I WANT TO GO BOAT FISHING..WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ? Trips/Tackle/species explained

[scottish_and_mental]

Common questions on here seems to be "I'm going on a boat, does anyone know what i'll catch ? , " Hi im going fishing with my mate,does anyone know what bait i'll need?"?

O.K slightly overdone but hopefully this guide will help any angler looking at going afloat either for their first trip or simply a refresher for those who havent been out for a while..

Questions should be asked in a manner something like -
Hi, Im due to go out on a fishing trip from Weymouth on the 5th of June,i've been told it's an inshore trip when i booked and wonder what species are likely to be targeted and what bait or tackle would you suggest

This might seem like a lot of info but its 30 seconds of detective work !
a, you know the date you are going, b, you know the port you are going from and c,(fairly important )you should know what type of trip you have booked-you wouldnt pay £50 at a restaurant and just ask them to bring whatever they like ! , likewise a skipper will set trips around specific tides and what time of year it is - obviously the weather will play a part in this..

Back to the hypothetical question

O.k , Weymouth at this time of year will throw up any number of inshore species so if you are not targeting a specific fish i.e you know you are going on a Bass trip or after flatties from one of the banks,then i would expect a good mixed bag of Black Bream,Cod on feathers from the inshore banks,early Tope plus the usual Dogfish,Pouting,Bullhuss,strap Conger and the odd Ray.

Now if your Skipper is worth his salt then all the tackle you need for the trip will be onboard ready for you to use (some skippers charge around a fiver extra for this - most good ones wont )..

As for bait i would suggest going over to the tackle shop before you get on the boat ( most shops will be open around 6.30 so you have plenty of time ) and enquire with the shop owner as to what the other guys coming in have caught and what bait they used..
Personally for this "general inshore fishing" i would suggest perhaps 1/2lb of ragworm,a 1lb box of frozen squid and if you are feeling flush maybe a pack of sandeels. Fresh mackerel at this time of year are literally jumping onto the boats around Portland and if the skipper plans on anchoring the boat when the tide drops you will probably stop and feather for mackerel first thing.

Now once the skipper has confirmed the trip will go ahead as planned ( normally the organiser will phone the skipper about 8pm the night before once the weather forecast is in just to confirm the trip will go ahead )

What should i take ?

A lot of newbies just get up , get in the car in their shorts and t-shirt,packet of cigs at the ready and fly down to meet the boat 15 mins before its due to depart...trust me ive crewed and seen this a million times !!

Its nigh on 100% impossible to go back and get your waterproof jacket or something to eat when at 11.30 you get soaked due to a rainstorm and then get hungry sat in the cab soaked through.
Remember you are paying good money and the skipper will be doing his utmost to put you over the fish so make sure you are totally prepared.

A good flotation suit ( fairly expensive but deffo worth the money if you plan to go regularly) or a simple lightweight set of waterproofs are a must on every trip even if they sit in the wheelhouse all day.
A packed lunch of whatever you fancy - mine is normally scoffed by about 11 and im normally in the galley frying bacon ! and some water or fizzy to keep you going.Most Skippers provide free tea and coffee throughout the day and some of the better ones even provide such delicacies as sausage sandwiches !! ( cheers Pat )

A plastic tub or a suitable tackle seat box will be required for all your bait -( you dont want it sat on the deck cooking for 8 hours ! ) ,plus your waterproofs and anything else that needs to be kept dry and to hand - including that 2ltr bottle of coke that is now lovely and warm because its sat on the bench beside you ..
It's now 7.30 and your leaving the harbour-clothing,food,bait,cigs and phone all stored - remember most trips out even in fine weather can be quite lumpy so standing on the back of the boat while waves crash over the gunnels and drench you by 7.45 is not recommended.

Once you are near the fishing grounds the skipper or his crew will help you with your tackle if needed and tell you what fish your after and the best methods to catch them ..If your on a boat of say 9 others be prepared to ask questions-look at what others are using and be prepared to adapt throughout the day.always ask questions A really good angler will not hide his "top secret" bait and rig from you but will go out of his way to make sure you have an enjoyable day ( obviously there are the odd turds about ) !

You've been out and its now 3pm - time to head back in ....Have you got that tub full of fish sorted ? If you are gonna cook what you catch then its a good bet to gut and even fillet what you catch on the way back in..The local Gulls will thank you for this and so will the wife !
PLEASE if you are not planning to eat what you catch then take a pic and throw it back.NOTHING annoys me more than an angler pulling up a 30lb Conger eel- Gaffed to buggery that will sit in a fish box for 8 hours only to be left on the boat for the skipper to look at .

Make sure all your unused bait and chocolate wrappers are binned - DO NOT just casually throw your crap over the side of the boat all day- the sea is not a rubbish tip !
If youre feeling energetic and want to get in the skippers good books then ask if you can help scrub the deck or even just hold the hose ( try not to soak every other sod on board - i know we all do it in our 5 minute childish mode ! ) .

Yuor back on terra firma - yore legs are still at sea and if your like me you will be hank marvin so get the kit in the car ( please make sure its secure and not on display - i have witnessed back windows being smashed in in broad daylight right outside a pub !! ) and grab some chips...sit and watch the other boats come in - see whats been caught on other trips by other charter parties and look at the other boats.

hopefully you will now have the bug after a great day afloat and will be looking forward to your next big adventure at sea ...

Steve

I will go into wrecking / offshore trips once my fingers recover

[JustMark]

Excellent post Steve.

[Devon Born & Dorset Bred]

Great post!

One thing to add: Bouncing your Weights along the Gel Coat!

My friend once lifted a 10oz ball weight over his head down on to the wheel house roof. Bouncing it about 5 times, then swung it back towards himself realising what he had done.
At this moment the Skipper is running out to give him an ear full.
The weight was swung with this speed it hit my freind on the cheekbone.

The skipper just stared and said "You deserved that!" Then casually went back in!

They love their Gel Coat!

[John Marshall]

Good read, only missed one point Steve,

Beer and boats don't mix!

The amount of guys I've seen sat in a corner looking like death or worse groundbaiting is staggering.

John

[scottish_and_mental]

Good points guys - remember the boat is the skippers pride and joy normally so treat it with great respect - don't cut your bait up on the gunnels - or go wearing your favourite Nike studded golf shoes and yes a few cans seems like a clever idea but ive seen blokes sat out at sea in the searing heat and glare of the sun necking cans and completely ruining their day!
The skipper is their to help you enjoy the most from your day - try and stay in his good books and watch your phone ring when the best dates are available or when he has a spare seat on one of the good trips :)

[wildcard]

Pretty accurate but Ive got to disagree with this statement;
Now if your Skipper is worth his salt then all the tackle you need for the trip will be onboard ready for you to use (some skippers charge around a fiver extra for this - most good ones wont )..

In this area the free 'tackle' you describe above will consist of a 4ft broomstick with eyes fastened on with electricians tape coupled to a Scarborough reel loaded with the springiest cheapest mono money can buy.

Using that type of gear wreck fishing is like trying to prise open an oyster with a bus ticket.

On my boat we use 30lb class Diawa super Kenzaki braid rods coupled to Diawa level wind sealine multipliers loaded with braid. I charge these out at a tenner a day to hire and lads who use them (even beginners) often win the biggest fish sweep.

Alan

[scottish_and_mental]

Originally Posted by wildcard

Pretty accurate but Ive got to disagree with this statement;
Now if your Skipper is worth his salt then all the tackle you need for the trip will be onboard ready for you to use (some skippers charge around a fiver extra for this - most good ones wont )..

In this area the free 'tackle' you describe above will consist of a 4ft broomstick with eyes fastened on with electricians tape coupled to a Scarborough reel loaded with the springiest cheapest mono money can buy.

Using that type of gear wreck fishing is like trying to prise open an oyster with a bus ticket.

On my boat we use 30lb class Diawa super Kenzaki braid rods coupled to Diawa level wind sealine multipliers loaded with braid. I charge these out at a tenner a day to hire and lads who use them (even beginners) often win the biggest fish sweep.

Alan

Guess you can't argue with that mate as i suppose its different region to region..I'm assuming your charters probably aren't as expensive as down here either.The majority of boats i fish on are sponsored up to the hills so i guess thats 99% of the reason the tackle hire is free !.

Im a massive Daiwa fan myself and use slosh's for just about everything so i reckon your boys are pretty spoiled !
Steve

[wildcard]

It has been said that the best way to stop sea sickness is to 'sit under a tree' but I would say the biggest cause of it is anglers not having their terminal rigs tied beforehand.

I see it all the time and it is avoidable. An angler will snag and lose his gear in the wreck and then proceed to tie another set on the boat. His eyes are looking downwards tying up a new rig instead of being aimed at the horizon and the next thing he is decorating my gunnels with his breakfast.

Bear in mind that it is easy to lose 15 or more terminal rigs in a session while wreck fishing. It makes a lot of sense to tie them up beforehand, and you will spend more hours with your gear in the water.

Alan

[captain chaos]

LOL, , A tackle shop opening at 0630hrs? God, I can rememeber those Days! TACKLE SHOP OWNERS of the south are you reading this!

I can remember a Day/morning, last summer of an unplanned fishing trip coming to together, damn no bait, I had to wait outside a tackle shop near shoreham for another hour than what was advertised on the door and its like that every Saturday I soon discovered,.......although the Boats moored in close proximity, I mainly use a tackle shop that is out of my way purely on principle he won't be open!

Obviously in this climate you would think it would be opening its doors as soon as!

[cuckoo]

Just seen this brilliant thread thats helped me no end