Hi guys just went on a 24 hour deep sea charter fishing trip this weekend aug 9-10 and not too much success caught a small white marlin, but was going for tuna. Its the second time we have went with mostly no success. I just wanted to know if any of you enjoy deep sea fishing and can give me some tip's for when to go and what is a fair price and what to fish for to increase success? We went with 6 guys and it was $2400 total with the 20% tip included. Any ideas or comments would be appreciated!
deep sea fishing
- Thread starter hud477
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hud477,
I used to go on these sorts of trips regularly, but found, after a while, that the ratio of success/money was not one I cared for. Chasing big tuna, marlin, sails is hit or miss no matter who you choose for your captain. You can maximize your chances based time of year, availability of bait and where you go, but I can't believe there's a single fisherman among us who hasn't been surrounded by people catching fish and experiencing nothing but slack line themselves. It's one thing if that's happening while surf fishing, entirely another on a charter boat costing 2-3k per day.
So, I gave up deep sea fishing, but embarked on many years of gratifying inshore fishing off of the Keys. Permit, tarpon, yellowtail, shark, grouper, barracuda and more. All on light tackle and sometimes on a fly. I find this much more satisfying than wrestling with a big tuna on 50 or 80 lb test for a couple of hours. So I guess my tip would be to explore some of the light tackle captains out of Islamorada, Stock Island and Big Pine Key. I used to fish with Wally Albrecht, a legend out of Stock Island, but Wally passed away years ago. There are many other excellent ones down there though and if you do your homework, then you'll find someone.
I should also mention for those who specifically target tuna, that the game for tuna changed sometime around the mid 80's (in the Northeast anyway) which also contributed to my disenchantment. Once the giants, due to the Japanese market for them, became fish worth 10k and up, the attitudes of the Captains changed overnight. It went from being sport, to being business and woe to any guy who screwed up and lost a big fish. One of the rules of the charter boats going out of Point Judith in RI was that the fish belonged to the boat. They'd give you a free trip, typically, but that 10k fish belonged to the crew. See how the attitude of the crew changes when you lose a 10k tuna. You'll be glad to see the port come into view with yourself still on the deck.
I used to go on these sorts of trips regularly, but found, after a while, that the ratio of success/money was not one I cared for. Chasing big tuna, marlin, sails is hit or miss no matter who you choose for your captain. You can maximize your chances based time of year, availability of bait and where you go, but I can't believe there's a single fisherman among us who hasn't been surrounded by people catching fish and experiencing nothing but slack line themselves. It's one thing if that's happening while surf fishing, entirely another on a charter boat costing 2-3k per day.
So, I gave up deep sea fishing, but embarked on many years of gratifying inshore fishing off of the Keys. Permit, tarpon, yellowtail, shark, grouper, barracuda and more. All on light tackle and sometimes on a fly. I find this much more satisfying than wrestling with a big tuna on 50 or 80 lb test for a couple of hours. So I guess my tip would be to explore some of the light tackle captains out of Islamorada, Stock Island and Big Pine Key. I used to fish with Wally Albrecht, a legend out of Stock Island, but Wally passed away years ago. There are many other excellent ones down there though and if you do your homework, then you'll find someone.
I should also mention for those who specifically target tuna, that the game for tuna changed sometime around the mid 80's (in the Northeast anyway) which also contributed to my disenchantment. Once the giants, due to the Japanese market for them, became fish worth 10k and up, the attitudes of the Captains changed overnight. It went from being sport, to being business and woe to any guy who screwed up and lost a big fish. One of the rules of the charter boats going out of Point Judith in RI was that the fish belonged to the boat. They'd give you a free trip, typically, but that 10k fish belonged to the crew. See how the attitude of the crew changes when you lose a 10k tuna. You'll be glad to see the port come into view with yourself still on the deck.
- Thread starter
- #3
lol it cracks me up when ever I talk to my uncles or my dads friends in their 50's and 60's im 26 and they always tell me that back in the 80's and 90's they used to catch stuff all the time on trips and I don't see it. I know it cost the boats a lot in fuel supplies licenses and general upkeep, but when we go with 6 guys I cant Imagine paying more than 400 per person and that includes the tip for a 24 hour trip!
- Thread starter
- #4
http://youtu.be/PcpuAiwf6Lo this was our only catch
Buy a boat.
Here on the west coast, the smaller fish is always some good fishing. A good captain should be willing and able to switch tactics if the intended target fish is not in the area. Some of my favorite trips have been the 6pack charters for Humboldt squid. Small open boats, plenty of squid and a freezer full of good eating!
Here on the west coast, the smaller fish is always some good fishing. A good captain should be willing and able to switch tactics if the intended target fish is not in the area. Some of my favorite trips have been the 6pack charters for Humboldt squid. Small open boats, plenty of squid and a freezer full of good eating!
+1.
The cost of the trip depends on where you are fishing, the size of the boat, how long you will be out, and how many people will be fishing.
In my neck of the woods deep sea fishing means a trip at least 40 miles off shore and is expensive. In shore fishing rates start at $350 for 1/2 day and $500 for a full day. Off shore rates vary quite a bit. If you are going for grouper and snapper the charge for a 6 hour day starts at about $650. If you are going for large game fish you can expect to pay from $1095 to $2400 depending on how far off shore you go.
The chance of success when you go after big game fish varies tremendously.
The fishing off of the Keys can be great. There are a lot of good captains.
As for me, I enjoy inshore fishing. I rather spend my time fishing rather than going out 50 miles. Catching tarpon, redfish, sharks, etc. inshore on relatively light tackle satisfied me.
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