Do I really need these fishing rods?

[zemurray]

Keep the rods and learn to use them. You can use many methods to catch fish, but I can tell you that the large rod will make it much easier to reel in even a small tuna. I’ve reeled in a small tuna on a small inshore spinning rod, and it took me 20 minutes and a ton of effort to get that fish in. Reeled in one on a decent size conventional trolling rod and it took like 3 minutes and didn’t nearly break me. The smaller rods you have will be good for trolling in bays for mackeral, or fishing from the dinghy inshore. You will use at least 2 if you decide to start eating off the sea

[StuM]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Along with the Cruisers Handbook of Fishing, I'd recommend a Grant's Guide to Fishes. Grant's is Australian, printed on polypropylene "paper" (like the money), and water doesn't damage it.

It's a huge tome, nearly 900 pages and a couple of kgs.


But it's also available now as an EBook in the Apple Store, Google Play and Amazon/Kindle


Grant's Guide to Fishes

[banjoship]

Matt,
A few comments on what I use, which might be useful to your considerations.

For trolling under sail I use a 12" Alvey winch attached to a strong point on the stern rail. The winch/reel should be on a swivel base so the line does not tangle while the fish zig zags around, and also while you pull the fish forward to a point amidships where you can gaff it. (I find it difficult to gaff a fish over the high stern of my S42). A 9 1/2" Alvey will also work.

I favour such a winch over a yoyo, as it keeps the line tidy, and makes pulling a fish in easy. These larger Alvey's are very expensive new, but can be picked up at garage sales, etc. They are extremely simple, robust, and can be repaired.

As others have said, rods for when at anchor, fishing from the dinghy, etc. Again, I always use Alvey reels, every threadline I have brought on board has ended up corroding.

Lee

[Compass790]

Maate if you like to eat fish learn to use those rods.
I wuda said they were useless snd them to me but sum1 beat me to it.
If you like the 3-5day old trawl fish euphemistically described as "fresh" you get in a restaurant or at the chippy you'll love a 45 min old bit of mahimahi.
Still, should you actually catch a fish, I guess that opens the whole other education process of despatching, gutting, filleting & boning out that you need to go through.

I used to be amazed about how many boating people dont fish actually but no longer.
Dont feel too bad if you have to pull the crumbed packs out of the freezer.
Leave those live ones for me.

[GILow]

Ok, these are all really great arguments, clearly articulated and very convincing.

After reading them over a few times, I will (reluctantly) go with the logic that a fishing rod IS a useful thing to have at anchor.

I accept the advice that fresh “big” fish are both tasty and a nice way to meet people. However, being a bit of a recluse I will stick with the vastly inferior canned varieties and take my chances on a poor social life. But also, I REALLY am a bit of a sook and cannot imagine chopping up a big fish. It’s gonna be hard enough with the little ones. And, frankly, I still cannot imagine myself fishing on a passage. Maybe, in ten years, when I am more comfortable with it all I will feel differently, but for now the fish in the blue water bits are safe from me. (Unless I run into them.)

I will keep the medium sized rod, which also breaks down into two smaller pieces so can be stowed somewhere out of the way.

I’ll give away the Captain Ahab rod, the thing is a monster, I can barely lift it, plus it doesn’t pack down. Likewise the smaller rod can go, it won’t do anything I cannot do with the medium rod. And the last time I let some teenagers aboard to fish they got bored in five minutes, dumped the fishing gear all over the deck and skulked off to the hammocks to play social media on their phones. I’m not falling for that one again.

Thanks all, I will look into those books that were recommended too.

[El Pinguino]

Fish is a wonderful thing to have in your diet.......

[El Pinguino]

Knowing where to find the fish is the tricky bit....

PS I think you need a fishing licence for every fisherman on your boat in the state of Victoria... unless you are old and infirm.....

[jim King]

I usually have two rods (heavy and light) as well as a drag line. I use them all quite extensively. If you are fishing in the Caribbean you want to be watching out for the chance of ciguatera from the reef fish. better to catch the Pelagic fish while at sail. A yoyo line is good but you will bring more fish up with rod and reel. Keep all the equipment and you will find that by and by you use it all.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

I carry two stout rods for fishing offshore where don’t know what might bite. Most of the time I catch small enough fish to easily get them either on board in the cooler or off the hook if it is a bonita. I also have a medium weight for catching chicken dolphins offshore or fishing at anchor. Somewhere there is a lightweight rod good for catching bluegill and bait (which never gets used). If u have the space keep them and give it a try. As someone else said if u don’t use them give or trade them away.

[Cheechako]

You need a rod or two, they are much easier than handlines for catching fish. Also, I caught a lot of fish from the dingy, right around the anchorage areas, especially out at the entrance to anchorages.

[roverhi]

For trolling while on a passage handlines worked fine for us. Had no problems bringing fish up to 35# aboard. Never caught anything larger though did hook a monster that got away, thank goodness, when the hook bent straight.

Think the size of the lure has more to do with what you catch than the size of the gear. We were protein hunters and not interested in the thrill of fighting a fish. We drug parachute cord with 15' of 200# SS leader for over 10,000 miles. Way overkill for strength but never lost a lure and relatively easy on the hands hauling an Albacore aboard. Unless you want to donate lures to the fish god use SS leaders. Ono/Wahoo will bite through mono filament leader in a flash.

If you want to fish from the dinghy or the boat at anchor, a fairly light spinning rod and pole has some merit.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by roverhi

For trolling while on a passage handlines worked fine for us. Had no problems bringing fish up to 35# aboard. Never caught anything larger though did hook a monster that got away, thank goodness, when the hook bent straight.

Think the size of the lure has more to do with what you catch than the size of the gear. We were protein hunters and not interested in the thrill of fighting a fish. We drug parachute cord with 15' of 200# SS leader for over 10,000 miles. Way overkill for strength but never lost a lure and relatively easy on the hands hauling an Albacore aboard. Unless you want to donate lures to the fish god use SS leaders. Ono/Wahoo will bite through mono filament leader in a flash.

If you want to fish from the dinghy or the boat at anchor, a fairly light spinning rod and pole has some merit.

yeah, just food hunting for us too. I just had trouble knowing something was hooked with a hand line. Caught some "heads only" though! With a rod the reel screams immediately! Also easier to keep the fish from under the boat when it gets close.

[Sailing4Jesus]

Shipmate,

I know exactly what you are talking about. One day many years ago in 1981 while stationed aboard The Dwight D. Eisenhower, CVN-69, and homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, I rented a small boat and went out under the Bay Bridge. It was only minutes that A BIG SOMETHING was on my line. Man oh man, what a time. It took me what seemed forever to finally get it reeled alongside my boat. It was a BIG BASS that weighed Thirteen Pounds Seven And One-Half Ounces, but just as I was about to NET THE BIG BASS it broke my line and was GONE. Man was I so very disappointed. The Old Senior Chief Retired

[Franziska]

Hi, short side question, if you use a handline (yo-yo) on a passage and want to have some sort of elastic to ease the first pull of a tuna or similar what would you use?

Could a bicycle inner tube work?
Or better a motorbike tube?

How would you rig that with the yo-yo?

Originally Posted by roverhi

For trolling while on a passage handlines worked fine for us. Had no problems bringing fish up to 35# aboard. Never caught anything larger though did hook a monster that got away, thank goodness, when the hook bent straight.

Think the size of the lure has more to do with what you catch than the size of the gear. We were protein hunters and not interested in the thrill of fighting a fish. We drug parachute cord with 15' of 200# SS leader for over 10,000 miles. Way overkill for strength but never lost a lure and relatively easy on the hands hauling an Albacore aboard. Unless you want to donate lures to the fish god use SS leaders. Ono/Wahoo will bite through mono filament leader in a flash.

If you want to fish from the dinghy or the boat at anchor, a fairly light spinning rod and pole has some merit.

[Compass790]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Hi, short side question, if you use a handline (yo-yo) on a passage and want to have some sort of elastic to ease the first pull of a tuna or similar what would you use?

Could a bicycle inner tube work?
Or better a motorbike tube?

How would you rig that with the yo-yo?

I've used what you said, also speargun rubber & 20mm industrial o-ring rubber, all help.
For rigging tie a line on each end of stretchy stuff using a non-slip knot if not a circle of stretchy material & measure out how much handline you want to let out then tie it on with another non-slip knot.
Leave plenty of extra length before you cleat off the handline to allow for the stretch.
If near islands or reefs tie shock absorber on before tossing lure overboard.
That will ensure you dont hook something immediately but if you throw the lure over & then get on with tying the shock absorber on guess what happens?

Rod & reel improve catch ratios but having a shock absorber helps handlines.

We use a truck tube for an anchor rode shock absorber as well.