Trolling setup

[s/v 'Faith']

Fwiw,

Hopkins carter (the featured sponsor of the month) has some good prices on tackle. If I don't win the giveaway, I am picking up a new trolling rig with them.

[cheoah]

The rigs you mention should be fine, do use some kind of heavy leader.

We use old Penn Senator setups, inherited, have a rod holder each side of pushpit. I keep some fake ballyhoo in my tackle but generally buy fresh when making gulf stream passages. I have one of those simple metal diver things that keeps the bait at least submerged. Here is my first mate, "Director of Protein Acquisitions" with a nice gaffer:



Definitely a working boat, she cleans up nice:



The issue for us is storing enough fish in the ice box on these coastal passages, catching them is easy with the right rig, and by virtue of moving at 5 or so knots for days on end anyway.

You asked about spoons. I use them nearshore for spanish mackerel, which is one of my favorites, really. Also catch king on them, and maybe some MAhi once in a while.

Get your routine down for fish on. Can't just drag them all in while under full sail. I have to shut down fishing operations sometimes when I'm ready to trim sails and go, and not have to deal with anymore stopping, or "head that way, cappy, I see birds!". Thats a good problem to have, but can make a fish-slayer-mate a bit pouty.

[Travis McGee]

Does anybody else beside me simply troll a meat hook sans fishing rod and reel? For years this has worked for me. 75-100 yards of approx. 1/8" stretchy nylon line tied to my stern pulpit. A bight of line goes to the backstay, held in place with a common clothes pin. An empty soda can full of random nuts and bolts falls to the deck when the pin snaps off, providing the alarm that a fish is on the line. (The soda can and clothes pin also tied on with a string.)

At the other end, I use about 8' of approx. 100# test clear mono as a leader. The smoother the transition from nylon to mono, the better, so I don't add a lot of big swivels etc. They cause more disruption to the water and (IMHO) alert the fish to danger.

My favorite hooks are stainless steel Hawaiian double hooks, made from one piece of metal. I create simple lures with a sinker inside a rubber squid. Varying colors depending.

With this setup I've pulled in plenty of ocean fish (mahi, tuna, wahoo, you name it). It helps to wear gloves, I just pull the line in hand over hand. It's not "sport fishing," it's just meat fishing. Is this considered unfair or do folks just prefer to fiddle with rods and reels, even on long ocean passages?

[JusDreaming]

Cedar plugs are my go to lure. They are cheap and durable. As far as hardware, like the rest we have Penn Senators, inexpensive and good equipment.
And remember
yellow and green, dolphin machine
red and white, tuna delight
purple and black, wahoo attack

[a64pilot]

Senators are hard to beat. I now have seven fully rigged international 30SW's. Yes add an idiot cord to tie the rig to the boat, if I had, I'd still have eight fully rigged 30SW's. I used to do a lot of fishing on a Center Console fishing boat
Forget mono for a leader, buy the rigged SS braid ones
I'd say go to a good tackle shop and listen to their advice

[blackkayak]

Perfectly fine. I use a plastic do-nut to keep the line tidy and have tried a rubber snubber between the leader and mono. I like to catch two eating fish, like a mahi and a black-fin tuna, and then stop. "Catch and Release" in blue water is only feeding the sharks. About 50% of the catch is made up of 'cuda and bonita. Both are great fighters. I pitch both but am tempted to eat the bonita. Any experience with that? Good receipes?

[Orchidius]

I was considering a handline or rail-mounted reel, but I got a sweet deal on two rods, so went for it. Nothing wrong with meat fishing imo. Two main purposes are mostly the eating and the pics/stories. You get those with handlines just the same.

So the senators are fine. I'm most likely getting a 114 and a 113 for the rods. Bigger reel/tackle for the bigger rod, smaller for the lighter rod.

Loving the lure/spoon discussion! I've read the "cruiser's guide to fishing", and although it's a fenomenal book on the subject, few cruisers feel like stocking their boat to the brim with just about every fishing tool... It's great to hear what actually works from you guys. I think I cut my shopping list in half just by starting this post .

So, cedar plugs are a must have. That much is clear. Do most people also carry multiple sizes with multiple hook sizes, or just the 6" ones with size 10 hooks in different colour combos?

Spoons then... Good to have in addition to cedar plugs, but what type of spoons to carry in what variety/colour? And what hook sizes?

Of course bot cedar plugs and spoons can be dressed with feathers/plastic squid/various home-made decorations to make them more appealing.

One thing that is missing then are jigs. Not worth having? Break too easily? How 'bout some inland trolling?

Wire leaders also seem important, but I hear they also spook fish... When do you use mono leader and when wire? Is braides spectra a good substitute for wire, or will some fish also bite through braided spectra?

[JusDreaming]

the "jet head cedar plug" works really well also. I use red and white and one that is yellow and green. These guys are very customer oriented and nice to deal with http://ballyhood.com/cedar_plugs.htm

[captain58sailin]

I use a hand line, 3 or 400 test, about 6' or 8', 100 lb test short line with a S/S wire leader and the dbl barbless hook with a feathered jig. I do add a snubber. I have used the 114 Senators for years on a charter boat. I keep a couple for grins, I know them insided and out so if I decide to use a rod/reel, I have a good go to unit.

[blackkayak]

Jigs, I would have a couple of different size white bucktails. That's enough, they don't take up much room. I keep a smaller, spinning rig around because I like to cast in the anchorage or even in a marina. It's fun because you never know what you're going to catch.
As JusDreaming said a jet head is nice and I would have a "diver" for when the waves are high.

[HopCar]

S/V Faith, thanks for the plug!
I like Shimano TLD series reel for this application, Penn Senators work well as well.
Many fishing reel manufacturers set minimum advertised prices (MAP). If we advertise these reels below that price, they won't ship us any more reels. We can throw in free line and shipping.
Link: Conventional

Sometimes the best bargains are combos. I can sell a combo very close to the MAP price of the reel alone.
Link: Hopkins Carter Custom Combos

If you have any questions, have I got the guy! Capt. Eddie in my tackle department really knows his stuff. Eddie is the only guy that many of the serious tournament fishing teams will allow to rig their tackle.

[a64pilot]

Diver wise I like Mann Stretch 30's, Had real good luck with them

[rockDAWG]

I am cheap and lo-tech, I use Cuban reel.



The fishes aren't that smart. A smart old Salt told me once about the fishes swimming in the ocean. They only have three thought processes.

1. Is that fish bigger than me? It is, get the hell out of here
2. Is that thing my relative? Do not eat your cousin.
3. Is the thing smaller than me, eat it

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by wsulli

I have good luck trolling plastic tubing with good sized hook yellow or green, they seem to love it(sometimes)

Best Barracuda lure I know. Used this rig at the Whistle Buoy south of Homestead. Do it with a heavy fly rod and hang on.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by blackkayak

Perfectly fine. I use a plastic do-nut to keep the line tidy and have tried a rubber snubber between the leader and mono. I like to catch two eating fish, like a mahi and a black-fin tuna, and then stop. "Catch and Release" in blue water is only feeding the sharks. About 50% of the catch is made up of 'cuda and bonita. Both are great fighters. I pitch both but am tempted to eat the bonita. Any experience with that? Good receipes?

Depends where you are fishing. If away from reefs & corals, the smaller predators are OK - small cuda less than 20 inches or so. Bonita is OK but probably better for bait. - a bit oily and fishy.

Interestingly, my contact in Figi says the locals determine safe fish by tossing it on the ground. Fish with Ciguatera will not be attacked by ants. This is also apparently done in the Grand Cayman. You will have to take the ants with you.

Given that Ciguatera has no cure, you have to wonder what risk you are willing to take.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciguatera