Do you fish while cruising?

[Now and Zen]

Yes we troll when traveling and use pole spear when anchored and snorkeling. We catch Mahi, tuna, snapper, grouper, spear lobster, and pick up conch - big part of our diet and we have lots of fun - great exercise. On flats we have fly fishing rods. Big part of out cruising.

[alctel]

I use both rods and handlines in the tropics.

The rods are good because you can run a LOT lighter tackle on them without risk of breakoffs, so you tend to get a lot more bites/fish on them. Smaller fish as well, down to the 2/3lb range, which makes for a good meal for two.

The handlines are good because they are so low effort, with 200lb test I don't even have to slow the boat, just pull the fish in hand over hand, so I use them if the conditions are a bit sporty or I am feeling lazy.

I pull my lines in at night, after the time I caught a 6' long pissed off blue shark on a handline.

-------------

in the PNW I used to salmon fish a lot. It's a lot more of a pain though - you have to manage speed a bunch and use slip weights or downriggers. Also the Canadian Regs are pretty complicated and you need to be able to tell the difference between the five types of salmon - and do it fast, while it's in the boat so the fish has the best chance of survival if you can't keep it and have to put it back. See this thread for more info

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2842116

Out of all the tropical fish I've been catching though, nothing beats a freshly caught salmon. I miss the PNW.

PS - remember to bleed all your fish as soon as you catch them and chill them asap. This makes a lot of fish that people won't eat (skipjack, bonito etc) actually pretty good. I've been eating bonito non-stop the last few weeks and am not tired of it yet!

I took up spearfishing recently and it's a lot of fun, but I'm still not great at it - my breath hold just isn't good enough yet.

[drcot3]

Is there a book telling me what fish I have caught at sea and how to gut it plus cook it?
regards David

[Wayne hoath]

Cruisers Handbook of Fishing 2/E https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/00714278..._W1lJCbSYZ10QR

[Sojourner]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

There’s another option: hang around fisher folk, and gladly accept their offerings (sometimes in trade for fresh bread or cookies). Last season we ate so much fresh cod this way that I actually started to get tired of it .

Mike, gotta say, I like yer style Minimal effort, maximum gain. We are part of the same tribe

[swampbush]

Originally Posted by drcot3

Is there a book telling me what fish I have caught at sea and how to gut it plus cook it?
regards David

Fair bit in this one for $5
https://www.sailboat-cruising.com/se...t-fishing.html

[grecko]

I'm curious if there's a reliable smartphone app that can identify a fish.

[mako]

Originally Posted by Now and Zen

Yes we troll when traveling and use pole spear when anchored and snorkeling. We catch Mahi, tuna, snapper, grouper, spear lobster, and pick up conch

Wow I hate you

Unfortunately I'm cursed by the fishing demons with this negative energy when it comes to fishing. The only thing I've been able to impress my kids with is catching some really gross cuttlefish - squirting so much black ink that we always just release them.

I'm pretty good at spear fishing when snorkeling, but the last time I went down I came across a big hammour (grouper) just sitting in the sand in front of me about 2 feet away. I didn't have the heart to shoot him.

Yep, off to Carrefour...

PS - The "curse" is a real thing, no kidding. When I go out on friends' boats, who are superb fishermen, they never bring anything up. Weird.

[Nautica96]

At a young age I used to trail multiple lures out the back of our boat while sailing around the English coast with my father. I believe this was what sparked my personal interest in fishing. We didn't usually catch much, but occasionally we ran into shoals of mackerel. This would completely overhaul a previously uneventful trip. I would catch dozens of fish on those days, sometimes bringing in 4+ fish at a time. Fortunately we had a deal with a local restaurant and they used to buy excess fish that we couldn't store in our freezer.

[laika]

Originally Posted by alctel

I use both rods and handlines in the tropics.

The rods are good because you can run a LOT lighter tackle on them without risk of breakoffs, so you tend to get a lot more bites/fish on them. Smaller fish as well, down to the 2/3lb range, which makes for a good meal for two.

The handlines are good because they are so low effort, with 200lb test I don't even have to slow the boat, just pull the fish in hand over hand, so I use them if the conditions are a bit sporty or I am feeling lazy.

We use the same. Homemade Cuban yoyos and a heavy rod. The rod is also nice for casting off the boat while at anchor.

We have a line or two in whenever offshore, but usually don't bother in shallow waters. I get tired of dealing with barracuda. It's always an f"#$ing barracuda.

We end up getting most of our catch from local fishermen. They make it look so easy!

[tackleandtax]

I've always fished but after speaking with a friend he's got me excited about fly fishing. Something new to learn to keep me entertained!

I was under the impression that I could use a weight forward line but I'm now learning that I need a specific saltwater line.

If anyone has tips on saltwater fly fishing, please pass them on! I thought I had my head around the line types but after spending the morning reading I'm beginning to feel as though I don't know much at all....

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by tackleandtax

I've always fished but after speaking with a friend he's got me excited about fly fishing. Something new to learn to keep me entertained!

I was under the impression that I could use a weight forward line but I'm now learning that I need a specific saltwater line.

If anyone has tips on saltwater fly fishing, please pass them on! I thought I had my head around the line types but after spending the morning reading I'm beginning to feel as though I don't know much at all....

Lots of good books and YouTube on fly fishing. I started of with "Fly Fishing for Dummies". Its a good basic summary for beginners.

https://www.amazon.com/Fly-Fishing-D.../dp/076455073X

I learned first by reading/watching and then praciting...LOTS of practice...then some coaching by experienced friends.

When learning to fly cast I focussed on casting not catching. I spent a lot of time one off season just casting off my dock with the goal of reaching a piling about 50' away.

Actually catching on fly is way different than catching on a spin/bait casting rig. Now I need to practice more catching!

There are lots of different types of fly lines. They dont specifically differ for salt vs fresh water, but rather for the type of fishing/target species you are doing. "Dummies" explains them. Remember in fly fishing you are actually casting the line not the fly.

For inspiration watch "A River Runs Through It"...some of the cinematic shots of fly fishing are awesome. There is one great shot of a big perfectly executed "roll cast" that inspired me to learn to roll cast.

[belizesailor]

Nice King Mack caught off Zapatilla Keys, Bocas del Toro, Panama. Caught trolling a blue and white skirt, flat head...which you can see hanging to the left of the fish.

[a64pilot]

I ah net done much of it, but fly fishing is an art form, almost a religion for those that are addicted.
It’s really not so much about catching fish, bait fishing is much more productive, it’s more about the art of it.

Similar in a way I guess to someone that is really good with a cast net, that looks easy, but just try to cast a large net, it’s not so easy at all.

[belizesailor]

Yes, fly fishing isnt so much about the actual catching of fish, but enjoying the outdoors & the skill.

If you just want to put meat on the table then fish the way the locals do: handlines, nets, traps, spears...no poles, no reels, no fancy rigs. Not very "artful" but highly effective.

Fly fishing was created by aristocratic white guys...and is quite artful, but also one of the most complicated, expensive, difficult to master, and ineffective modes of fishing.

When I lived in Belize, which is a fly fishing hot spot, I used to chuckle when I watched the affluent fly fishing charter guests tromp down the dock in all the latest fly fishing garb (apparenlty you must be properly attired too), carrying thousands of dollars of fly rigs, and spending thousands just to go fishing...while an old Kriol guy sat on the end of the same dock with a make shift hand line catching enough fish to last him several days.[emoji6]

That said, I do enjoy the experience of fly fishing.