Fishing on long haul or ocean passage

[bensolomon]

Originally Posted by mpaule

On a sailboat without a “swim platform” with pretty good freeboard, a MkI Catalina 36 in my case, how do you get your catch on board? Do I need a long gaff, or with 100# line can you just pull it up with a pair of gloves? Not sure in So. California waters if one would likely hook up with a 400# bluefin tuna [emoji1]

Mpaule,

Once the fish is alongside, weight depending, you can just pull it into the cockpit by the leader. Use gloves! That's what I do. I am usually fishing for some schoolies ( 2-10 pound fish).. also, I usually just troll a double 0 or size one spoon.

[SVHarmonie]

Originally Posted by mpaule

On a sailboat without a “swim platform” with pretty good freeboard, a MkI Catalina 36 in my case, how do you get your catch on board? Do I need a long gaff, or with 100# line can you just pull it up with a pair of gloves? Not sure in So. California waters if one would likely hook up with a 400# bluefin tuna 😄

Since we are “meat” fishing we never want to lose a fish. For small fish, less than 20 lbs or so, we use a long handled large net. For medium fish, up to 120 lbs or so, we use a long handled gaff. For monsters, we use a tail rope. A noose we slide over the rod, and down the line, then pulled tight around his tail. Gives us something to tie a halyard to so as to lift him onboard.

[Souzag818]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

You want to keep them teeth shiny and clean!
Attachment 218136

I love your approach to ingenuity, there may be some money to be made if you film the catch and send it to GlaxoSmithKline

Unfortunately, on my last crossing from Cabo to Hawaii, I lost that lure to something big enough to break my handline! That's how I found out about the "new and improved" Aqua Fresh tube. Too bad, cause it worked......

[dennismenace111]

In an earlier post I mentioned dragging expensive lures from Miami to Bermuda and back and catching nothing! Just remembered a trip to Bimini a few years back when we didn't have any lures on board so we cut a piece of silver duct tape abut 6 inches long and trolled it over the outer reef west of Bimini!

Don't you know a really hungry Hog Snapper thought he had a fast lunch and attacked that duct tape strip! He was delicious!

[MicHughV]

I've never had much luck on the Bermuda trip. Either going there or leaving from there. Over three different trips only ever caught one fish....a bonita....not exactly the best table fare there is out there...by communal vote....we threw it back...

[MicHughV]

that fish with all the teeth looks to be a " sheepshead" as they are called here in the USA...I've never known one to be caught by a lure, as they tend to hang around rocks and other submerged detritus. Their primary food is the tiny fiddler crab.
Despite their toothy appearance they are very tasty. You rarely see them on a menu, as people that catch them, typically keep them to eat themselves.

[n5ama]

The Sheepshead is one of the best eating “small” fish in the gulf. They are a bit hard to filet because they are laterally compressed and the filet knife has to be kept near the bone structure to minimize meat loss but they are worth the trouble (beautiful white meat with almost no blood line). I normally fish for them with a Hawaiian poke pole and collect several on the shaft before coming to the surface.

Be careful if on the deck removing the hook from a line caught fish. Stand on them while removing the hook with pliers. I stuck my deck shoe near its mouth and it had no trouble biting off a chunk of my deck shoe. :<{

BTW, they can be caught with a hand line fishing shallow and using shrimp or cut bait.

[slug]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

I've never had much luck on the Bermuda trip. Either going there or leaving from there. Over three different trips only ever caught one fish....a bonita....not exactly the best table fare there is out there...by communal vote....we threw it back...

At sea baitfish like to hide from predators

Look for floating garbage and sargasso weed

[MicHughV]

the first time I caught a sheepshead I was rather put off by all those teeth and ugly face, but I was encourage to " try it"...and yes, a spectacular tasty fish without a doubt.
Around here, we fish for them around the jetty rocks...as they like to eat tiny fiddler crab...they are picky eaters and don't just gulp down a bait, rather they pick at it...little bit by little bit...hard to tell sometimes, when you think you have a bite, it's necessary to drive home the hook to get past all those teeth...some folks are quite good at catching these fish...but, though I've caught a few from time to time, my sheepshead catching technique needs some work..though I do a lot of spearfishing, I have never put one on a spear...
Trigger fish fall much into the same category....tiny mouths...and skin like leather...very difficult to clean, but quite tasty and worth the effort.
I've come to point in my life, that I would rather eat fish than most anything else...but buying them fresh from the seafood market is simply the easiest way to get them