# Sailboat Fishing



## dreuge

Hi,

I am look for tips for fishing from a sailboat. I sail in the FL panhandle area, and for the most part, I have been bottom fishing with shrimp while at anchor. We have caught most pan-sized fish: gulf kingfish, cats, and small sharks. I have also trolled (3-4 knots) using a silver spoon. Been lucky less.

I search the forums, and was surprised that I did not find much sail-fishing info.

Does anyone have a tips or suggestions to better join sailing and fishing. My youngest kid loves fishing, and because of our better success on the hook, we find ourselves spending now actually sailing. 


Thanks.

Paul


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## QuickMick

as a matter of course i have significantly more success w/live bait--while there is more a 'skill' factor w/artificial. i tend to use live (or at least 'real') bait, as i find its much more fun to go 'catching' instead of 'fishing.'

the hotmaps (fishing hot spots) card for the GPS has A LOT of underwater features marked, even classifying some as 'fish attracters.' you can also get them on paper. im also an avid believer in sun/moon calculations affecting fish activity as well as water temp. generally i have the most luck at dawn/dusk in temps significantly cooler than summer surface temps. 

the humming bird helps a lot in finding bait balls.
happy catching!


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## Selkie60

I've found "The Cruiser's Handbook of Fishing" to be very helpful.
Amazon.com: The Cruiser's Handbook of Fishing (9780071427883): Scott Bannerot, Wendy Bannerot: Books


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## St Anna

I always troll a line and now exclusively with a spoon lure. (must be clean - no stain or rust at all). I use a game rod as the tricky part is to land the fish into the boat. For me thats when they will fall off the hook. We use a net as well. 

Often have to let out the mainsheet to try and slow the boat to make it easier to bring in the fish. I dont fish in bad weather or at night.

We use metholated spirits in a pump spray - a few squirts down their gills will kill them quick. Bleed the fish in a bucket. Gut and behead it immediately, fillet it straight away and into packets for cryovac or fridge for the nights meal.


mmm, licking lips just thinking off fresh fish.

We have to tether the cat away as she will walk on the rails to get some fresh fish. She gets enough off cuts to keep her happy, but she would really get in the way.


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## deniseO30

There are no fish in Chesapeake bay. don't believe the stories


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## QuickMick

Saltwater Directions Fishing Charts for Florida

Hunting and Fishing Solunar Calculator, Sunrise and Sunset Times

st anna, you have a cleaning table rigged? just a big cutting board?


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## pdqaltair

dreuge said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am look for tips for fishing from a sailboat. I sail in the FL panhandle area, and for the most part, I have been bottom fishing with shrimp while at anchor. We have caught most pan-sized fish: gulf kingfish, cats, and small sharks. I have also trolled (3-4 knots) using a silver spoon. Been lucky less.
> 
> I search the forums, and was surprised that I did not find much sail-fishing info.
> 
> Does anyone have a tips or suggestions to better join sailing and fishing. My youngest kid loves fishing, and because of our better success on the hook, we find ourselves spending now actually sailing.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Paul


Try this:

Sail Delmarva: Yo-Yo Fishing

We have many rods, but we catch more with this minimalist gear, because we use it more. As for lure types and locations, local knowledge rules.


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## sailingdog

While you can troll from the stern of a sailboat, there are other options. Me and my crew regularly flyfish or cast from the ama decks of my boat. Having a boat that is 18' wide has some advantages there.


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## tgzzzz

I doubt that a flyrod and a beamier boat is helpful advice for the OP. 

What works for me (I hestitate to say every time) while trolling is to use a small down rigger ahead of the spoon. This gets the spoon below the surface commotion and is killer on blues and Spanish mackeral here on the banks. While not as "sporting" as flyfishing perhaps, I eat fish often. Nothing however equals fishing around structure. Structure equals fish. The boat doesn't matter at all.


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## lapworth

If you try trolling at night ( no motor ) turn on as many lights even spot lights around your boat this will attract fish and keep your lures near the boat.


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## sailingdog

I was trying to see if the OP would clarify his post... most sailboats fish via trolling, something you should know all about... if he's trying to fish from a sailboat by spinning, baitcasting or flyfishing, it really isn't a good platform for it, as most sailboats are rather cluttered platforms for that kind of activity and snagging sheets, sails, etc with a hook kind of sucks.



tgzzzz said:


> I doubt that a flyrod and a beamier boat is helpful advice for the OP.
> 
> What works for me (I hestitate to say every time) while trolling is to use a small down rigger ahead of the spoon. This gets the spoon below the surface commotion and is killer on blues and Spanish mackeral here on the banks. While not as "sporting" as flyfishing perhaps, I eat fish often. Nothing however equals fishing around structure. Structure equals fish. The boat doesn't matter at all.


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## chris_gee

I do a lot of fishing. Less maybe with a yacht, because it takes four times as long to get anywhere, though fishing your feet is an adage that can pay off. Room is a bit restricted but still fine for 2 people.
I have never found trailing a lure to yield much.
On the other hand I have caught a limit of nine in a couple of hours just motoring out for an hour when raising the sails was too much of a hassle. One can also stop a mile or so from one's destination and pick up a feed. I don't bother catching more than I can eat unless going home when I can give away the excess. Even at anchor in say 7m one can get dinner while having a sundowner.
Bait can be a problem depending on space and refrigeration. Two approaches are to use soft plastic baits and jig which is popular and also feasible in calm patches. I prefer fresh bait if possible. This can be caught on a simple hand line using a sabiki rig, (small hooks with bits of stuff on them).
I used to have the fishing spots pretty well sussed using a runabout. However then it was easier to go some distance and change spots a few times, and fish in the evening while getting home quickly.
With a yacht less so and if one is going to stop it seems more sense to me to make it where the fish are, particularly if one is sailing over them to a more distant fishing spot. So I have just been putting in a good quality fishfinder plotter combo with a swing arm to shift it into the companionway. The cheaper ones are not much use.
Hopefully this will work well. I still have a few friends who would be keen on a day or half a day of fishing who would be less available for longer sailing trips.
I guess what one catches depends on your area, and even the common names differ. What we generally catch snapper is a different fish from what americans call snapper. It is a bream most like the med silverhead bream rather than the US species. Sizes range up to around 70 cm and 1.5 lb - 25 lb with anything over say 8lb being a good fish but rare to catch very much bigger though in a fishing contest some 20lbs will turn up mostly by going to waters not accessible to most.


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## dabnis

dreuge said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am look for tips for fishing from a sailboat. I sail in the FL panhandle area, and for the most part, I have been bottom fishing with shrimp while at anchor. We have caught most pan-sized fish: gulf kingfish, cats, and small sharks. I have also trolled (3-4 knots) using a silver spoon. Been lucky less.
> 
> I search the forums, and was surprised that I did not find much sail-fishing info.
> 
> Does anyone have a tips or suggestions to better join sailing and fishing. My youngest kid loves fishing, and because of our better success on the hook, we find ourselves spending now actually sailing.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Paul


Not familiar with your area. We fished San Francisco Bay
which can get very crowded, and outside. When trolling 
suggest you use enough weight to keep the lure deep or 
close to the boat so as not to catch another passing boat.
Same concept when bottom fishing, whether anchored
or drifting, try to keep the line from drifting out to the side
where other boats may snag it. I would imagine that your
local bait shops can give you some tips, after buying some
bait and beer.

Good luck, Dabnis


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## dreuge

I would like to thank all for their input. In particular, the Cuban Yo-Yos sounds like a must have. I could not find them sold locally, but the thanks to the link, I plan to get a few online.


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## QuickMick

oh, and i was just in kahoots with my offshore p/b fishin pal... when hunting red snapper--cigar minnows and squid... kind of like a sandwich. 

hmmm.... cigar minnow and squid sandwich for fishy, snapper sandwich for me...


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## sailingdog

If you're planning on trolling with either a rod or a hand line, you will probably want to use a planer on the line to bring the lure down to a depth more likely to have fish.


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## remetau

sailingdog said:


> If you're planning on trolling with either a rod or a hand line, you will probably want to use a planer on the line to bring the lure down to a depth more likely to have fish.


Unless your fishing for dolphin which like to hit at the surface. I prefer tuna though which I found like it a little below the surface and further behind the boat.


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## Cruisingdad

We use a trolling line with a diving spoon in deeper water and in shallower water a spinner. Flashy and green/yellow trailers works best... but we are no experts. The problem we have is that the big fish like big lures so rigging them up requires a hire test and steel leaders which are really bad for the smaller fish.

You can spend a gazillion dollars on this stuff!!! Penn makes pretty good stuff, but I really prefer Shimano over them. For a spinning rod (open), I think Daiwa is my preference.

So to do it right, yo uhave to have several different rods and a lot of different lures. But to save money, just get one troller (will end up being the most expensive too), then a cheaper spinning (open face). For the docks and kids, just get a cheapie from Walmart.

Now if you really want to catch fish all day long for fun, use rib meat. Catfish love that stuff and it is hard for them to pull it off the hook. But since saltwater catfish are nigh near unedible, it is just for fun. Snapper will hit almost anything and love the docks - but the bigger snapper like to be closer to wrecks or pilings or stuff further offshore.

SO now that it sounds like I know what I am talking about, here is the biggest fish I have caught this year:










That is a really tasty great barracuda (don't eat them... dangerous). SO I am no expert. In fact, my little boy told me last weekend that, "Catching a fish in a sailboat while trolling is very rare, right daddy?"

HEHE!

Brian


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## chef2sail

Wow CD...that would take two grills in parallel to cook up..........

Really shouldnt eat Barracuda as you have a greater risk of Ciguatera poisoning. Is a toxin produced by dinoflagulates which are ingested when predatory reef fish eat other fish

Dave


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## Cruisingdad

chef2sail said:


> Wow CD...that would take two grills in parallel to cook up..........
> 
> Really shouldnt eat Barracuda as you have a greater risk of Ciguatera poisoning. Is a toxin produced by dinoflagulates which are ingested when predatory reef fish eat other fish
> 
> Dave


Yep. Don't eat Barracuda or large grouper or Jew fish (protected) or parrot fish, which was why I put it is dangerous. Actaully, one of the safest is tuna and Mahi-mahi which do not feed so much off of reefs. But Barracuda are fun to catch and reel in! We caught this dude in the tender and he nearly pulled us into the reefs!

Brian


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## remetau

chef2sail said:


> Wow CD...that would take two grills in parallel to cook up..........
> 
> Really shouldnt eat Barracuda as you have a greater risk of Ciguatera poisoning. Is a toxin produced by dinoflagulates which are ingested when predatory reef fish eat other fish
> 
> Dave


Small barracuda are safe to eat and I hear that they are good. Cubans down here eat them quite often. I doubt that they would eat one that big though.


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## Cruisingdad

remetau said:


> Small barracuda are safe to eat and I hear that they are good. Cubans down here eat them quite often. I doubt that they would eat one that big though.


Very true. In fact, when we were in the Tortugas, we went to trade liquor for fish at a group of Cuban Fishing boats. They wanted to give us Barracuda (we refused) and they had a lot of it. Got Tuna instead. THey took them fresh and filleted them for us... more than we could eat. In return, we gave them a half of a fifth of Jack Daniels. THe Cubans thought they got the better deal. I suspect Jack Daniels is hard to come by down there.

We also ended up (after the deal was made) bringing back a bunch of toys to the boats for their kids which they heartily accepted. The Cubans are good people and those kinds of things really help them out (in my opinion).

Brian


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## remetau

Cruisingdad said:


> In return, we gave them a half of a fifth of Jack Daniels. THe Cubans thought they got the better deal. I suspect Jack Daniels is hard to come by down there.


I've heard that if you are heading to the Tortugas, then take extra alcohol and cigs to trade with the fisherman.


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## Cruisingdad

remetau said:


> I've heard that if you are heading to the Tortugas, then take extra alcohol and cigs to trade with the fisherman.


Yep. Time before last, we got 17 lobster tails for half a fifth of Albertsons vodka!!! I think we had some hot beer somewhere too that we threw in. And again, they thought they got the better end of the deal!!!

DId not know about the cigs, but don't smoke so I would probably still have opted for the liquor.

Brian


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## sailingdog

Smaller fish are always safer when it comes to toxins...they've eaten fewer other fish, so have less of a concentration in them. Large apex predators, like Barracuda are the worst, since the smaller fish they eat act as toxin concentrators for them.


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## chef2sail

Absolutely correct for SD. However you are still eating toxins when consuming even the smallest of apex predtors. Poisons even in the smallest concentrations for an adult are different in children with smaller body masses.

Stay with the tuna and mahi...I wouldnt even eat small barracuda, because even if the toxins dont kill you you can get very sick


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## cgaskell

not much point trying to be sporting if you are looking for a main course, so the yoyos are by far the simplest way to go. i have caught numerous kingfish and small tuna trolling small green squids with lead heads. use a rubber bungee tied to a cleat or stanction and a clothes peg on a piece of string - shorter than the bungee - to give you a warning. works perfectly, the only problem is dealing with the fish when you get it on board. i have tried filleting them in a bucket holding them by the tail - not recommended - and eventually settled for a 5 x 2 feet rubber matt. don't step (read slip) on the matt when it's wet though!


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## cgaskell

buy a cheap speargun too - it's quite addictive even though i was apprehensive at first because i though it was unfair! it's actually challenging and good exercise while on the hook


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## Cruisingdad

cgaskell said:


> not much point trying to be sporting if you are looking for a main course, so the yoyos are by far the simplest way to go. i have caught numerous kingfish and small tuna trolling small green squids with lead heads. use a rubber bungee tied to a cleat or stanction and a clothes peg on a piece of string - shorter than the bungee - to give you a warning. works perfectly, the only problem is dealing with the fish when you get it on board. i have tried filleting them in a bucket holding them by the tail - not recommended - and eventually settled for a 5 x 2 feet rubber matt. don't step (read slip) on the matt when it's wet though!


Great advice. DId you hang them by the tail and bleed them before fillleting?


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## Vasco

I used to use Cuban yoyos but a few years ago switched to a rod as it makes it a bit easier to land the fish. Also the rod was a gift.  My favourite lure is a cedar plug but in the past I have used the shiny bags from box wine for homemade lures. Just cut them up and wrap around a big hook. Unfortunately the bags in box wine are no longer shiny now. A cedar plug usually lasts me the season. Usually get mahi if they're running, some tuna and the occasional wahoo. The photo is a mahi I caught off Cat Island. Too heavy to hold up so I filleted it first.  Actually I didn't think of a photo until after I had filletted it and realized how big it was.


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## cgaskell

nice mahi mate! but how did your wifey like the newly painted deck?? that's the problem! thing about a mahi is when it's brought on board it better be well sedated!! some people will surely be able to relate to that one - i have some serious stories about mahis. on another note, cedar plugs are tried and tested, and they last longer than plastic squids if a barra decides to log on. and you can be certain that it will, probably more than any other fish in the sea!!
@ cruisingdad, thanks for the comment, i'm affraid i was desperately trying to get my post count up to 5 so i could respond to a PM. actually, what i do with all fish i am lucky enough to catch is use the long gaff (v. important if you carry some freeboard), lance the throat behind the gills with a sharp knife, noose tail with an old piece of braid (core removed - grips much more securely) and return it to the water. there it will bleed away from my decks. tuna only need a couple of minutes, as do wahoo and mackerel family. but i wouldn't trust a mahi after an hour. those fellas have an admirable survival attitude - lots of you think it's dead but in a brave last show it flips a slippery flip out of your hands and back to the deep blue!


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## Vasco

cgaskell said:


> nice mahi mate! but how did your wifey like the newly painted deck?? that's the problem! thing about a mahi is when it's brought on board it better be well sedated!! some people will surely be able to relate to that one - i have some serious stories about mahis. on another note, cedar plugs are tried and tested, and they last longer than plastic squids if a barra decides to log on. and you can be certain that it will, probably more than any other fish in the sea!!


The blood washes off fairly easily. In rough conditions I fillet them in the cockpit. I sedate the little fishies with a squirt bottle filled with good Dominican rum. I could use a longer gaff as my freeboard is pretty high and the gaff is a tad short. When I first started years ago I used to sedate them with a kid's baseball bat. First time I tried it I missed the fish and hit my topsides (no damage, CS36 is a tough boat). The second shot I took at the fish I dropped the bat into the ocean, had to go back and get it. Rum is easier, both for the fish and myself!


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## cgaskell

keep your eyes peeled for bird activity - the gulf is fairly expansive and seeing a bunch of birds diving is worth diverting your course to troll by. certain fish, like tuna and mahimahi are often, if not always, given away by birds. there's nothing more exciting than anticipating a big strike! 
fishing is a great thing to be interested in, as it can never be fully satiated, a real fisherman always wants to catch a bigger fish, and if he's caught the biggest already, then he starts trying to do it on lighter tackle or using more skilful means! and fishing is intricately linked to boating, so if your son continues to be into fishing, he'll be boating with you for a while yet!


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## QuickMick

yeah, not just the gulls--the other morning i was out fishin and saw an osprey just flippin dive bomb then fly right over my head with a fish in his talons... pretty awesome sight. when dockside, the blue heron keeps me informed--he is one of the most patient fisherman ive ever met


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## TheWhiteRabbit

Selkie60 said:


> I've found "The Cruiser's Handbook of Fishing" to be very helpful.
> Amazon.com: The Cruiser's Handbook of Fishing (9780071427883): Scott Bannerot, Wendy Bannerot: Books


Haven't read it yet, but the second I read this post (and reading the reviews here and @ the amazon link provided) I went out and ordered this title through the Barns & Noble down the street. as an avid fish fiend, and a wannabe sailor, this title appears to be a great read, with good straight forward directions/suggestions.

although this is not my thread I would like to thank you for this suggestion.
and to the OP for starting this thread,  and everyone else for there personal experience: this thread is an fun read


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## dreuge

pdqaltair said:


> Try this:
> 
> Sail Delmarva: Yo-Yo Fishing
> 
> We have many rods, but we catch more with this minimalist gear, because we use it more. As for lure types and locations, local knowledge rules.


A quick question on using a hand-lining Yo-Yo-ing. What is the perfered method of line retrieval with fish on. Do you just hand retrieve the line into the boat, or do folks hand wind the Yo-Yo spools?


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## Vasco

dreuge said:


> A quick question on using a hand-lining Yo-Yo-ing. What is the perfered method of line retrieval with fish on. Do you just hand retrieve the line into the boat, or do folks hand wind the Yo-Yo spools?


Using gloves haul the fish in as fast as possible, hand over hand. The main thing is to get the fish in fast. You can always sort out the line later.


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## chris_gee

[Fitted my new combo fishfinder with an in hull transponder so keen to try it out. Was going to head off for a few days but when I rang my old fishing mate (87) he was hoping that I was going to ask him out as he loves fishing and through various health problems for him and his wife hasn't been out for about a year.

So I agreed to an afternoon fishing. Naturally I hoped that the $2000 and some days trying to fit this thing in, when the deadrise is greater than the max allowed, would pay off.

Nada, various fiddles and it only showed .4m intermittently. Not many fish in the top .4m. Back to the drawing board.

So motored a few miles and stopped in 15m. The old guy had 3, then caught a double header in the first 15 minutes while I was messing around with soft plastics and a reel that wasn't behaving. Swapped back to pilchards and started to catch them. We put back about 6 which were legal but too small and kept 16 snapper and 1 kahawai . Nothing huge but nice fish. We could have got our limit of 2 more easily but left after just over two hours to squeeze through the channel before low tide to avoid waiting another 2.5 hours or so.

Who needs fishfinders? So one happy old fella.

The rest of the story. Sigh. He tied the bow lines. I let go the midship line and tried to attach the sternlines. Stern swung out and I couldn't hold it even in only 10 knots or so. Hanging on by fingernails to the boat and the dock with my toenails I became nearly horizontal.

The conversation went "Harry I wonder if you mind pulling on the midship rope."
"Why?"
"Because if you don't I will fall in the next 30 seconds."
Splash. Problem I couldna get out.. Some yelling and sending him looking eventually saw a very brawny bloke turn up and haul me out. Thanks mate. Pity you left the dock before I had re-gathered my wits sufficiently to give you some fish. Lucky I had taken my cellph and wallet out though not the carkeys.

My fault though it would not have happened if I was on my own - like that anyway. I adjust the lines from on the boat and know the lengths.

Might happen other ways though, despite safety harness, and having bought a waterproof bag for the hand vhf that morning. Must get or make an accessible rope ladder. I had it on the list. The thing is while when younger I could swing my legs up, now I really think it has to be long enough to go at least a few feet under water so will have to be fairly long.








IMG]http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/chris_gee_photos/IMG_0141.jpg[/IMG]


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## Whampoa

Afternoon dreuge,

I prefer to use hand lines for trolling while sailing. On occasion though a stout pole is handy when you are in mahi or wahoo country .

I have sailed and fished all along the west coast of Florida and have always had good luck with the setup described in a thread I created on one of the other sailing forums. Pretty easy to make and not expensive.

A Simple Handline for Trolling while Sailing 

A bunch of the guys with kids around the marina made pairs of them up and the kids have been having a ball catching fish.

Hope you give it a try and good luck with your fishing.

Regards, John


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## QuickMick

or you could always try this!

Early Show, The View, Regis and Kelly Recap - Yahoo! TV


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## QuickMick

this is how you do it....


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## thedude

Bob, of Boat Bits fame, now has a blog dedicated to fishing from sailboats.

Check it out...Fishing Under Sail


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## jrd22

The trip I took with my son and daughter in law from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau, Bahamas was the best fishing I've ever had. We were using a pole and a small blue plastic "flying fish" (don't know what brand, name, etc). We let out about 100-125' of line while sailing about 4-6 knots and we caught at least one good sized fish each day. Mahi, tuna, jack?, barracuda (which we didn't eat). We'd throw the line over as soon as we got going and forgot about it until we heard the reel screaming. We were mostly off the wind so we would ease the sheets on all the sails to slow the boat to make it easier to reel the fish in and then used a long gaff to bring it onto deck. By the time I left the boat the reefer was full. They continued to catch fish regularly using the same lure and technique the whole time they were in the Bahamas. 

Here in the PNW we regularly catch Dungeness crab and Spot prawns. Occasionally we can catch a salmon but without a downrigger and a 12lb ball it's rare. We do catch quite a few Ling cod jigging with a "Buzzbomb".


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## dabnis

We fished for salmon for many years outside of San Francisco in
our Coronado 25. Without the sails up in water that was usually
somewhat rough it was like spending the day in an industrial sized
cloths dryer. A couple of ways to get your lures down without 
downriggers, which I think are a pain in the neck:

Luhr Jensen - - Sinker Release
Luhr Jensen - - Products

Dabnis


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## Grunthrie

Great info everybody, thanks for the hyperlinks and reading material suggestions... after always fishing from a dock or a powerboat fishing from a sloop is quite different!


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## Capt Len

Making slow ahead on those really light days in the south I cast forward off the bow and sail over the lightly weighted white rag lure. Fish hiding in the boat shadow are waiting for you.Here on the left coast ,salmon are rarer and fussyier but with a licensed clam gun you can still fill the bucket.Molluscs like clams, oysters and scallops freeze or can well and feed you well after the EI runs out. edit I just saw this was an old thread but wha the heck .still timely.


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## CaptAngusMcloud

Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico - Florida Coast. 

We use a heavy boat pole with a Penn trolling real and drag a 1.5 to 2.5 inch shiny silver spoon about 50 to 100' behind the boat. We have a couple of bolt on rod holders on the stern pulpit. Set the drag just tight enough so it will peel out line when something hits it. When you hear the reel go, yell "FISH ON" at the top of your lungs and watch the kids go crazy. Tighten up the drag and make the kids reel in the fish. In the Gulf, Spanish Mackeral are plentiful, fun to catch, they hit at any boat speed, they are beautiful in the pictures, they're fairly easy to fillet, and taste pretty good if you cook them up same day... with Lemon Pepper.


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## jephotog

*Socal Sailboat fishing*

After 5 pages lots of information on fishing in Florida, one contributor out of SF bay a few in the PNW, what about So Cal?

I have been sailing between San Diego and Dana Point. What is the chance of catching anything in these waters if I get a rod and troll while cruising? Any suggestions on fishing rigs for this type of fishing? What might I catch here?

I am racing tonight with a guy that fishes a lot but I think he mostly goes way offshore towards Mexico and does not fish locally. I know he has no interested in sailboats unless there is a race involved.


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## downeast450

Fishing? Yup. There is "Fishing" and there is "catching fish". My fly rods and waders are for "Fishing". Hove to with a hand line is for "catching fish". 

We do not clutter the boat with rods. If we had kids to share it with that might be different. A home made hand line, work gloves with leather palms, a piece of black PVC pipe split and snapped over the stern rail, a cod jig for weight with its hooks removed and a gaff.

The hand line is 200' of heavy mono (200#) wrapped around a gently tapered piece of marine plywood that has pieces of 1x1 fastened across the wide (10") end as a handle. The cod jig is a heavy shiny weight at the bottom on a swivel. 6, 6/0 snelled hooks on 50# leader at 2' intervals above it. The hooks are on a section of the heavy mono also on a swivel. The hooks get hooked into the handle when not in use and it stores in a small tub. This rig is lowered over the stern rail so you can pull down when retrieving. A sacrificial piece of PVC is snapped on the rail to protect the line. The gaff has a piece of line attached to keep from loosing it overboard.

This rig is not for fishing while sailing around here but I am sure it would catch fish in the right spots. We sail to a "bank", hove to, lower the hooks and drift over the structure. This is usually in water 50' or less. Ground fish are what we catch. There is always the possibility of a large halibut. I have a halibut rig with heavier hooks when that is a real possibility. Haven't had to deal with a monster yet. My old spear gun is available just in case.

The fish go into a cooler of ice and get cleaned at the dock. Fresh fish are my favorite protein. Nothing else compares. Today's killed halibut is to die for! Ha!

Bait can be anything. We catch a couple of mackerel or harbor pollock before we go fishing for food. Any fish can be cut into chunks for bait and the fish don't seem to mind if it has been frozen. Last weeks catch works.

Enjoy! Yummy!

Down


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