So what does it take to 'get out among 'em'? Is a kazillion dollar state-of- the-art sport fishing machine the only way you can do it? Fortunately, no. The fish don't care whether that bait is being offered from a 2 million dollar, 70 ft. sparkling, Thunder-nugget Ultra-Sport fueled by dilithium crystals or an 11 ft. Whaler with 15 horsepower outboard and broomsticks for outriggers. There is certainly nothing wrong with luxury, and, personally, I like as much of it as I can get until it starts interfering with the fishing effectiveness.
There are also considerations in terms of safety.
A boat that's too small in seas that are too big is a recipe for disaster. As unpopular as it seems to be nowadays, there is no substitute for good judgment and common sense. Frequently the perilous situations you find yourself in are a result of a decision to charge forth made by the same person wearing your shorts and carrying your drivers license. Seldom do I hear that anyone was forced to go fishing at gun point. So, right off the bat, let's say that the vessel we choose must safely handle the conditions it's going to be operating in.
Let's talk about creature comfort and fishability.
Creature comfort varies with the individual and seems to change as the years click by. The pounding all day that I thought was fun 20 years ago would leave me slack jawed and drooling today, not to mention single handedly skyrocketing the price of Absorbine Jr. stock. So from the comfort standpoint, to each his own.
Now to the fishability. This is the area where experience, good advice and forethought are as important as a fat checkbook. From the start, the boat needs to be of a design, in general, that fits your specific needs. I've often seen someone get a great deal on a boat and then spend more than they saved unsuccessfully trying to get the "great deal" to fit their needs. They usually end up selling it, taking a pretty fair hickey in the wallet in the process, and starting over with something more suitable.
This means, of course, that you have to know what your needs or requirements are. Some focused consideration in this area should narrow the field. Let's say big game fishing is the primary function. OK, not bad for a start. Now, where? Generally, big seas or calm? Long run or short? Day boat or overnighter? Pleasure or charter? Solo or taking crew or more. If more, how many more? Big game or b-i-i-g game? Are you going to keep it in the water or on a trailer?
How about budget, another unignorable consideration (for most of us) that looms ugly on the horizon like a 'do not enter' sign on the big tackle shop of life. All of these questions and many more need to be answered before the boat selection process even begins.
Once the basic vessel has been selected, then the fun, and sometimes frustration, really begins. Taking the basic vessel and customizing it to fit you isn't as easy as it sounds. I have fished on some very expensive boats with all the latest and greatest that were put together with money not being a consideration and were still almost impossible to fish effectively. Everything seemed to get in the way of everything else. All the right stuff was there, but whoever put it together hadn't spent much time on the water. Personal preferences drastically affect the installation of outriggers, rod holders, fighting chairs, fish doors, fishboxes, lower controls, rocket launchers, gaff hook storage, tackle stations and the list goes on and on.
Here are a few ideas of what I consider a requirement pertaining to some of the aforementioned items. I like my outriggers to be stiff, giving me a clean release on the strike and not yanking lures out of the water when its rough due to flex. Over the years, we've used Lee Outriggers with spreaders and have been very happy with them. Tag lines should reach the rod tips plus a couple of feet. Lee swiveling rod holders are the greatest thing since sliced bread, greatly adding to the accessibility and convenience over standard rod holders. As far as I'm concerned, nothing is worse than rod tips you can't easily reach. Standing on your tiptoes leaning as far as you can out off the transom trying to grab a leader off the rod tip is very conducive to going overboard in rough seas. Rod holders should be placed where the line from the rod getting the strike stays clear of everything else regardless of what the fish does.
As far as fighting chairs go, they should be easily adjustable for varying leg lengths and as stout as the proverbial brick outhouse. We've been using Murray Brothers for a number of years and can't seem to tear it up. The chair should also be placed ( if space allows) where someone can move between the footrest and the transom. Fish doors are a back saver and easy to install with the help of a saber saw if necessary. Fishboxes need to have a large enough of an opening to where fish are more likely to fall in than out on a near miss in a rushed situation. Anything you can do to reduce the odds of a mahi-mahi jetting around the cockpit slinging a hook back and forth looking for anything human to stick it in is a big plus.
Lower controls on boats with bridges shorten the time it takes to get in or out of gear when a cranky fish does the unexpected plus they're easy to install on most boats. Put in a little thought on what to do with the other rods after the strike to get them out of the way. There are usually places where rod holders can be mounted just for that purpose that are quick and easy to get to. As we all know there is plenty of disarray when the beast hits without adding to it by having gear laying all over the place. The same goes for gaffs and gaff poles.
A charter boat will vary a little from a private boat, but not much. Most of what works on one will work just as well on the other. Generally speaking whatever boat you have is only an intermediary stop between whatever you started with and the Queen Mary. Even when you find a boat that pretty well fits the bill, it's still a continual project to improve this or that. There is always some way to make it a little more convenient, or a little less complicated, or a little safer or to provide more flexibility in terms of fishing tactics. Of course, when all of that finally gets exactly how you think you want it and there is nothing else you can improve on you generally start thinking about your next boat. Go figure.Tight Lines . . . . . Norm. |
