Paravanes

[apogee]

I'm not a great angler but keep a mackerel line on the boat to prevent guest boredom while sailing. Tinsel lures attached to a paravane generally work well .. and would still be working well had they not decided to part company with the rest of the line the other day.
So I need to replace it. There are several variations available commercially (I've never had a home-made one tow reliably) - but which one tows and catches best? Does the colour make any difference? What speeds and depth do you generally tow at?

 

[richardabeattie]

It's not the kit, it's the time and place.

 

[rotrax]

I'm not a great angler but keep a mackerel line on the boat to prevent guest boredom while sailing. Tinsel lures attached to a paravane generally work well .. and would still be working well had they not decided to part company with the rest of the line the other day.
So I need to replace it. There are several variations available commercially (I've never had a home-made one tow reliably) - but which one tows and catches best? Does the colour make any difference? What speeds and depth do you generally tow at?

I use-for the last four years-a fivers worth of shop bought paravane with a traditional mackerel spinner on about a metre of trace.

I use an old Penn boat multiplier loaded with 50lbs braid, a rod made from a bottom joint of a hollow glass spinning rod-First Mate dropped the top joint in the oggin in the Gulf of Mexico- bodged up with an old bit of fibreglass tent pole with a couple of rings whipped and taped on.

It is dropped into a bit of plastic pipe lashed to the pushpit. Earlier this year-when the water temprature was 52 degrees F they were caught deep, over 50 feet.

As the water warmed up they came up a bit.

Waste of time at over 3.5 knts. Caught plenty so far this year, very tasty!

 

[KevO]

We caught over a dozen nice sized mackies on a single spinner paravane on the way back from Fowey to Falmouth last week. About 5m depth and between 4.5 and 6 knots we kept 6 for lunch and they were lush.

 

[rotrax]

We caught over a dozen nice sized mackies on a single spinner paravane on the way back from Fowey to Falmouth last week. About 5m depth and between 4.5 and 6 knots we kept 6 for lunch and they were lush.

I dont get a touch at over 4 knts-you must have encountered a shoal of Olympic swimming Mackerel!

It is possible that my vane dives too deep at higher speeds-a little experimenting is called for.

Off to Ireland, IOM and Scotland next week, weather slot permiting.

Planning to turn the corner and sail direct for the Tuskar and then Arklow.

It will be our longest open water passage so far-should be interesting!

 

[KellysEye]

I never used a Paravane just swimming lures (with a plate on their chin) mackerel will come to the surface they also catch most other types of fish, so if Mackerel aren't around you may catch them. If you don't catch any thing change the lure colour, for example I had two rods out one with a red and white lure and the other with a blue and yellow lure mackerel went for the blue and yellow one. Also different fish go for different coloured lures at different times of year, if there are sport fishing boats in your area look at what colour lures they are using. I've caught many types of fish between five and six knots

 

[Strikeliner]

I never used a Paravane just swimming lures (with a plate on their chin) mackerel will come to the surface they also catch most other types of fish, so if Mackerel aren't around you may catch them. If you don't catch any thing change the lure colour, for example I had two rods out one with a red and white lure and the other with a blue and yellow lure mackerel went for the blue and yellow one. Also different fish go for different coloured lures at different times of year, if there are sport fishing boats in your area look at what colour lures they are using. I've caught many types of fish between five and six knots

Just Remember.

Always think like a fish!!

 

[MarcJ]

I got a Delta Paravane 40g the other week after someone recommended it on here. Although being a life long fisherman had never tried one before - what a revelation! Works a treat, been trying it with a 3 hook mackeral trace above various lures, had a few mackies and hoping for the odd bass!

 

[KellysEye]

>Just Remember. Always think like a fish!!

I'm not sure what you mean by that please explain. The reason I said use a swimming lure is we sailed 10,000 miles with two rods off the back and swimming lures. Our main catches in the UK were Mackerel and in the Atlantic and Caribbean Tuna and Dorado, apart from things like flat fish everything comes to the surface if hungry.