Fishing guide South Pacific

[Cpt Balu]

Hi all,
We will be sailing the pacific for 9 month next year and I was wondering if any of you can recommend a good fishing guide for sailing.
Line length, yacht speed and so on.
Maybe on top with good recipes.

Thanks

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by Cpt Balu

Hi all,
We will be sailing the pacific for 9 month next year and I was wondering if any of you can recommend a good fishing guide for sailing.
Line length, yacht speed and so on.
Maybe on top with good recipes.

Thanks

We just finished a 2 1/2 year Pacific Crossing. Now in the Indian. Caught a lot of fish. In fact, as I write this I'm eating some yellowfin sashimi that we caught two days ago.

We found that pretty much anything on the end of a line will work as a lure. We tow two lines. The lines are actually heavy monofilament leader, something like 800lb test. Piece of bungy as a shock absorber. Braided steel leaders 600lb test. Swivel to the lure 350lb test. That way when a tiger shark takes it they only get the lure. Good for us, good for them.

Some other boats use rods and sophisticated stuff and they get fish faster than us but it rarely takes more than two days for us to catch something and we always have a freezer full of fish.

You can buy fishing gear in Galapagos, Marquesas, the Society Islands, Rarotonga, Niue, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu at least. Lures make wonderful presents for the islanders on smaller atolls and in more remote areas. You'll want to have some stuff to give away. Likewise lines, hooks etc. so pick up a few extras. Fishing for yellowfin in Marquesas is so easy it's silly, but its almost not worth it if you're in Taiohae, Nuku Hiva because the locals sell it on the dock for $5 per kilo for boneless filets.

For recipes learn from the locals. Ceviche in Galapagos - little chunks of raw fish (Mani Mani and tuna are probably our favourites) marinaded in lime juice for a few hours to a day, plus some chopped tomatoes, coriander and a little onion and garlic. French Polynesians do 'Poisson Cru' - raw fish (usually tuna) in coconut milk with sliced cucumber, onion and some rice. In fact they eat raw fish with a lot of things and in many different ways. Beware the stuff that they've buried in the ground for a week or two.

I envy you........ the Pacific....... I want to go back!

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by Cpt Balu

Hi all,
We will be sailing the pacific for 9 month next year and I was wondering if any of you can recommend a good fishing guide for sailing.
Line length, yacht speed and so on.
Maybe on top with good recipes.

Thanks

See if the Cruiser's Handbook of Fishing is what you are looking for.

We bought this book and find it very worthwhile...

Cheers! Bill

[redhead]

Thanks Bill - I just ordered this book - we were at a loss this past summer while out cruising and I needed one more Christmas present - PERFECT!

[chowdan]

I was raised I the Fiji islands and spent most of my childhood years working as a deck hand on tourist game fishing boats and my teenage years running game fishing boats.

I would recommend a setup similar to DefinitelyMe, as you'll loose a lure rather than anything else.

If you run rod and reels, get the biggest system you can handle(boat and rod holders) and run a large spool of line.

I would say two lines, running 4-6 waves behind the boat, but really just depends on the boat. It's more important to where the lure is on the wave IMO. Lures should be set in the face of the waves, not the trough, peaks or back of the waves. We always ran with trolling skirted lures. We've had decent luck with cedar plug lures with a lead head for tuna schools aswell. I would say they are 'exotic' in the south pacific(atleast in fiji 15 years ago), so they may be a decent gift for people there.

We also ran between 5-7knots depending on weather.

Super jealous of you guys. I am slaving away, cleaning up my boat and hopefully in 2020 I'll be setting sail back to Fiji!

[Cpt Balu]

Thanks already for all that great recommendations. I most likely will also get that book
Also thanks @chowdan, have you got any good recommendations for Favorit spots around Tahiti or on the way to Tonga ?
We hope that El Niño next year will not mess up the whole weather :/

[JPA Cate]

CaptBalu,

We use Grant's Guide To Fishes. It has both photographs of fish species and drawings. Says who's good to eat and whom to avoid. It is printed on polypropylene "paper", and so it is safe out in the cockpit, and can be wiped off. Although it was written to cover Queensland fishes, in fact most tropical fish species can be found world wide.

We also have The Cruisers Handbook of Fishing, but are more likely to bring out the Grants. Although, that just could be because it is essentially waterproof, and we're used to using it.

Ann

[SVTwilight]

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

We just finished a 2 1/2 year Pacific Crossing. Now in the Indian. Caught a lot of fish. In fact, as I write this I'm eating some yellowfin sashimi that we caught two days ago.

We found that pretty much anything on the end of a line will work as a lure. We tow two lines. The lines are actually heavy monofilament leader, something like 800lb test. Piece of bungy as a shock absorber. Braided steel leaders 600lb test. Swivel to the lure 350lb test. That way when a tiger shark takes it they only get the lure. Good for us, good for them.

Some other boats use rods and sophisticated stuff and they get fish faster than us but it rarely takes more than two days for us to catch something and we always have a freezer full of fish.

You can buy fishing gear in Galapagos, Marquesas, the Society Islands, Rarotonga, Niue, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu at least. Lures make wonderful presents for the islanders on smaller atolls and in more remote areas. You'll want to have some stuff to give away. Likewise lines, hooks etc. so pick up a few extras. Fishing for yellowfin in Marquesas is so easy it's silly, but its almost not worth it if you're in Taiohae, Nuku Hiva because the locals sell it on the dock for $5 per kilo for boneless filets.

For recipes learn from the locals. Ceviche in Galapagos - little chunks of raw fish (Mani Mani and tuna are probably our favourites) marinaded in lime juice for a few hours to a day, plus some chopped tomatoes, coriander and a little onion and garlic. French Polynesians do 'Poisson Cru' - raw fish (usually tuna) in coconut milk with sliced cucumber, onion and some rice. In fact they eat raw fish with a lot of things and in many different ways. Beware the stuff that they've buried in the ground for a week or two.

I envy you........ the Pacific....... I want to go back!

That is quite the burly rig indeed! Do you
Keep it on a handline spool or something Bigger? Also how do you Attach the bungee?

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by redhead

Thanks Bill - I just ordered this book - we were at a loss this past summer while out cruising and I needed one more Christmas present - PERFECT!

I'm glad it is what you were looking for, Redhead. You will need good sized Christmas stockings for that book...

As always, I'm happy to help others spend their $$...

Cheers! Bill

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

CaptBalu,

We use Grant's Guide To Fishes. It has both photographs of fish species and drawings. Says who's good to eat and whom to avoid. It is printed on polypropylene "paper", and so it is safe out in the cockpit, and can be wiped off. Although it was written to cover Queensland fishes, in fact most tropical fish species can be found world wide.

We also have The Cruisers Handbook of Fishing, but are more likely to bring out the Grants. Although, that just could be because it is essentially waterproof, and we're used to using it.

Ann

It has been so long since I was in the S Pac I had forgotten about Grant's... Great suggestion Ann.

Researching, I found Kindle edition only on Amazon, and the following post on the Grant's Guide to Fishes Facebook Page dated 5-Aug-2018:

Grant's Guide to Fishes
August 5 ·
GIFT IDEA - FINAL PRINT EDITION

The current 12th edition of the 880-page book "Grant's Guide to Fishes" is the last that will be produced. Ern is 94 and going strong, and still enjoying catching fish! However, after writing and producing his book for over 50 years (the full series shown below), Ern has said that the 12th edition is the last that he will write.

We have good stock levels, and Ern has signed about a hundred copies.

So, if you want to update your old edition, or find a memorable present for a “fishy” friend or relative, just click on the "Shop Now" button that will lead you to our website and PayPal ordering.

The cost is $109 posted to anywhere in Australia, or $99 pickup from Redcliffe Qld.

Cheers! Bill

[JPA Cate]

Wow, I think that's a super deal for someone who likes hard copy. Having a fish book written by an ichthyologist is a good thing! And at this point, a signed edition would be worth having as a treasure, sort of like my newspaper cutting from the moon landing.

Cheers, all,

Ann

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Wow, I think that's a super deal for someone who likes hard copy. Having a fish book written by an ichthyologist is a good thing! And at this point, a signed edition would be worth having as a treasure, sort of like my newspaper cutting from the moon landing.

Cheers, all,

Ann

I agree! That is one [printed...] tome I could easily justify keeping on board... in the tropics... [And a collector's edition no less...]

Cheers! Bill

PS: Here is the link to Grant's website where you can order the book.

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by SVTwilight

That is quite the burly rig indeed! Do you
Keep it on a handline spool or something Bigger? Also how do you Attach the bungee?

Just a hand line spool. Anything to wrap it around will do. Bungy is just tied on with a sheet bend. I was concerned that the sharp bend in the line to make the sheet bend would weaken it. It probably does but it hasn't failed yet? Only downside is that lengths are fixed? I don't mind this but if you wanted to follow the advice above about lure positioning in the wave then you'd want something more versatile.

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by SVTwilight

That is quite the burly rig indeed! Do you
Keep it on a handline spool or something Bigger? Also how do you Attach the bungee?

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

Just a hand line spool. Anything to wrap it around will do. Bungy is just tied on with a sheet bend. I was concerned that the sharp bend in the line to make the sheet bend would weaken it. It probably does but it hasn't failed yet? Only downside is that lengths are fixed? I don't mind this but if you wanted to follow the advice above about lure positioning in the wave then you'd want something more versatile.

*all those question marks above are supposed to be full stops. The buttons are too close together!

[owly]

There are reports that Ciguatera poisoning is becoming more widespread in Polynesia.... It generally is found in reef fish, and is concentrated in the apex predatory species. It's a good idea to know if there is a problem in the area, and where to fish and what species to avoid.... it is cumulative, and there is no method of cooking or preservation that will detoxify. This used to be a problem of the Caribbean reef fish, particularly things like barracuda and grouper were fish to avoid. Pelagic fish like Tuna, and Mahi Mahi are generally considered to be safe. The problem is increasing as the seas warm. One would do well to be aware and informed. Don't be afraid... be informed. The link below is worth checking out. This is a significant enough problem to have it's own website..... The link is just to the distribution map. There is a lot of information on the site.



H.W.


https://www.ciguatera-online.com/ind...-intoxications