the bottom then hold the line tight so you will feel any fish pulling. I’d only use a hook or two for this type of fishing, again you could by ready made traces for this. Use a sliver of mackerel as bait and adapt the hook and bait size to the size of the fish you are catching. If you get lots of bites but no fish, use smaller bait and hooks.
Have fun, but be careful, it's addictive.

 

[Babylon]

Given the very broad remit supplied to the tackle shop, I recon you came away well treated. A 5' boat rod, multiplier reel, line, lure(s) and ancillary bits for £65 isn't a bargain, but nether was it daylight robbery (all depending on the spec, of course). The kit you've bought will be OK for trolling when moving 2-4 kt and you could pick up some mackerel, pollack or even bass. Some feathers for when you're anchored (not particularly good for trolling IMHO) for mackerel, some ground tackle for bottom fish (flatfish like plaice, or even cod and whiting), again when anchored. You might need a gaff (pole with a hook on the end) for larger fish (tope, skate), but the smaller stuff you should just be able to lift over the side.

I would recommend buying a cheap "sea/boat fishing for beginners" book off Amazon which will give you most of the basic knowledge necessary to catch your supper, at least occasionally

Thanks Phideaux for the reassurance and the advice. I've checked out the quality/cost of the kit I bought and it stacks up as a fair price, and broadly appropriate to what I was after. I specifically wanted a rod as my six year old son is interested in taking up fishing with me and (what with a difficult divorce just under way) I hope it will be a lovely way for us to spend quiet male time together.

I've just order a copy of the River Cottage Sea Fishing Handbook (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1408801833/ref=oss_product) which looks like a bit of a winner of a book in its own right!

 

[oldvarnish]

http://www.go-saltwater-fishing.com/#axzz1LKQIFeeE

 

[Babylon]

That set-up will be OK for catching mackerel and fishing at anchor too [...] Have fun, but be careful, it's addictive.

Thanks for the advice - and the warning!

 

[peteK]

I'm a complete angling newbie and am looking for advice on how to fish (trolling or at anchor) off my boat and what kit I need to begin with.

So far, completely ignorant, I walked into a fishing tackle shop in Poole a fortnight ago (a bit like Mel Smith walking into Griff Rees-Jones' hi-fi shop and wanting to buy a gramaphone) and asked for some advice...

I was sold (for a grand total of about £65):
* a fairly stiff 5ft long rod rated at 20lbs (breaks in two for easy stowage aboard)
* a 3 ball bearing, 1-way clutch multiplier, 4.2:1 ratio, with 210yds of clear 20lb line (or 250yds of 16lb line, not sure which)
* a pack of swivel connectors
* a jointed 'blue sardine' winnow lure 130mm long with two 3-way hooks
* a silvers 4 hook sea trace
* a 6lb plumb-shaped weight

Is this the right sort of kit for trolling for mackeral and other fish - because that is what I suggested to the shop guy I'd be doing at first? Do I need to rig up some sort of tube holder for the rod? How much line to let out?

How different is at at anchor? Is the weight needed different, what about other sorts of lure or live bait, do I need a float, or a net to land heavier fish (I should be so lucky!), is the technique different?

I'm sure this fishing (angling) thing is something of an acquired art, but I just want to get started in a way that hopefully yields some catch.

All or any advice much appreciated.

Babs

I bought all the gear years ago for fishing off the boat but found that a hand line was just as good for mackeral just use a childs crabbing line with the hooks cut off and mackeral feathers tied on easier to stow but have never caught anything with the boat underway.

 

[lenten]

mackeral are the easiest fish to catch----trolling is better when the mackeral are thinly spread around--- get a courelene line----six feet from the bottom attach an old toothbush with a hole in the end -----thread the line through toothbrush making a large kmot above and below to hold in place----attach 12 feet of nylon to the bristle end---then 4-6 feathers then a lure on the end---(i like a 2 inch spoon with a treble hook)-----take your 6lb bomb wieght and tie to end of courelene and tow at approx 2 knots----you need a different set up for jigging----tie 4-6 feathers on end of courelene line and a 1-2 lb wieght to the end of these ---gently jig up and down------finally ask an expert what to do with all the rest of the kit you bought ---i never learnt how to dangle

 

[gardenshed]

Thanks for the advice - and the warning!

Babylon
There is always a smart person who can do it cheaper, quicker better and yes, you can catch mackerel with some line a hook, something shiny on it and a stone as a sinker... but I did exactly the same as you about 5 years ago and haven't regretted it. The rod and multiplier are far more useful and when you do catch something, there is less chance of a tangle when you reel in the fish. If you catch something larger, the drag will allow it run a bit and not break your line so more chance of landing it. Much more versatile and in the hands of your lad, easier for him to play with and enjoy.
When you hit a shoal of Mackerel, your kid will just love it.
You did the right thing and can build on what you've got with different lures, hooks, sinkers etc. 65 quid well spent
I'm sure there will be seafishing forums that can give you advice for your area on what works best, just don't expect anyone to tell you where the best fishing spots are!

 

[Robin]

A rod holder will be useful if using the rod & reel rather than a handline for trolling for mackerel. I made ours from bits of PVC water pipe cable tied to the stern gantry, but the leg of a pushpit would work well. We had three rods, two similar 30lb rods and a light spinning rod and stored these fully rigged below when not on board, putting them out in the rod holders ready for use when we were there.

Best for mackerel is a proper handline IMO. We have a largish frame mounted line with a paravane which is a small device that replaces the heavy weight to get your tackle to the right depth. The trace is attached to one of several holes in the paravane depending on the depth required to troll and if you want it to stream directly astern or off to one side. The trace in our case would attach to the paravane with a small snaphook and swivel and the business end would either be a shiny mackerel spinner (I prefer the single hook type rather than treble hook) or a set of shiny foil type 'feathers'. The paravane and handline set up is least complicated IMO for trolling underway under sail, but if stopped or drifting then feathers on the rod lowered to the bottom then raised and jigged up and down at different depths is the way to go. Stationary fishing with baited tackle is a a much wider subject and a good book is worth reading.

I made a smoker. You can buy commercial ones for about £50 or so but mine was a £10 stainless steel roasting pan with lid and removable rack from Makro. I bought a variety of wood shavings to use over the internet, 6 tubs for around £20 IIRC and these will last a very long time as only a spoonful are used at a time. Line the pan with foil (it aids cleaning after) and sit a spoonful of wood chips on it under the rack, it helps to moisten the wood too. Put the pan on the stove to get it hot and the wood smoking, then put the fish in (cleaned and gutted natch) and the lid on tight, I use a couple of bulldog clips to help keep my home made one shut. Cook for 20-25 minutes and you will have very nice hot smoked mackerel, beats shop bought any time. I do whole fish rather than fillets but either will do, fillets require less time. I make most of ours into smoked mackerel pate blended with Philadelphia cheese, horseradish and lemon juice and it is unbelievably good.