Fishing on long haul or ocean passage

[cooper1991]

Are you guaranteed to catch fish every day across the oceans?

What kit or lines do you need? What bait or lures?

Obviously most time it's mackerel and tuna and other top feeders so is it just the same coloured feathers or silver paper lures you use?

Just planning ahead to when I buy a sailboat.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by cooper1991

Are you guaranteed to catch fish every day across the oceans?

Of course. And the wind is always 15-20 knots on the beam.

What kit or lines do you need? What bait or lures?

100lb line on a yoyo and metal spoon

[slug]

The ocean is a big desert ... very few fish

Oceanic fish are migratory ...at the right season , in the right place , you see and catch many fish

On the typical transatlantic passage, down south , you might catch a fish every other day or one fish every 400 miles

Up north the fishing is not so productive ... mostly migratory tuna. It’s hit or miss

Once you get onto the continental shelf fishing is more productive

[SVHarmonie]

Originally Posted by cooper1991

Are you guaranteed to catch fish every day across the oceans?

What kit or lines do you need? What bait or lures?

Obviously most time it's mackerel and tuna and other top feeders so is it just the same coloured feathers or silver paper lures you use?

Just planning ahead to when I buy a sailboat.

Guaranteed??? They call it fishing, not "catching." No you're not guaranteed. I had a friend who used to actually get annoyed at me when I'd post a picture of "another damn fish" because he had dragged lures from California to Hawaii and back THREE TIMES without one fish...

If you know what you are doing, you'll catch enough fish to keep a freezer full with all you can eat. In the tropics and sub-tropics, mostly Mahi-Mahi and tuna, unless you are doing something special.

The best book on the subject is The Cruiser's Handbook of Fishing It is comprehensive (almost!) and covers everything from basic meat fishing, to higher end sport fishing. Highly recommended.



Caught half way between California and Hawaii in the middle of what somebody just called the "fish dessert." Could have caught a dozen more, but freezer was full...

[Nicholson58]

It’s called Fishin’, not Catchin’.

Drag trolling lures, cedar plug, squiddy etc. tuna, dolphin mostly. Big lures, big fish so use an appropriately sized lure or you will never land a fish. In the tropics, weeds will be your problem. I use a heavy boat rod with heavy line. Big reel and 100# test.

Look on YouTube for videos.

[Lepke]

Originally Posted by cooper1991

Are you guaranteed to catch fish every day across the oceans?

Even commercial fishermen don't catch fish every day.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by slug

The ocean is a big desert ... very few fish



Oceanic fish are migratory ...at the right season , in the right place , you see and catch many fish



On the typical transatlantic passage, down south , you might catch a fish every other day or one fish every 400 miles



Up north the fishing is not so productive ... mostly migratory tuna. It’s hit or miss



Once you get onto the continental shelf fishing is more productive

^ This, targeted species fishing around near coastal structure is WAY more productive. I drug lures most of the way from Bermuda to the Azores last year and not one strike!

[NorthernMac]

Also be interested in rig and lure specs, as well as stanchion holders

[Craig Cape Town]

We did not catch a single fish on my last Atlantic crossing. We had rods set up but did not monitor them constantly and lost a few lures.
On all of my other crossings, we were fortunate to catch Dorado and Bonita (small Tuna) by trolling lines. You are basically long lining, so you'll want heavy line and spoons or some reflective lure that will move around a bit. Be prepared to loose a few. This can be minimized by adding a bungey (elastic cord) to part of the line - reduces the shock from the strike.
Have some vodka handy to splash on the gills as soon as you land the fish. Give him a fitting wake.
No guarantees, but have a go at it.

Also, you can take some frozen fillets out of the freezer and tell the waking crew that you fought that one for hours.

[cooper1991]

I know it's not a fishing expedition but it sounds quite alarming that the sea has been fished out by trawlers, a crime really.

I've done mackerel fishing out of rowing boats before with coloured feathers and silver paper/alcan foil.

I think I have other better ideas about vodka but I like your compassion.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by cooper1991

I know it's not a fishing expedition but it sounds quite alarming that the sea has been fished out by trawlers, a crime really.

I don’t think it’s that the deep sea has been fished out, it’s just that it’s always been a dessert. Fish congregate where there is shelter or food. Neither exist mid ocean, so you left chancing across a random hunter or a migratory school to hook something.

[barnakiel]

Sure everything comes granted.


Every single day.


In books and youtube channels mostly, though.


Regular lures. If you catch nothing, change the lure for tomorrow.


I noticed something else very common: one day too much fish to manage, other days nothing.



Except Southern Atlantic.



b.

[gamayun]

You definitely don't want to catch fish every day since you won't have the space for it and it'll go to waste. When coming back from Hawaii, we caught several albacore on lures. Shiny ones were best.

[Cheechako]

No, you don't usually catch fish every day. But the fish are big and last a while when you do catch one.... if the sharks or 'Cudas don't eat it before you get it in! I just used blue/green/silver/gold weighted rubber squid with a huge hook. 2/0 I think? about 1.5-2" across from shank to tip. Metal leader, 60-80 # test. I think silver or shiny will get you more Tuna if you prefer it. If you see flotsam in the water drag by it, almost always fish under it.

[SVHarmonie]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I don’t think it’s that the deep sea has been fished out, it’s just that it’s always been a dessert. Fish congregate where there is shelter or food. Neither exist mid ocean, so you left chancing across a random hunter or a migratory school to hook something.

There actually is LOTS of "structure" that attracts fish in the middle of the ocean, you just have to know where and what to look for. If you aren't looking you won't see it.

Current breaks and water temperature differences ALWAYS attract fish. These of course are not visible on the charts, but using satellite water surface temperature charts will help you see them.

We found a line in the water in the middle of the ocean with currents flowing past each other. It was 1.5C warmer on one side than the other, as dramatic a change as we have seen anywhere. There were fish packed in, all sizes and kinds. A mile away, none.

The BIG deals in the deep ocean are sea mounts. Even those with tops that are a mile deep or more will push deep, nutrient rich water toward the surface. We will routinely detour a hundred miles or more from our rhumb line to swing by a seamount. Sometimes the density of life there is amazing.

Certainly there are stretches of the deep, open ocean where fish are widely scattered, but look and you will find And as a practical matter, if you come across a school of wandering skipjack tuna, you can fill what ever you are using for a fish box even if those are the only fish you find on a crossing!

Fishing (like sailing) comes in lots of flavors. You can do it as a minor protein supplement, or you can consider fishing a big part of what makes life worth living...