I have a Hunter 23 on the Gulf and the fishing has been great this year. I don't see many people fishing from their sailboats but if sure others must. I was wondering if others had any useful information to share about sailboat fishing. Dan
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Used to do it
I used to have a Catalina 25. My children were younger then, also. It was always good entertainment to drop a line and troll for whatever happened to be around. They were always thrilled. Now I have a L37 and the kids are grown and no longer sail with us, so we don't do it anymore...except on Wednesday nights when the guys get together for a fun sail. We'll toss out a line to see what happens.
I used to have a Catalina 25. My children were younger then, also. It was always good entertainment to drop a line and troll for whatever happened to be around. They were always thrilled. Now I have a L37 and the kids are grown and no longer sail with us, so we don't do it anymore...except on Wednesday nights when the guys get together for a fun sail. We'll toss out a line to see what happens.
Greg!, Fly fishing, my favorite too!
Hey Greg, Glad to hear from another sailor that's also into fly fishing for bass. I've been warmwater flyfishing in Ray Hubbard for many years, I often tow my dinghy and use it to fish the shoreline. I have fished from our H34, and I've only hooked a shroud a couple of times! Have you found any good spots on Ray Hubbard? My two most productive flies have been a large shad clowser and a black rabbit strip worm. (The worm mostly in the weeds and the shad near the powerplant discharge in the winter) Isn't it great to get stares from the other bass fishermen, like they have never seen someone cast a fly rod! Charles & Lynn Duhon "Artistry"
Hey Greg, Glad to hear from another sailor that's also into fly fishing for bass. I've been warmwater flyfishing in Ray Hubbard for many years, I often tow my dinghy and use it to fish the shoreline. I have fished from our H34, and I've only hooked a shroud a couple of times! Have you found any good spots on Ray Hubbard? My two most productive flies have been a large shad clowser and a black rabbit strip worm. (The worm mostly in the weeds and the shad near the powerplant discharge in the winter) Isn't it great to get stares from the other bass fishermen, like they have never seen someone cast a fly rod! Charles & Lynn Duhon "Artistry"
All my Flys have tiny snap shackles 
Charles, Took my basic training in Fly on the mountian streams in the Rockies so casting from the bow is no big thing (-:. My 23 draws 2.3 ft with the rudder floating so I can ghost the shore pretty much where I please. Best so far has been right next to the "NO FISHING" sign at Chandlers. I've had some pretty good luck with a "Dead Chicken" wet and an "Adams" dry believe it or not. Tried a "Rat" (Big piece of deer hide weighs about 2 pounds when wet) it's just plain stupid! Haven't tried Texoma yet but it's possable. Greg H23 Faster- (Hubbard) S2 9.2C Impulsive (Texoma)
Charles, Took my basic training in Fly on the mountian streams in the Rockies so casting from the bow is no big thing (-:. My 23 draws 2.3 ft with the rudder floating so I can ghost the shore pretty much where I please. Best so far has been right next to the "NO FISHING" sign at Chandlers
. I've had some pretty good luck with a "Dead Chicken" wet and an "Adams" dry believe it or not. Tried a "Rat" (Big piece of deer hide weighs about 2 pounds when wet) it's just plain stupid! Haven't tried Texoma yet but it's possable. Greg H23 Faster- (Hubbard) S2 9.2C Impulsive (Texoma)
sheesh
I've got a couple of cedar plugs which I've dragged thousands of miles up and down the coast of California. All I've caught so far is an albatross. Sailing too fast, maybe?
I've got a couple of cedar plugs which I've dragged thousands of miles up and down the coast of California. All I've caught so far is an albatross. Sailing too fast, maybe?
Left coast fish
John, All us east coast fisherman know that those left coast fish are just too laid back and too media hyped to go for something as stale as cedar! If they ever take off their sunglasses and decide to do anything, you've got to scam them with something shiny, bright and wildly colored. Making a lot of ridiculous noise also helps. Papa H.
John, All us east coast fisherman know that those left coast fish are just too laid back and too media hyped to go for something as stale as cedar! If they ever take off their sunglasses and decide to do anything, you've got to scam them with something shiny, bright and wildly colored. Making a lot of ridiculous noise also helps. Papa H.
Answer To Paul Akers
I sailed with Paul last night. It was the first time I sailed dusk to dark and it was just great. Perfect winds at about 12 knots great sunset, couldn't be better. But... We didn't throw out a fishing line. The only thing thrown around where the cans of beer.
I sailed with Paul last night. It was the first time I sailed dusk to dark and it was just great. Perfect winds at about 12 knots great sunset, couldn't be better. But... We didn't throw out a fishing line. The only thing thrown around where the cans of beer.
Caught 3 + the ones that got away.
John: On my trip back from Hawaii, we caught a small Blue Marlin, 2 Dorados and a couple others that got away. This was all done while sailing anywhere from 5-8kts. Maybe your lures aren't sharp enough. You know what I'm talking about, kind of like an ol'sailor? PS: Don't listen to those guys on the other coast either.<grin>
John: On my trip back from Hawaii, we caught a small Blue Marlin, 2 Dorados and a couple others that got away. This was all done while sailing anywhere from 5-8kts. Maybe your lures aren't sharp enough. You know what I'm talking about, kind of like an ol'sailor? PS: Don't listen to those guys on the other coast either.<grin>
Fishing Tip For John
John, I fish from my boat in the Keys and Bahamas as much as possible. One thing that's really improved my results is using "weighted" fishing line. It is braided nylon line with a lead core that forces the trolling lure to sink. On my most recent trip (which was shortcircuited by threats of Hurricane Debbie) the hits we got on the rig with lead line were 3Xs the hits on the rig with mono line. Lead line is available from serious fishing shops and most of the fishing catalogs. Good luck. Robert Pancza
John, I fish from my boat in the Keys and Bahamas as much as possible. One thing that's really improved my results is using "weighted" fishing line. It is braided nylon line with a lead core that forces the trolling lure to sink. On my most recent trip (which was shortcircuited by threats of Hurricane Debbie) the hits we got on the rig with lead line were 3Xs the hits on the rig with mono line. Lead line is available from serious fishing shops and most of the fishing catalogs. Good luck. Robert Pancza
A fish story.
Some friends of mine were sailing in company with another sailboat in the Bahamas and both were trolling. My friends got a hit and in a matter of seconds they saw a shark fin approach the catch. The pole immediately snapped down and back and all that was left was the cut line. They never saw what they hooked. About the same time, the other boat hooked into a tuna. They too got wacked by a shark. But the only thing that they had left was a tuna head. They brought it in and was able to keep enough meat to feed a family of four people for one meal. And we worry about catching a fish that's too big?
Some friends of mine were sailing in company with another sailboat in the Bahamas and both were trolling. My friends got a hit and in a matter of seconds they saw a shark fin approach the catch. The pole immediately snapped down and back and all that was left was the cut line. They never saw what they hooked. About the same time, the other boat hooked into a tuna. They too got wacked by a shark. But the only thing that they had left was a tuna head. They brought it in and was able to keep enough meat to feed a family of four people for one meal. And we worry about catching a fish that's too big?
Here are some tips
I fish out of Southern California on my Hunter and I have had quite a bit of success. Here are some tips. Trolling. Rapala Countdown Magnums. The cedar plugs don't work. The Rapalas get down into the water a little deeper. I've hooked everything from mackeral to barracuda to yellowtail to tuna on them. Take off the middle treble hook. Troll two of them behind the boat about fifty to seventy feet back. I use 30 pound test line and conventional rigs. Make sure you mount two rod holders. The difficulty, obviously, is stopping when you get a hookup. Stop your boat first. Then worry about the fish. (I've got a roller furler and a furling main, so it's pretty easy. Or you can just turn into the wind and listen to your sails flap.) Bait fishing. A bait tank is a must. I installed a raw water washdown and that connects to a bait tank on the swim step. I find that it works pretty well. Fighting fish. This is the big disadvantage of a sailboat. You've got a lot less space. Factor in the backstays and rails and lifelines. Then you've got to worry about the fish wrapping line around the keel. Well, if you lose the "BIG ONE," it'll almost make you wish that you bought a power boat instead. (That feeling lasts for only a few moments.) Net and gaff. Get them long.
I fish out of Southern California on my Hunter and I have had quite a bit of success. Here are some tips. Trolling. Rapala Countdown Magnums. The cedar plugs don't work. The Rapalas get down into the water a little deeper. I've hooked everything from mackeral to barracuda to yellowtail to tuna on them. Take off the middle treble hook. Troll two of them behind the boat about fifty to seventy feet back. I use 30 pound test line and conventional rigs. Make sure you mount two rod holders. The difficulty, obviously, is stopping when you get a hookup. Stop your boat first. Then worry about the fish. (I've got a roller furler and a furling main, so it's pretty easy. Or you can just turn into the wind and listen to your sails flap.) Bait fishing. A bait tank is a must. I installed a raw water washdown and that connects to a bait tank on the swim step. I find that it works pretty well. Fighting fish. This is the big disadvantage of a sailboat. You've got a lot less space. Factor in the backstays and rails and lifelines. Then you've got to worry about the fish wrapping line around the keel. Well, if you lose the "BIG ONE," it'll almost make you wish that you bought a power boat instead. (That feeling lasts for only a few moments.) Net and gaff. Get them long.
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