Fisher of Fish ??s

[barfwinkle]

GE to All

So if I were to consider going after fish for an evening meal(s) what tools woud I need? I have fished extensively at a younger age (fresh water) and I do not intend to use a "Big Rig" (rod & reel) so I'll be using a hand line. I have seen line on a kind of "kite reel" but don't know what size line to use (I assume I'll need steel leaders of some? lenght?) and some lures but I have never sought salt water scalies, so any advice would be appreciated.

I do know that not all saltwater fishies are good to eat, so I'll work on that, but just need advise on equipment.

Hope to depart Pensacola on or abt March 1.

Fair Winds & TIA

[Neil Gordon]

Depending on what you're going after, you might need a bigger boat!

[Jim Walsh]

I suggest you reconsider you choice not to use rod and reel. Hand lines and big fish are not to be trifled with. If you get a loop of line around a finger the last sound you hear is "pop", just before you see a sea of red.

[Neil Gordon]

I suggest you reconsider you choice not to use rod and reel. Hand lines and big fish are not to be trifled with. If you get a loop of line around a finger the last sound you hear is "pop", just before you see a sea of red.

I knew a fellow who lost a thumb to a spinnaker sheet that way. He sort of wasn't paying attention, and there was this wind gust, and...

[JWSutcliffe]

Bill-

Do yourself a favor - consider a boat rod. As a kid my father always dragged us along going for stripers and bluefish in Narragansett Bay with hand lines, and some of my worst childhood memories are trying to haul in a 4 or 5 pound fish without the benefit of a rod. Fast forward 50 years, and some of my best boating memories now are landing much, much larger examples of the same species with s 5 foot boat rod and saltwater reel. A basic boat rod fits quite nicely in the v-berth shelf when not in use. Most summer days when we are relaxing on Long Island Sound I have a rod stuck in a home-built rod holder on the stern rail, just waiting for a strike (and dinner). A few appropriate lures in the tackle box and you are all set.

[Sea Hunt Video]

Bill:

Depending on where you will be fishing you may need a Florida salt water fishing license. You can review this website for the regulations, etc.:

http://myfwc.com/license/recreational/s ... r-fishing/

As for gear, I recommend you visit one of the local bait & tackle stores in Pensacola. They can give you "local knowledge" tips on equipment, lures, etc. I am assuming you will be sailing along the west coast of Florida and loosely hugging the coast. From what little anecdotal information I have, the fishing "tips" should be pretty similar whether in Pensacola or Key West or points in between.

I would recommend against hand line fishing (I think that is what you are referring to). Here in Miami Cubans call it "yo yo" fishing. You can Google either term and find several websites explaining techniques, etc. If you are "yo yo" fishing you cannot be at the tiller, adjusting sails, etc. You need both hands for the spool and the line. With a rod and reel you can put it in a rod holder attached to the stern rail and troll for your dinner while tending to sails, etc.

If you decide to use the hand line/yo yo, you can get what you need at Bass Pro Shops:

http://www.basspro.com/Offshore-Angler- ... &kpid=7972

If you are fortunate enough to catch a snook, and if in season (I think still March and April are open) they are THE BEST. A snook fillet, a little EVOO or butter, a little salt & pepper, a few slices of onion and broil wrapped in foil. Slice a lemon and open a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

No matter what any local tells you NEVER eat barracuda - ciguatera poisoning is too risky and its deadly.

[Jim Walsh]

Bill-

Do yourself a favor - consider a boat rod. As a kid my father always dragged us along going for stripers and bluefish in Narragansett Bay with hand lines, and some of my worst childhood memories are trying to haul in a 4 or 5 pound fish without the benefit of a rod.

It's funny you mention that. When I was a kid we only had drop lines. A rod and reel was expensive so only dad had one of those. It wasn't so bad in the early spring catching flatties but as the season wore on the stripers and blues moved in and so did painfull cuts on your fingers and palms. We usually fished in Niantic Bay from a rented dory with a 7-1/2 horse Elgin outboard. In those days we would fill a gunny sack with flats and shared them with the relatives and neighbors. You stopped pulling in blues when your arms gave out. Stripers were less plentiful and always a treat.

[Steve Laume]

I fished, a lot, as a kid, with my dad in Delaware. We bottom fished and trolled, both the bays and off shore. The only thing we ever used hand lines for was crabs. Dad was a very good fisherman and I was so spoiled by those days that never fished much as an adult.

Once I started sailing bigger boats it did make sense to troll a line and I have made some catches even my dad would have been envious of.

My current rigs consist of the same Penn Senator 6/0 reels we were using in the late 60s. They are a bit corroded but still very functional. I have a pair of 6' boat rods. Anything longer will not fit in the V berth. I run the two rigs in rod holders on the stern pulpit. The rods are rated for a max of 40lb test line so I spooled on as much as will fit the reels. These days stainless leader is kind of out of fashion in favor of fluorocarbon. It looks like heavy mono but has better qualities for leader material and is invisible to fish. The leader should be 8' to 12' long for trolling. If you are going to be trolling offshore you might also want a fighting belt that straps around your waist and keeps the butt of the rod from digging into your stomach. You also want to have some gloves handy for grabbing the leader and a gaff to land the fish. A bit of gin in the gills, a fish billy or even a winch handle will subdue the thing once it comes on board. As for lures you are best off asking what works at a local tackle shop. Get several lures in different colors. If you are running two rods you will want to offer different lures and depths. Sooner or latter you are going to lose some too.

I haven't tried much bottom fishing but you might find it productive and the boat rods will work for that as well.

A two piece saltwater spinning rod could also be a lot of fun if you are going to be fishing from a stationary boat in near shore waters. You can break it down and put it in a rod tube. These can be purchased. I made mine from PVC tubing and it is much stronger than the commercial offerings. Salt water casting is very much like most of the fresh water fishing you might have do. This is a great way to catch those snook around the mangroves.,

Most states now have salt water licensing requirements with seasons a min length requirements. You will also need a federal fisheries permit if you are going to be catching and landing tuna or billfish.

This may seem like a lot of equipment but you can find this stuff at marine consignment shops and tag sales for very reasonable prices. Even a new rig is not going to cost all that much for the fun and food it will provide, Steve.

Just one more note. Fishing from a sailboat is hard and you are going to be cussing that new solar set up which is going to get in the way when the fish decides to run around the stern.

[pjust]

I've been thinking about this myself, looking forward to Summer on Penobscot Bay. I have an old 8 wt fly rod I got for shad and was thinking about a sinking line and tying up some Clousers Minnows and Deceivers for those moments when I'm at anchor or becalmed. Anyone out there with experience?

[Jim Walsh]

Not on Penobscott Bay, but I use an 8 foot rod loaded with 7wt fly line for tinker mackerel and snapper blues when a school comes close by if I'm anchored. Every once in a while I get lucky I can't get much of a back cast with all the rigging in the way

[John Stone]

If we ever get this darn boat in the water (next month?) we plan on using only a hand line with a shock cord snubber when sailing off shore. There is a lot of info out there on various methods for hand lines, some very simple and done properly you can haul in some big fish. Easy to employ, easy to maintain, easy to store. You can start simple and if it is not right for you then you can go with a rod, reel, rod holder, etc. A quick google search found this in Ocean Navigator:

http://www.oceannavigator.com/January-F ... e-fishing/

[John Ring]

Video Link: http://youtu.be/QdJYz2pzFaM?list=UUXlfm ... LhJTK0y-AA

You'll need a rod, but we troll big (2oz) surface poppers as we sail. If the wind went calm we'd look for birds working, motor near (but not into) the action, and start casting.

Great fun, and sometimes, great fish.

John
CD36 Tiara

[Steve Laume]

This isn't exactly what you would want for a night's dinner. This fish was more like a whole year's dinner. I was prepared to ice it down and get it home. The only reason I am posting this is to show most of the gear I use. And some bragging rights as well. I have caught a bunch of blues and a couple of stripers with this same rig.

I left out the need for a snatch block on the end of the boom for hoisting the big ones.



Sooner or later you get lucky, Steve.

[Sea Hunt Video]

Steve:

A large order of sashimi please Also, please pass the wasabi - lots of wasabi.

Any time you need crew

[Steve Laume]

The Big Eye was in 2013.

These are two different fish. The first one I hauled in by the bill, took a picture and tossed it back as fast as I could. The second one might have been slightly bigger and was released at the side of the boat without bringing it on board. If anyone knows what this fish is, please let me know. I keep going back between marlin and swordfish. I wasn't going to keep it, no matter what it was because I had no way of caring for the meat.

Catching these fish was very strenuous, exciting and sad in a way. The bill fish were not so bad as they were able to swim away from the experience. I felt really bad about the tuna but it was some very good eating, Steve.