Anybody Fish with a Sundeck?

[angus99]

It shoud be obvious, I guess, from the height above the water, that it would be easier to fish from a cockpit, but I'm looking for real-world experience.

The Defever 44 http://www.powerboatguide.com/Free_Access_files/DeFever 44 Trawler.pdf has moved near the top of our list along with the KK 42. We've been on numerous Krogens, including a 5-day charter, and feel we have a good idea about strengths and weaknesses. We've only spent a half-hour on a D 44, and still have much to learn, but first impressions were very positive. It's advertised as full displacement--which we prefer) and we liked the room in the master stateroom, deck and engine room. (I'm ruling out the 44+5 CPMY due to size and cost (seems like $50K to $100K for the addition of a cockpit!)

So, it probably sounds like a trivial consideration, but we love to fish and are just wondering if sundecks in general are a bad idea for that. (I've also read the threads on docking and boarding sundecks and I think those issues are manageable.)

 

[Codger2]

So, it probably sounds like a trivial consideration, but "we love to fish" and are just wondering if sundecks in general are a bad idea for that.

For the fisherman, there is no substitute for having a boat with a cockpit. This isn't a rap against a sun deck model, but rather it's just a statement of fact. You can fish from a Navy destroyer but not very well.

 

[psneeld]

Fishing is always easy...catching is the tough part and a big part of that is playing and landing the fish.

Rigging rod holders for trolling can be tricky...but I'm sure it can be figured out for any boat. Fishing from a side rail is no different than paying to fish from a T-Boat.

Mostly it depends on what and how you are fishing for and how much trouble you are willing to go through to make it all happen.

 

[Steve]

People fish off high docks and bridges all the time. You might search for Bridge gaff or bridge net to see some options. Even from my boat which does have a cockpit area it is still pretty high above the water I have a fairly long handled scoop net, and gaff but for big fish either a good long gaff or the abovementioned options.

 

[Codger2]

Mostly it depends on what and how you are fishing for and how much trouble you are willing to go through to make it all happen.

The OP said: "We love to fish."

I agree that you can fish from almost anywhere, but if you're a fanatical fisherperson & have a boat, a great cockpit can't be beat!

Netting from a sun deck. hide or netting from a cockpit. Yourchoice.

 

[angus99]

I agree that you can fish from almost anywhere, but if you're a fanatical fisherperson & have a boat, a great cockpit can't be beat!.

Thankfully, the Defever's sundeck isn't quite that high.

It's even easier pulling them in from the bank.

 

[993guy]

I usually fish with a rod and reel, haven't tried fishing with a sundeck yet....

 

[Art]

I fished New England, Atlantic coastal for nearly two decades back in Q3 of the 20th Century. Never seen a sport fisher sun deck model!

Yeah, that's it, I could bolt a fighting chair onto our sun deck!

NOT!!

 

[CaptTom]

Fishing is always easy...catching is the tough part and a big part of that is playing and landing the fish.

Mostly it depends on what and how you are fishing for and how much trouble you are willing to go through to make it all happen.

True, and true.

I discovered long ago that I love catching, but hate fishing.

Sitting here at a mooring watching the current flow by, fish jump and birds dive, I wonder if tossing out a couple of lines and just going about my business until something hits would work. I do have a full walkaround and even a tiny cockpit-like space aft, so I guess it's not a true sundeck. Still, no fighting chair for me!

 

[RT Firefly]

Fighting chair?

 

[Art]

Fighting chair?

Those fish are hooked on steroids - Tasr Rancid!

 

[Art]

Fighting chair?

Them fish are hooked on steroids - Tast Rancid!

 

[angus99]

Yep, no fighting chair for me either. A fish that requires one is much higher on the food chain than anything I'd be after . . . and might have a higher IQ than the 2 guys in RTF's photo put together

I also realized two things after my initial post: that I used the wrong preposition in the title (and I are an English major!); also, I forgot the dinghy. If the sundeck proves to be too much hassle to fish from, we could just jump in the dinghy and cover a lot more territory than we could from an anchored trawler.

Thanks for the feedback. The need to fish will not rule out a sundeck!

 

[Edelweiss]

Our bow is a good 6+ feet above the water. We regularly pull Dungeness crab pots from the bow. We have an extra long boat pole for reaching the crab buoys, no problem and the pole stores in clamps on the flybridge ledge.

For smaller fish like flounder and greenling, a pound or two, they come over the rail. For larger fish we adapted a regular large mouth salmon net for, Lingcod, Cabazon, Salmon, Halibut (to 40-50 pounds). Over 50 pounds a dart (harpoon) and gaff are the ticket.
You need a much longer handle and a large mouth Salmon net for large fish. They are available, but when not fishing, where do you store them? Trip to the hardware store, one heavy duty four foot telescoping aluminum painter’s extention and two carefully sized hose clamps. Clamp to the handle of the salmon net and you have a 10' -12' handle. When not fishing loosen the clamps and collapse the handle into the net and stow under the flybridge.

The walk around decks are actually an advantage for fighting larger fish, you can work them toward the bow and get the fish and line away from the props and rudders. Those protrusions hanging under the boat are the frequent cause for losing a fish.

 

[Art]

Our bow is a good 6+ feet above the water. We regularly pull Dungeness crab pots from the bow. We have an extra long boat pole for reaching the crab buoy, no problem and the pole stores in clamps on the flybridge ledge.
For smaller fish like flounder and greenling, a pound or two, they come over the rail. For larger fish we adapted a regular large mouth salmon net for, Lingcod, Cabazon, Salmon, Halibut (to 40-50 pounds). Over 50 pounds a dart (harpoon) and gaff are the ticket.
You need a much longer handle and a large mouth Salmon net for large fish. They are available, but when not fishing, where do you store them? Trip to the hardware store, one heavy duty four foot telescoping aluminum painter’s extention and two carefully sized hose clamps. Clamp to the handle of the salmon net and you have a 10' -12' handle. When not fishing loosen the clamps and collapse the handle into the net and stow under the flybridge.

The walk around decks are actually an advantage for fighting larger fish, you can work them toward the bow and get the fish and line away from the props and rudders. Those protrusions hanging under the boat are the frequent cause for losing a fish.

Darn good processes/techniques/equipment... No fighting chair needed!!

Enjoy!

 

[angus99]

Our bow is a good 6+ feet above the water. We regularly pull Dungeness crab pots from the bow. We have an extra long boat pole for reaching the crab buoys, no problem and the pole stores in clamps on the flybridge ledge.

For smaller fish like flounder and greenling, a pound or two, they come over the rail. For larger fish we adapted a regular large mouth salmon net for, Lingcod, Cabazon, Salmon, Halibut (to 40-50 pounds). Over 50 pounds a dart (harpoon) and gaff are the ticket.
You need a much longer handle and a large mouth Salmon net for large fish. They are available, but when not fishing, where do you store them? Trip to the hardware store, one heavy duty four foot telescoping aluminum painter’s extention and two carefully sized hose clamps. Clamp to the handle of the salmon net and you have a 10' -12' handle. When not fishing loosen the clamps and collapse the handle into the net and stow under the flybridge.

The walk around decks are actually an advantage for fighting larger fish, you can work them toward the bow and get the fish and line away from the props and rudders. Those protrusions hanging under the boat are the frequent cause for losing a fish.

Exactly the kind of real-world experience I was looking for. Thanks! And nice Lingcod!