Fishing?

[Cheechako]

It is amazing that after trolling for hours with no luck, often just as you are reaching your destination, the reel starts screaming at you. This is likely due to the fact that the bottom has moved up and your lure is going over the transition from deep to shallow.

[scubasteve]

The fishing is normally good around the outer reefs of islands. Unless the fish are migrating, its hard to find them over open ocean. The key is to find the small fish the big fish eat and most small fish don't like to be out there without cover. Being way out, debris and weed lines are what I would aim for.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

We have sailed for 14,000 nms and have caught 4 fish.... thats one fish per 6,000 kilometers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Catching fish is the sign of a slow boat.

[Cheechako]

One thing about fishing... you just never know whether they are not around or just not hungry! If you have sailed inthe Sea of Cortez at night much, there is a lot of phosphorescence in the water... it's amazing how many large fish you can see following your boat! Once crossing the Sea of Cortez to the mainland in the daytime, the water was flat calm like a mirror. We were crossing with another larger boat and they motored faster than us. We noticed they stopped a couple miles ahead. They were swimming off the boat to cool off. When they got out of the water they called to us. While they were swimming, they noticed a really huge Marlin just sitting still in the shade under their boat! Another time I had gone out Marlin fishing on a charter. We had had little luck that day. As we were just about to give it up we noticed a large Marlin laying on top of the water on it's side, evidently resting or sleeping or sunbathing! as we got closer it suddenly heard the engines I guess and took off... The biggest Mahi Mahi I ever caught was in shallow water between Vieques and Puerto Rico. 56 lbs. ........They are out there

[Curmudgeon]

If yiou have the right terminal tackle at the right depth, you will catch fish trolling. Structure helps, but it is not required.

[Captain Bill]

The issue of handlines was raised early in this thread. I have two that were designed and built by a friend of mine and he has posted the build instructions on another forum. These are pretty convienient things to use, they don't take up much storage space and they're pretty effective at catching fish. I've found this rig especially effective for spanish mackeral, king mackeral, and bluefish. In addition to the clark spoon he recommends I have used it with small trolling skirted lures of the yellow and green variety. He has given me permission to post the instructions here if this link doesn't work.

A Simple Handline for Trolling while Sailing - Anything Sailing Forums

A fine example of successful use of the handline is a picture from my blog of the designer holding up a spanish mackeral caught in Florida on one of the handlines.

Picasa Web Albums - Gayle - 2007-8 Bahama...

[Curmudgeon]

If you are going to use a handline, I would get a Cuban yo yo. They are inexpensive and you don't have to worry about what to do with the line as you are bringing it in. I have one of these in my ditch bag.
Cuban Yo-Yo's

[bottleinamessage]

Mark: You need some coaching. I had minimal luck until I attended a seminar at the cruisers rally in Georgetown, Bahamas a couple years ago.
The presenter, a cruiser, said " I don't go fishin, I go catchin"! Last year I hooked this monster Mahi of the coast of Long Island, Bahamas. Biggest one I've ever seen.

[holomoku]

Great Picture!!!

What is the lure you are using?

[bottleinamessage]

A garden variety cedar plug!

[Sailnoob]

Look for bait fish or seagulls. If you have a fish finder look for structure to bottom fish.

[zeehag]

we blue water trolled with some spoon lures and some squidly looking lures--got nothing from the spoons except twisted line--from lures with feathering stuff or different colors and sparkles i caught spanish mackerel--nice for dinner, --i got 3 of those, 2 tuna and i could not land my kingfish-actually broke 2 rods while fishing by trolling...--the fishies like shiney stuff , blue and white stuff, and red and white with silver hilites so far in the gulf---was fun and goood eating....at anchor, i use the squigly rubber thingies called bass killers or some such on a hook---bottom fishing for redfish and trout and what ever besides a hardhead catfish--caught a gaff head with katfood..lol....my first tuna was almost eaten by a shark--i landed him just before the small shark i was watching decided to go in for the kill....lol..

[captain58sailin]

When trolling across the pacific on our way to the Marquesas we would catch small tuna. we called them "Footballs" and we learned if you pulled hard that you could keep them from sounding, eliminating the need to douse the sails to bring them in. On one occasion I was doing this and an 8' shark swam out of the swell and engulfed my fish, and then the fight was on! Line was screaming off the reel, I was screaming for help to douse the sails and help to fight the shark, and about that time the line when slack, and I reeled it in, luck was with me, I hadn't lost my jig, but the fish was gone.

[thinwater]

Ask local recreational fisherman.

Trolling while on the way to somewhere is very low return; too fast and wrong places. Better, learn to fish around reefs and islands where you anchor.

* Fish at anchor, at night.
* Fish from shore, around structure and inlets on the tide change.
* Fish from you tender, around structure and inlets on the tide change.
* Learn to like smaller fish; some will catch croaker or spot for bait. Bull. Eat the croaker.
* Fish Bites is a good artificial bait that catches almost like fresh bait, but keeps for months.
* Practice.

Ask a few guys at the local boat ramp - they will know the local formula.

[captain58sailin]

You have to hold your mouth right and think like a fish!