I haven't been fishing since...

..I was a kid. I used to love lake fishing but life happened and somehow I stopped.
We never wanted to fish off of the sailboat, mostly because it was ill suited to the mess that it would make.
Now that we are about to take delivery of a powerboat, I'm wondering if I might enjoy some fishing again.
As I have never done any salt water fishing and the last fishing I rember was 40 plus years ago... where do I begin?
Where do I go to learn?
Thanks,
Bruce

...or you could just do what most fisherman do...lie! "I caught a world record marlin last week and let him go".

You can find so much how to stuff on YouTube. Different fishing techniques, how to tie leaders, etc. Or you can talk to whoever is willing to share knowledge. Good luck.

A bit of networking, put the word out locally, will yield expert saltwater fishermen who've sadly been forced to let go of their boat, and would be DYING to get back out there.

Or even just advertise, "free chartering" opportunities, in exchange for tutoring, ask for references

Make some friends while you're at it!

Greetings,
Mr. BrB. On which side of the country will you be attempting to catch dinner and what type of fishing would you prefer to do (still fishing or trolling)? There is a massive variety of gear in a wide price range.

Fishing will make a mess of a new pretty trawler too.....teak decks?

Fishing like a lot of hobbies is a really broad subject.

Dragging lines through the water to catch dinner is afar from fly fishing as you can think.

We drug lines from Miami to Ft Lauderdale a few weeks ago and for me, it was nonstop clearing lines of weeds. .....and no luck so frustrating at worst, a bit of fun hope at best.

Then there is take the boat out and drop lines to a known spot....possibly more productive....

The best place to start is talk over a few beers or whatever to someone who actively does all kinds of fishing, and see what types of operations you see on how you would use your boat, and see what they offer up in terms of types of fishing, then you can start to build up the tackle side.

John61ct makes some good points.

I'm no fishing nut, but many of my friends are. If I mention "fish" to them in, in ten minutes the plans are made. They will show up with rods, tackle, bait, coolers, ice, drinks and food. All I have to do is provide the boat. Stop at the fuel dock on the way back and magically the fuel gets paid for, too. Back to the dock and the fish and boat get cleaned.

I end up with a clean boat, fish for a week and had a great time.

Without my buds I often go out close to shore and do some solo bait dragging. Not too serious about catching fish, but go on a whim when it turns out calm. Put some sports on the sat radio. Somehow a baseball or football game while fishing just works for me. Relaxing.

When I was a kid, my Dad was the fishing NUT. Any spare day and if not wicked stormy, we went fishing and I drove the boat. I think that earned me a lifetimes worth of fishing by age 16. Got a little burned out on it. I learned to fix the boats, too.

Bruce B said:

... where do I begin?

Click to expand...

Getting a rod would be a good start

john61ct said:

A bit of networking, put the word out locally, will yield expert saltwater fishermen who've sadly been forced to let go of their boat, and would be DYING to get back out there.

Or even just advertise, "free chartering" opportunities, in exchange for tutoring, ask for references

Make some friends while you're at it!

Click to expand...

That's pretty interesting advice actually. Having other people aboard is such a departure from the way my wife and I have used our sailboats for 20 years it never would have occurred to me...
Thanks for pointing it out.
Bruce

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. BrB. On which side of the country will you be attempting to catch dinner and what type of fishing would you prefer to do (still fishing or trolling)? There is a massive variety of gear in a wide price range.

Click to expand...

Well now, as we sit here about 100 yards from the American Tug factory in our 16' Airstream, listening to yet another day of rain (in an Airstream, you listen to rain, believe me...) I am beginning to understand why no one here purchases flybridge equipped boats! That leads me to wonder if in fact fishing here will happen at all...

Actually, I'd love to figure this out and I suspect that I can't give a real answer yet. If pressed I'd say both coasts and perhaps trolling?

As it is raining today maybe we will take a trip to the nearest tackle shop and window shop!

Bruce

psneeld said:

Fishing will make a mess of a new pretty trawler too.....teak decks?

Fishing like a lot of hobbies is a really broad subject.

Dragging lines through the water to catch dinner is afar from fly fishing as you can think.

We drug lines from Miami to Ft Lauderdale a few weeks ago and for me, it was nonstop clearing lines of weeds. .....and no luck so frustrating at worst, a bit of fun hope at best.

Then there is take the boat out and drop lines to a known spot....possibly more productive....

The best place to start is talk over a few beers or whatever to someone who actively does all kinds of fishing, and see what types of operations you see on how you would use your boat, and see what they offer up in terms of types of fishing, then you can start to build up the tackle side.

John61ct makes some good points.

Click to expand...

Your first observation is exactly what prevented me from wanting to even consider thinking about fishing on our sailboats. Lots of teak in the cockpit those pretty Sunbrella cushions everywhere, rigging, lines, dodger and Bimini all conspired to make me say "no thanks!".
This boat will have exactly ZERO wood on the exterior!
Well, perhaps some teak deck chairs but that is still being considered.

We will have to figure out where the local fishermen hang out...
Bruce

Greetings,
Mr. BrB. There is a wealth of expertise here (TF) regarding the west coast fishery. My experience is pretty well limited to the east coast so my techniques and tackle may not be optimum for your current location. One needn't spend a lot of $$ for a basic outfit. Again, wrt my east coast experience, a heavy spinning outfit, some hooks, associated tackle (sinkers, snaps/swivels, leaders if necessary etc.) and a few lures shouldn't run more than $150 or so.

Ski in NC said:

>..Without my buds I often go out close to shore and do some solo bait dragging. Not too serious about catching fish, but go on a whim when it turns out calm. Put some sports on the sat radio. Somehow a baseball or football game while fishing just works for me. Relaxing....

Click to expand...

This is what I envision as I think of fishing. I am sure that as mentioned in other replies that the hobby can move in many directions but I'm fairly sure that the relaxation part, boosted by the occasional fresh fish dinner on the grill would be simply sublime...
Bruce

Run over to Holiday Sports....Hwy 20 - Interstate 5 junction in Burlington. 15 minutes from your location. Best resource in the area and very nice store.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. BrB. There is a wealth of expertise here (TF) regarding the west coast fishery. My experience is pretty well limited to the east coast so my techniques and tackle may not be optimum for your current location. One needn't spend a lot of $$ for a basic outfit. Again, wrt my east coast experience, a heavy spinning outfit, some hooks, associated tackle (sinkers, snaps/swivels, leaders if necessary etc.) and a few lures shouldn't run more than $150 or so.

Click to expand...

As I mentioned earlier, it is raining here today, I can see a trip to a fishing tackle store in our immediate future.
Thanks,
Bruce

sunnyday said:

Run over to Holiday Sports....Hwy 20 - Interstate 5 junction in Burlington. 15 minutes from your location. Best resource in the area and very nice store.

Click to expand...

Perfect!
Thanks,
Bruce

Greetings,
Mr. BrB. One of the FIRST things to purchase should be a book to identify your catch (Yup, think positive). I know in FL I use one similar to this:
Florida Saltwater Fish ID Book by Saltwater Fish ID, Inc. | Bass Pro Shops: The Best Hunting, Fishing, Camping & Outdoor Gear There is most probably a similar book for the west coast.

Bruce B; said:

I am beginning to understand why no one here purchases flybridge equipped boats!

Click to expand...

Now you CAN call yourself a fisherman because that comment moves well beyond alternative facts to become a real WHOPPER.

If you ever get to Alaska..... I got pretty good at river salmon fishing..... vite me up and I can give a few tips....

Take up fly fishing. You'll never be bored.

The fastest way to learn is from successful fishermen. Also, try going on a party boat trip and see what gear they use. They have to catch fish or soon have no customers.

When I think of how difficult it's gotten lately to catch legal keeper fish that taste good I don't even bring a rod onboard the Monk here in Florida. No wash down pump, cooler, tackle, filet knives, bait or rod holders. If I want to fish I have a small center console here in FL and NJ just for that.

Don't forget, prawning and crabbing is fishing too!

john61ct said:

A bit of networking, put the word out locally, will yield expert saltwater fishermen who've sadly been forced to let go of their boat, and would be DYING to get back out there.

Or even just advertise, "free chartering" opportunities, in exchange for tutoring, ask for references

Make some friends while you're at it!

Click to expand...

I'd be careful about suggesting a "charter" as that carries other implications of a commercial operation, but talking with the local anglers is a great place to start.

sunnyday said:

Run over to Holiday Sports....Hwy 20 - Interstate 5 junction in Burlington. 15 minutes from your location. Best resource in the area and very nice store.

Click to expand...

Lepke said:

The fastest way to learn is from successful fishermen. Also, try going on a party boat trip and see what gear they use. They have to catch fish or soon have no customers.

Click to expand...

The bait and tackle shops normally have a bead on what's hot and what's not. They also know which charter captains do best. You can learn more on a day with a good charter captain than you can in years of trial and error.

I fish regularly from my 34 LRC. In fact, one of my main reasons for selecting this boat was its fishability. My cockpit is well suited for 2-3 anglers and we work together to contain the mess. If I land a fish, it's always in the designated aft port corner so any mess is limited to that area. If needed, a RW washdown hose is available to aid in the cleanup.

When I bait fish, I keep the bait mess contained to one cutting board on the aft galley countertop just inside the aft double doors. I have a beer and bait fridge right there and I bait up and clean up as I go.

Last week I enjoyed a 6-day trip on San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, Montezuma Slough and the Napa River. I spent more time cruising, socializing and relaxing than actually fishing, but I still managed to land a 79 inch sturgeon for my first fish of the year. Fish that big get released at the swimstep so there's no fish blood or slime in the cockpit, but I've had several 60-65 inch sturgeon aboard plus a few bat rays and the boat's no worse for the wear. It's all a matter of planning and keeping up with the occasional messes.

High Wire said:

When I think of how difficult it's gotten lately to catch legal keeper fish that taste good I don't even bring a rod onboard the Monk here in Florida. No wash down pump, cooler, tackle, filet knives, bait or rod holders. If I want to fish I have a small center console here in FL and NJ just for that.

Click to expand...

My wife has made me promise..."no more boats..." at least for awhile!

Nightsky said:

Don't forget, prawning and crabbing is fishing too!

Click to expand...

We've seen people crabbing here. Looks like fun!
Bruce

The first thing I'd do is a fishing charter. Go out with a pro and see how you enjoy it. I grew up fishing some on the lake too. My cousin knew what he was doing so we caught a lot. We could catch a couple hundred bream or blue gill most any time. In season, 40 or 50 crappie. He liked to bass fish, me not so much. A day of fishing for three or four fish was not my thing.

Fast forward to the coast. A little fishing goes a long ways for me. It's like bass fishing was on the lake. I get my fill through occasional charter or going out with a friend, who once ran fishing charters, on his Viking. 4 to 6 times a year is about the right number for me, mostly in new or different places where even if I did fish, I wouldn't know what was right for those areas. You'll have to see how you enjoy it. We have one young girl, (18 at the time) who when she went with us on a fishing charter fell in love with fishing and would go anytime anyone would take her.

I'm just around the bend from you, Bruce, in Anacortes. I'll be following this thread. As a recent transplant from sailing, and the SF Bay, I, too, want to try some fishing from my, new to me, trawler. No recent experience, but this area is supposed to offer great fishing, crabbing and shrimping. My friends in California gave me a bunch of fishing gear as a going away gift. Rods, reels, and two full tackle boxes. I think they were more excited about the fishing prospects here, than I was! Good luck with your new boat.

The number one thing to remember about fishing tackle is most of it catches a lot more fisherman than fish.


also....10 percent of the fisherman catch 90 percent of the fish and only 10 percent of their tackle catches 90 percent of their fish.....soooooo....know what you want before ever entering a tackle shop....

Greetings,
Mr. FW's suggestion of quizzing the bait shop proprietors is probably the best thing to do first off. The ONLY drawback may be that the shop might not have much entry level equipment. Bass Pro shops (Tacoma) or even Wally Mart would be more likely to stock cheaper stuff. As per Mr. ps's comment about tackle. Start off really simple.
IF you do invest in a fish identification book, a good one will have suggestions about the type of tackle to try and the techniques to use.

psneeld said:

The number one thing to remember about fishing tackle is most of it catches a lot more fisherman than fish.


also....10 percent of the fisherman catch 90 percent of the fish and only 10 percent of their tackle catches 90 percent of their fish.....soooooo....know what you want before ever entering a tackle shop....

Click to expand...

Going on a charter can help there too. They are professionals and in that 10% but also they buy gear for durability and price. There's might be more than you need, but they've put their tackle through the test.