Tips & techniques for trolling under sail

[Curmudgeon]

I fish alot under sail. Bannerot's book is good, but I don't agree with all of it. I sail in the Northeastern U.S. so we don't get Mahi Mahi. The fish here are bluefish and striped bass. There are tuna and swordfish around, but you need incredibly strong tackle to catch those. I use a 6' boat rod with a Shimano TLD25. The Penn senator 115L is also a good choice.

1. If you want to catch striped bass, reef. The won't hit a lure if it is trolled at above 4 knots. The blues don't care. They'll hit anything. I wish we had Spanish Mackerel here, because it is delicious when grilled. I catch them in the surf in NC.

2. I don't belive in lines over 50 lb test. If it is big enough to break 50 lb test, I do not want it flopping around in my cockpit.

3. When you have a fish on, first slow down, then heave to to land the fish.

4. Always keep an atomizer filled with vodka in the cockpit. One or two sprays in each gill will subdue any fish. The alternative is to get blood all over, and it's amazing how much blood there is in a fish. And, if you don't catch anything, the vodka helps soothe the fisherman.

5. I use Yo-Zuri and Mann's Stretch deep divers almost exclusively.

[Andrew Troup]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

....
4. Always keep an atomizer filled with vodka in the cockpit....

Hmm - I think, given some of the fellows I've had the privilege of sailing with, that keeping it filled might be a bit of a challenge.

(Or, more accurately, they would see an implicit challenge, being to keep it emptied)

My first thought was to ask if isopropyl or meths would not do just as well for the intended purpose, and be useful for cleaning and firelighting?

Being soluble in water, I suppose a small amount might pass into the bloodstream though, in the instant before the heart stopped ... Not sure that the membrane of the gills would normally pass fluid as opposed to gas, but it might well be damaged ....

This might pose a health risk, particularly if you boil up the head - I'm guessing it wouldn't make it into the venous system, but I Am Not A Marine Biologist !

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by susswein

Can you expound a little on how you're using the downplaner? I picked up a couple this summer, but haven't tried them out yet. What depth do you set them at? I've also heard that downplaners don't work well at speeds over about 4 knots?

One can use a Drone, which will kick out of plane mode when hooked up. They come in different sizes for different weights/speeds.

Link>>> L.B. Huntington Company Inc. - Drone Planers <<<

[Capt Phil]

Gee, should I really comment? Not being a pelagic fisherman ( all my time was commercial either seining or commercial trolling off the Swiftsure Bank in the PNW over about 12 years) but used to use power gurdies, 6 lines out port and starboard with 8 leaders off each line, 15 lb cannonballs and hoochies or Tom Mack #4's depending on sea conditions which dictated boat speed at 4.5-7 knots. Made a good living on King salmon and line caught Sockeye... not many around now I hear... we made one set in Rivers Inlet and brailled two seineboats full of Sockeye... $5000 for 1 days work in 1968! That was a sh*tload of money in those days and I was only getting a 2/11 share out of the catch.
Cruising south we found that yellow tail bit on anything, including a white rag... pulled in a couple of 10-12 lb'ers south of Turtle Bay at about 4 knots with a little lead and about 50 meters of line out on a bungie and a bell. Is that cheating??? Phil

[bobconnie]

There is no cheatin when ya are food fishin !! We like copper spinners when we have enough speed to make em work ! Plugs both wood and plastic, also use the Flashers of the type used on the west coast for salmon, backed up with plastic squid, catch yellow tail and dorado a LOT that way ! Most always use 100lb test mono, with 7ft of steel leader tyed to the taff rail and backed by a small bungie cord. Been killin fish with this rig for a LONG time and never have to go to long between catchs!! we do love our fresh fish and vacu-packed is almost as good as fresh !! ya gotta try to catch em !!

[Andrew Troup]

As for fitting a bungee -

I think personally the main benefit (unless using low stretch braided line) is that it signals a strike more energetically at the cockpit. If the entire line is absorbing the hit, there's a lot less action at the boat end.

You may be asleep (or almost) at the time, and not even in the cockpit, if single handing.


As for losing the fish if you take all way off when you don't have a rod .... if your hooks are big enough, with barbs to match, is this likely ?

I'm no great fisherman, but I've never lost one this way, and we've just used braided line (3mm polyester) around a primary winch.

Caught a tuna that way in the Pacific once which provided 12 meals for each of six hungry, healthy young crew. We hove to and winched it in as fast as we could, (I'm not even sure we didn't start the donkey and back down on it under power) 'cos we didn't want it to cook itself. Maybe that's an ignorant concern, but it was pretty warm inside, despite our best efforts.

I fully endorse using whatever the locals use in the way of a lure. It varies quite a lot from place to place, even pelagically.

If there are no charter boats, ask the local pelagic fishermen; most places, I've found they don't mind disclosing to friendly amateurs,

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

Hmm - I think, given some of the fellows I've had the privilege of sailing with, that keeping it filled might be a bit of a challenge.

(Or, more accurately, they would see an implicit challenge, being to keep it emptied)

My first thought was to ask if isopropyl or meths would not do just as well for the intended purpose, and be useful for cleaning and firelighting?

I use cheap vodka in the atomizer. I have plenty of good stuff if I want to drink (which I never do when sailing until the hook is down or I'm on a mooring). The higher the proof, the better it works. Tequila works. I'm guessing that pure grain alcohol would work just fine. You want to stay away from anything toxic (like methanol) if you plan to eat the fish.

Ethanol works very well and saves literally hours of cleaning fish blood off of everything. I just throw the paralyzed fish into a galley sink until I'm ready to clean it.

[bobconnie]

Don't worry about the heating up of the tuna ! when ya get em to the boat just cut the tail on both top and bottom, and let it bleed out over board ! then when bled out, bring back aboard and clean and cut up any way you like to butcher them ! They are much better tasteing when done this way ! just an old timers trick

[Curmudgeon]

I often eat the fish I catch raw, sashimi style, with wasabi and ginger. You can also put chunks or fillets of raw fish in a tupperware container with balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper and a little garlic. Leave it in the sun for two hours. Instant ceviche.

[Lagoon4us]

And painless.....apparently!

Science debunks myth of fish pain

[dirkdig]

We use Yo-Zuri hydro magnum lures,

They go down to 7-10 meters and up to 9 knots.
Work really well on tuna, mackeral, marlin.

Red head and white lures work great, we have 3-4 lures out and these go first everytime

[mr-canada]

Good stuff! I have been thinking in my second season boating i want to make better use of the rod and license i bought.

A lot of you guys are way out there, anyone have any tips for the pacific northwest, coastal sheltered waters? Here its mostly pacific salmon of varying stripes, and some bottom fish like cod and sole.

Trolling wont catch me any of the bottom fish, but it would be right nice to nab a salmon when on the way from a to b, which can be an over 6 hr trip at times coming out of the slip.

I have a 8 ft rod spun with 80 lb test braided, rod holders and downriggers. Not much tackle to work with as ive mostly done lakefishing and just starting to build my ocean kit, so ive stuck to an assortment of buzz bombs some flipped for trolling and the others set for jigging. I grabbed a bunch of 1 lb balls to keep it under the water.

Not sure how good the rig works for trolling - didnt do much last summer, as i didnt know the boat came with fishing rod holders and the woman got tired of holding the rod

[s/v Beth]

Haven't caught much Salmon-yet. But still trying. The run up the Columbia is huge for about two weeks people are limiting out fast, but then it goes away. It seems 30 miles out I have to tack around all the fishing boats, but other than that...
I fish the bottom with a good jig and do alright. Of course I love flounder.
BTW- the best way to troll under sail is have a long distance wifi...

[Capt Phil]

mr-canada... I would be inclined to check with a few locals you know to be successful in the area you plan to fish. Best place to meet them are in shoreside west coast bars during bad weather where they love to talk if you are buying. You will get some good tips on rig options and areas to be productive. Before you know it, you will be the one drinkin' free and telling the stories! Cheers and good luck, Phil

[DennisM]

As a coastal cruiser, the last thing in the world I'd want to haul aboard my boat is some wriggling, flapping, slimy beast splattering blood and spitting eye-piercing fishhooks all over the cockpit. I've gotta turkey sandwich in the cooler, and I use my rod holders for the boat hook.