Fish off a sailboat

nightvision

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 7, 2004
Messages
252
Hi all,
Can you really fish off a sail boat? Ok, here is a back ground. I have a Searay 180 Sport and boat in a fresh water lake. I'm about two 2.5 hours from the Coast and would love to learn to sail and maybe do some ocean fishing while we are out in the Pacific ocean. My friend just gave me a 1976 Ensenada 20. It's in very good condition. It will have a 7 or 9 hp motor on it. I would appreciate any pros and cons of fishing off a sail boat.
 

glennrow

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 10, 2006
Messages
89
Re: Fish off a sailboat

you can fish off anything that floats...i often use my 25 ft. cornado. either droplining for perch or i will put up only the small jib and troll for walleye. ( jib size dependent of wind conditions of course ).
 

banjoport

Cadet
Joined
Jun 13, 2007
Messages
13
Re: Fish off a sailboat

just be realistic in your expectations. I often troll and hook up Albacore and Mackerel of the coast of southern California. I have hit Salmon further North. Of course you can drop line for Halibut, Rockfish etc.
Sorry no Bill fish.
 

jay_merrill

Vice Admiral
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
5,653
Re: Fish off a sailboat

Sure you can. I never did it much but remember catching a nice sized Bluefish trolling a plug behind a Columbia 26 in Naragansette Bay, RI. The funny thing about it was that I didn't realize that the heavy pull I was feeling was a fish so it was a while before I reeled the thing in thinking I was just checking the lure. When I landed the fish it was dead - it had literally drown because, I guess, it was being pulled through the water with its mouth forced open by the hook and the water flow through the gills was too fast to breathe.
 

Seaputz 403

Recruit
Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
4
Re: Fish off a sailboat

Yes, you can fish from a sail boat, My wife and I fish all the time from our 26x Macgregor. If the fish aren't biting we hoist the sails and take off.
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
16
Re: Fish off a sailboat

just be realistic in your expectations. I often troll and hook up Albacore and Mackerel of the coast of southern California. I have hit Salmon further North. Of course you can drop line for Halibut, Rockfish etc.
Sorry no Bill fish.

what were you using for bait?
 

Lucky Bum

Cadet
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
7
Re: Fish off a sailboat

Question for the sailboat fishermen,,,,,,

We drop hook and line while at anchor for Perch.. At anchor off the bow my 222 O'day will not stay still. I've tried three times now and she wants to wander, first to starboard and then to port. constantly moving. Our Lake Erie perch are very lazy and don't like to chase the bait. Ideas welcome. On a powerboat we mostly anchor off the stern if the seas permit and the boat stays dead in the water. And fishing is so much better.:rolleyes:

Sailing is not a matter of life or death,,,, It is more important than that.

Chuck
 

flashback

Captain
Joined
Jun 28, 2002
Messages
3,665
Re: Fish off a sailboat

I sail on the Tennessee river and fish quite often while sailing, on a light air day, the boat goes just about right for trolling for stripers..:)
 

teucer49

Recruit
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
5
Re: Fish off a sailboat

I fish out the back of my sailboat alomost every week end. Depending on what type of fishing you will want to do. For Pacific Ocean fishing, you might want to use downrigger and troll for salmon 80-140 feet down. Depending on the boat, it might get tricky to install rigger. You will want them as far back as possible and some sail boat makes the installation difficult. I have a 15 Hp nissan, (A bit strong for my sailboat) but catch alot of salmon with the boat and riggers...
 

capt.wood

Recruit
Joined
May 1, 2008
Messages
1
Re: Fish off a sailboat

by far the best method is a hand line ... no poles or extra gear to worry about. If you are going after the big stuff, then just mount a large sport reel of your choice, on the rear stanchion. Ahi, Swordfish etc are often caught that way here in Hawaii. I prefer the smaller hand lines to land mahimahi (dorado), ono, kashibi and the like. Happy fishing (remember - don't take bananas on board ... BAD LUCK
 

drobarged

Cadet
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
6
Re: Fish off a sailboat

i run six lines on my catalina 27 with dipsey divers on four lines and 1# lead balls on the two center lines to get em down deep. tangles are rare and fish are plenty.(don't leave on friday though)
 

kenmyfam

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
14,385
Re: Fish off a sailboat

This thread caught my eye. Used to fish off thye North coast of Wales on my Dad's 19 footer sailboat. Caught all kinds of cod, whiting, mackerel, plaice off and on.
So the answer in my opinion is Yes You Can !!!!
 

ElRipper

Cadet
Joined
Mar 5, 2008
Messages
10
Re: Fish off a sailboat

I think I have caught more fish per hour trolling from my sailboat than casting around the edge in my bass boat. I really think the silence of the sailboat prevents alerting the fish compared to a putter or humming of a motor. I drag spinnerbaits or rattletraps, enjoy the sailing then my poles starts to jump out of the boat -caught another one ! Of course this has been in fresh water lakes in New Mexico, I would love to try trolling in along the coast line, i would think having a pole mount, strong pole, strong reel.:rolleyes:
 

Kiwi Phil

Commander
Joined
Jun 23, 2003
Messages
2,182
Re: Fish off a sailboat

I import MacGregors, and several have come set up for fishing.....and it is very simple.
They have rod holders, angled out, one each side.
That way, if you have something you have to attend to, your rod is safe, secure, and out of the way.
If you are not racing, it would make sence to always have a rod or 2 out the back.
Never know your luck.
Cheers
Phillip
 

slidercat

Recruit
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
1
Re: Fish off a sailboat

My little beachcruising cat Slider is set up for fishing, and we usually put out a couple of lines whenever we go for a sail. Here along the NW Florida coast we usually get bluefish and Spanish mackerel in the bay, though I've also caught trout and flounder and less-desirable species.

I have my rod holders on the rudder stocks so they're well out of the way.

lightwinds.jpg


Ray

http://slidercat.com
 

gmceieio

Cadet
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
11
Re: Fish off a sailboat

I learned how to sail during a fishing trip in the Sea of Cortez- Mexico.
The purpose of the trip was to fish for Yellow Fin and so I just assumed that fishing and sailing went together. Since then, my favorite method of fishing on the blue water is Keel boat.
One thing you can achieve with a sail boat is a stationary spot on the water by ?heave to.
When you do the ?heave to? maneuver it?s possible to deal with a big fish and the surprises that can arise. It takes practice to catch the wind and lock the rudder just right, but this maneuver can be useful for more than just riding out a storm.
The best sailboats for fishing have a swim deck on the stern like the French Beneteau.
The stern deck is a great place to fillet the fish- then you can eat it as fast as you can get the coals going. BIG FUN
 

sailingdog

Recruit
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
3
Re: Fish off a sailboat

I have a chrysler 22, and my son did a cast and caught his hook high up on the back stay. I'ts still there, and will be until we drop the mast and bring the boat home for the winter. I'd recommend trolling only. Too many shrouds, forstay, and yes the back stay.

Steve
 

gobigkahuna

Seaman
Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Messages
54
Re: Fish off a sailboat

I fished off sailboats all the time. First fish I caught was a 75 lb Ahi (yellow fin tuna) off a 22 foot sailboat off Waikiki back in the early 80's (boating that puppy was a real challenge, but the look on the face of all the fishermen on the dock was priceless... you caught that where? on that little boat?!?). When I was delivering boats up and down the California coast I always had a hand line off the stern. If you sail the Southern California coast here's a couple pointers: first, make yourself a hand line. If you don't know how, go to a decent fishing tackle shop and ask them to show you how. My favorite lure was a "Mexican flag feather" lure. Tuna love that lure. Second, sail fast. I caught the most fish when my boat was going 7+ knots. Third, I found the best fishing between Catalina Island and San Clemente. Every time I passed the "gap" I always hooked fish. And lastly, never catch more than you can eat. It always pissed me off to hear fishermen brag that they landed a hundred fish in a day... such idiots. We never caught more than 2 "keepers" a trip. One for us and one to give away. Once we got our "limit" we pulled the lines in and called it a day. We never had a problem finding someone who wanted fresh tuna and we never came home empty handed.
 

gmceieio

Cadet
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
11
Re: Fish off a sailboat

I am with you Big Kahuna about fish quota. I've sailed that area around Catalina and the fishing is amazing. I took some first timers out there two years ago and they were green for three days.
I warned them that it was big water. I have never had luck at 7 knots. I try to stay about 3 or 4 and I seem to do better.
We use the split REBEL's and never miss.
Regards, Greg
 
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