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Always...
Whenever we go out in the Chesapeake Bay we troll along. You go the perfect speed and if anything hits your fine and if not so what. Last December...we were trolling for Stripped Bass and listening to Jimmy Buffet while the girls were cooking up something hot below (food stuff)...anyway the people out in the power boats would see if trolling along at night having drinks and listening to music while they were hunker down in there sports boats looking all cold. Needless to say it seems we were having the better time...so enjoy it and fish behind your boat.
Whenever we go out in the Chesapeake Bay we troll along. You go the perfect speed and if anything hits your fine and if not so what. Last December...we were trolling for Stripped Bass and listening to Jimmy Buffet while the girls were cooking up something hot below (food stuff)...anyway the people out in the power boats would see if trolling along at night having drinks and listening to music while they were hunker down in there sports boats looking all cold. Needless to say it seems we were having the better time...so enjoy it and fish behind your boat.
Yup!
Clark spoon is good for Spanish. Big spoons sometimes produce a King if you can keep them deep with a plane.
Clark spoon is good for Spanish. Big spoons sometimes produce a King if you can keep them deep with a plane.
cuban reel
We haven't had great luck but have caught a few fish. I put a large rapala about 6-7" long on a steel leader and about 150' of 80# monofilament. A couple of 1 once weights just before the leader. We caught two little tuna and a King Mackeral using this rig. The King was about 36" long and made several meals. The little tuna were about 5#s or so and made two good meals each. The biggest problem is getting blood all over the cockpit. The tuna especially didn't want to die and kept on fighting even after having their gills cut. A 5 gallon bucket to stick the fish in helped. I don't want to catch anything much over about 5#s. If you take a rubber band and wrap it around the line and attach it to the boat it works as an alarm. There is a very nice "snap" when a fish breaks the band. We were going very slow one day and I caught a remora!!!! It was about 4' long and didn't put up a fight at all. It was released and seemed OK. We have caught all of the fish in 70'+ of water. Tom
We haven't had great luck but have caught a few fish. I put a large rapala about 6-7" long on a steel leader and about 150' of 80# monofilament. A couple of 1 once weights just before the leader. We caught two little tuna and a King Mackeral using this rig. The King was about 36" long and made several meals. The little tuna were about 5#s or so and made two good meals each. The biggest problem is getting blood all over the cockpit. The tuna especially didn't want to die and kept on fighting even after having their gills cut. A 5 gallon bucket to stick the fish in helped. I don't want to catch anything much over about 5#s. If you take a rubber band and wrap it around the line and attach it to the boat it works as an alarm. There is a very nice "snap" when a fish breaks the band. We were going very slow one day and I caught a remora!!!! It was about 4' long and didn't put up a fight at all. It was released and seemed OK. We have caught all of the fish in 70'+ of water. Tom
frustrating
i've rigged the back with some rod holders made of pvc pipe, however i can't troll since the boat speed is often more than 5kts. I'm at a point where i'm going to give up - the only time i think i can have a reasonable fishing adventure is when i'm on the hook. Any advice on trolling off the back and not having to adjust speed?
i've rigged the back with some rod holders made of pvc pipe, however i can't troll since the boat speed is often more than 5kts. I'm at a point where i'm going to give up - the only time i think i can have a reasonable fishing adventure is when i'm on the hook. Any advice on trolling off the back and not having to adjust speed?
Downrigger ball .....
when above 3 knots I lower a torpedo shaped downrigger ball (about 5 lb.). Use braided wire for the lowering the ball as there will be less drag and the downrigger ball will stay lower. This works better than downrigger 'planes'. Your fishing line attaches to a 'releasing clip' down on the ball; when a fish strikes the line will release from the downrigger ball. At three knots you can drop the ball as deep as you have wire; above 3 knots the ball will have noticeable drag and not be as deep. For other than striped bass, etc. my 'usual' depth is about 50 ft sometimes down to 150 ... depends on the species and how deep to the bottom. I run the downrigger wire from a cockpit winch, no need for a special downrigger reel ... but you usually need 'something' to prevent chafe of the braided wire as it goes over the stern. To store the wire, I use a simple wooden reel and 'hand wind' it. Use gloves when handling the wire. I use 'spectra' fishing line -- less drag because the line is the least diameter for the strength. Your rod can be 'mounted' to a usual rod holder or just a PVC pipe mounted to the stern rail.
when above 3 knots I lower a torpedo shaped downrigger ball (about 5 lb.). Use braided wire for the lowering the ball as there will be less drag and the downrigger ball will stay lower. This works better than downrigger 'planes'. Your fishing line attaches to a 'releasing clip' down on the ball; when a fish strikes the line will release from the downrigger ball. At three knots you can drop the ball as deep as you have wire; above 3 knots the ball will have noticeable drag and not be as deep. For other than striped bass, etc. my 'usual' depth is about 50 ft sometimes down to 150 ... depends on the species and how deep to the bottom. I run the downrigger wire from a cockpit winch, no need for a special downrigger reel ... but you usually need 'something' to prevent chafe of the braided wire as it goes over the stern. To store the wire, I use a simple wooden reel and 'hand wind' it. Use gloves when handling the wire. I use 'spectra' fishing line -- less drag because the line is the least diameter for the strength. Your rod can be 'mounted' to a usual rod holder or just a PVC pipe mounted to the stern rail.
You bet
Will be going fishing tomorrow in fact. Weather is good and fishing reports are excellent. Usually fish on the hook near the ship channel or a shipwreck. Have tried trolling but without any success. I have usually used Rapala but will have to try a spoon.
Will be going fishing tomorrow in fact. Weather is good and fishing reports are excellent. Usually fish on the hook near the ship channel or a shipwreck. Have tried trolling but without any success. I have usually used Rapala but will have to try a spoon.
trolling works better when you are out out there.
Don't know why, but when you are out there in the blue water, trolling seems to work better. Maybe the fishes swim faster? Just don't know. To prevent the blood in the cockpit, do what a lot of native fishermen do down south. They take a little bit of real cheap tequila and pour it down their mouth or gill, and the fish goes to sleep, instantly. By the way, a friend said she uses tuna cord when trolling out there. What exactly is tuna cord? I have always used a rod and reel and regular fishing lines.
Don't know why, but when you are out there in the blue water, trolling seems to work better. Maybe the fishes swim faster? Just don't know. To prevent the blood in the cockpit, do what a lot of native fishermen do down south. They take a little bit of real cheap tequila and pour it down their mouth or gill, and the fish goes to sleep, instantly. By the way, a friend said she uses tuna cord when trolling out there. What exactly is tuna cord? I have always used a rod and reel and regular fishing lines.
Yes, both fresh and salt water
Michael, If you are in salt water, try what they call a dolphin buster. It comes in many colors, blue, green, red, etc. and it has a sparkely metal flake imbedded in the lure. They look like they are a head with a hulla skirt and extremely jelly like. Let out enough line so that the lure is breaking the surface of he water about 20% of the time (the more line you let out the less it will break the surface of the water). Set the drag on your reel so that it will scream at you if something strikes it. This does two things, it alarms you that something is going on and also it won't rip the gills out of the fish if you are at hull speed. Be prepared to heave-to when you get one on. Spanish Mackeral, bonita, and barracuda are regular catches when we sail in salt water. In fresh water I troll a bomber about 2 1/2" long only when the boat is make less than 2 knots. I have had two interesting catchs doing this. The first was a 10" crappie that the mouth of the fish was the same size as the treble hook and half the size of the lure. The second was about a 12" perch.
Michael, If you are in salt water, try what they call a dolphin buster. It comes in many colors, blue, green, red, etc. and it has a sparkely metal flake imbedded in the lure. They look like they are a head with a hulla skirt and extremely jelly like. Let out enough line so that the lure is breaking the surface of he water about 20% of the time (the more line you let out the less it will break the surface of the water). Set the drag on your reel so that it will scream at you if something strikes it. This does two things, it alarms you that something is going on and also it won't rip the gills out of the fish if you are at hull speed. Be prepared to heave-to when you get one on. Spanish Mackeral, bonita, and barracuda are regular catches when we sail in salt water. In fresh water I troll a bomber about 2 1/2" long only when the boat is make less than 2 knots. I have had two interesting catchs doing this. The first was a 10" crappie that the mouth of the fish was the same size as the treble hook and half the size of the lure. The second was about a 12" perch.
A four foot barracuda
He was a throw back. The green dolphin buster in still in his mouth. r.w.landau
He was a throw back. The green dolphin buster in still in his mouth. r.w.landau
Cruising and Fishing
This book is on my boat and I am 600 miles away from her. It is the most complete guide ever to fishing from a sailboat. Hope I have the name right The Complete Cruiser's Guide to Fishing (?)by Scott and Wendy Bannerot Hardcover and incredible.
This book is on my boat and I am 600 miles away from her. It is the most complete guide ever to fishing from a sailboat. Hope I have the name right The Complete Cruiser's Guide to Fishing (?)by Scott and Wendy Bannerot Hardcover and incredible.
fly fishing from the bow?
seems to me at anchor in a nice deep cove salt or fresh the bow would be great place to fly cast! but i'll probably use bait and spin tackle. (never did very well fly casting for trout) don't think I can handle a #10 or larger fly rod anyway. so.. I'll read all your fishing stories! denise
seems to me at anchor in a nice deep cove salt or fresh the bow would be great place to fly cast! but i'll probably use bait and spin tackle. (never did very well fly casting for trout) don't think I can handle a #10 or larger fly rod anyway. so.. I'll read all your fishing stories! denise
Tom
Did you catch anything? I went to a fishing store and asked a few questions and left with a few lures. I first tried near an oil pump stand near the ship channel, then gave up after an hour and went sailing and then anchored near one of the shores for the night and fished some more for a few hours. Then fished again in the morning with no luck for a couple of hours. When the wind picked up I went sailing. I didn't see anybody catch anything. Oh yeah...I also wanted to test the idea of heaving to and fishing. While I was trying that, a caterman came and circled around me. Was very annoying because I had to retrieve my line (they were very very close). The last little pass I realize what they wanted...they wanted to be exobitionist. The woman of the couple was only wearing a thong (she was hot). If I wasn't so annoyed with them I might have been a little more friendly to them but I just ignored them and they left. I guess they didn't like being ignored
Did you catch anything? I went to a fishing store and asked a few questions and left with a few lures. I first tried near an oil pump stand near the ship channel, then gave up after an hour and went sailing and then anchored near one of the shores for the night and fished some more for a few hours. Then fished again in the morning with no luck for a couple of hours. When the wind picked up I went sailing. I didn't see anybody catch anything. Oh yeah...I also wanted to test the idea of heaving to and fishing. While I was trying that, a caterman came and circled around me. Was very annoying because I had to retrieve my line (they were very very close). The last little pass I realize what they wanted...they wanted to be exobitionist. The woman of the couple was only wearing a thong (she was hot). If I wasn't so annoyed with them I might have been a little more friendly to them but I just ignored them and they left. I guess they didn't like being ignored
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