SAILING & FISHING. Steps to Self-Sufficiency at Sea - Episode 187
This week we mix it up a little.
While we continue our story of sailing north along the rugged Western Australian Coast, this episode also details our trolling techniques and equipment, developed over our years of cruising and by observing the professionals, in a way that everyone can find easy to understand and accessible.
Our travel into remote areas with very little refrigeration space compels us to make use of our natural resources, chief of those being Australia’s abundant fish population and, with Pascale’s culinary flourishes, we never go hungry!
We try to make the very best use of everything we catch, return unused parts of the fish to as close to where it was caught as possible and take only what we need.
This is not about game fishing, rather a few simple steps toward providing you and your crew with fresh, healthy provisions when under sail.
As usual, we hope you find this week's video entertaining and informative. We have listed the information covered as chapters in the description of the video on YouTube and below to make it a more useful resource.
Our very best wishes
T & P
TIME STAMPS
00:00 Pascale Sailing and Fishing
00:40 Introduction
01:50 Trolling Basics. Our Choice of Lure.
03:25 Pascale catches a Yellow Fin Tuna
04:03 How we safely bring a fish on board
04:58 Processing Tuna under Sail
11:09 Troy reels in a Mackerel
12:16 Our Trolling Reel and How it Works
13:11 Setting the Drag Correctly
15:00 Safety Lanyard for the Rod and Reel
16:00 Humpback Whale Migration
16:31 Our first Mahi Mahi / Dolphin Fish on board
18:22 How to put a wire trace on to your lure
22:42 A Summary of our Trolling Rig
24:18 Trolling a Lure is not Selective. Bringing in a Skip Jack Tuna.
24:44 Bleeding a Fish Effectively
25:04 Fish Identification
25:42 Reel Maintenance
27:28 Mahi Mahi and Skip Jack Tuna Sashimi
28:30 Seaweed Chips
28:57 Thank you
SAILING & FISHING: Steps to Self-Sufficiency at Sea - Ep 187 (YouTube)
Comments (32)
Wanted to share that I went offshore solo in my Southern Cross 31 and caught both blackfin tuna and mahi mahi. Used tons of good information from this video. My rod and reel wasn't really suited for the job so when I got back to shore I went to a good bait and tackle and asked for their recommendation for offshore tuna and they suggested the Shimano TLD25 rod and reel combo just like you have. They also suggested Halco max 130 lures which I understand is an Australian company. Anyhoo just really love your share of knowledge and this has opened a new chapter in my life. I'll be getting my son out there with me soon. Nice pic up on my facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bobby.rogers.969952
Good for you! If they have Halco over there, we like the Laserpro series in whichever colour you think looks most like a flying fish. They have a rattle in that seems to make them effective. Hope you have a really great trip out with your boy. Tight lines!
Any technique that revolves around ass sitting is going to get approval from us! I do miss fishing for Rainbows. In southern Western Australia they are stocked and don't sea-run but get into fine condition gobbling up small fresh water crayfish.
I caught me a nice rainbow trout on Kootenay lake the other week. nothing like the monsters you guys are hooking. but I used a lot of your tricks. Thanks. I also used two of Troys special sailing hacks..I held the boat straight when beaching with the autopilot and engine at idle. works a treat!. also I used the sit on my ass reefing technique in a big squall. No worries!
Asian carp have taken over this area. There easily spooked an often jump right into the boat, often striking the passengers. We held the net over the side and landed a 6 pounder that jumped right in. Now that’s fishing.
I heard of a mullet fishing technique that involved hanging a white board under a dinghy, secured across a creek. The fish are unnerved by the board and try to leap over and land in the dinghy!
Question regarding the refrigerator condensation. When I bought my boat it had one but I stopped using it mainly because of all the water generated just below the refrigerator. Do you have a pan that drains to the bilge?
No, our refrigerator has no drain and every now and then, we clean it out. The worst offender for condensation is poor seals on the lid/door or getting a fresh beer every 15 minutes! If I was to make a custom refrigerator, I would try to build in a sump that drained overboard through a seacock or go to the bilge. Fresh water in bilges is the source of some otherworldly odours though so it would be a last resort.
I really liked the fishing tips. Catching fish under sail is a unique skill. While sailing with friends in the Bahamas we caught a 4’ Wahoo. The folks I was with never cut the blood line or sctubbed the fish before processing. They were very surprised at the difference in the quality and taste of the meat. Thanks for the lesson.
Boy those Wahoo earn their name if you get them on light gear! They were a common capture when I was working offshore in Queensland and they definitely benefit from good handling practices and immediate chilling.
That was very interesting, and I learned a lot! Tying the loop in the wire leader reminded me very much of tying hitch pin loops in piano wire (piano rebuilding, and maintenance was a primary part of my day job before retiring from the university). I'll put that to good use if and when I get to do some ocean fishing, but it's more than a bit overkill for Kentucky Lake ;)
Those wire loops were similar to bunny snares I used to make in boyhood with the difference of forming the wire twice around a chopstick first to get a nice round loop. I've always liked the look of a nice neat job, even back then. Perhaps I missed my calling restoring fine pianos!
Another great episode, cant wait for shops to open to pick up a tld25!
Wow, great video. Not too long but long enough to really get into it. Lots of Troy and Pascale fishing is always a good show. I really enjoy the details you add wrt methods and ideas. As an flying instructor myself, I know it is hard to learn to talk through a lot of mundane things, that are not so mundane to the new folks. Appreciate the effort you both always take.
I imagine people listening to you are very motivated to absorb what you are telling them!
Got our shirts. Thank you so much! Lovely, and the all cotton feels wonderful. Thanks too for this great video. I have been wanting to do a fishing apprenticeship with Troy. Wow! Much appreciated!
It's taken a while but we wanted something not too dry and with an element of story to go with all the info. Glad you liked it!
Lots of great info, thanks!
Great job! I am getting Capers ready to fish and being a better fisher than catcher, I need any advice I can get. Regarding the Mahi, aka Dolphin Fish, I worked in the Gulf of Mexico on the rigs in the mid 70's. I would catch them with 3/8" polypro, a leader, hook, and a catsup bottle cap as a lure just bouncing it on top of the water. One of my favorite fish!
We have fish here called Queenfish, which starred in a few battles in our early videos. They are similar in their lack of discrimination once they get excited and their aerobatics once hooked.
Great stuff Troy & Pascale.. I have 2 trusty TLD25s I will now hose them down with Fresh before putting away.. you learn something every day :)
I loved this episode, I've got my new T-shirt on, and my smile meter is reading "TOP QUALITY!!" .. I once went out with a man who taught me the skills of hand fishing large fish. I was amazed to learn that the old school masking tape (the original yellowish kind) 10 wraps on the first two fingers and thumb of both hands will last all day and this is your break to wear down a running 27 kilogram Mahi Mahi which I was able to bring in after 45 minutes of pure heart-pounding adrenaline. The line never cut the tape, the 10 layers act as a cushion forming a groove. That fish took off like a torpedo with the big spool of line laying free on the floor of the Mexican Panga. The other important lesson I was given, NEVER lift your feet (retrieved line piles up as you hand over hand it back in the boat), and always keep your shoulders squared to the pull. Maybe someone can use this.. 🐬 ✍️)))
I replied to this on YT but I will say again that that is a great use of tape. I got my fingers burned not long ago when a big fish took a small offering and caught me by surprise.
Great as always. You look more relaxed now that your boat projects are pretty much done. At least any large ones are. Now it’s only the fun stuff. Watch us going down the Mississippi on my fb page. You’ll like all that fresh water stuff. I must say it is so much easier than the salt water. Especially the boat clean up.
I have seen yachts on our largest freshwater impoundment, Lake Argyle and it does look to be a much easier life. You guys have a lot more freshwater fish there to choose from (unless they've all been eaten) so that would make for an interesting difference.
Thank you. Enjoyed your tutorial on line setup and the process of getting a catch on board.
Getting the catch on is often the tricky bit!
Wow! Thank you for a lovely informative video this week! I am definitely one of those that really enjoys the fishing. As a fisherman who has tried most facets, I am always keen to see how others do it. My favourite is still rock & surf fishing, and for that, I have a Shimano reel that is over 30 years old and still going strong. In South Africa, the Mahi-Mahi goes by the name of Dorado and is a fine eating fish. Thanks again and all the best to you both.
Surf fishing is still on the back-burner but when I was a kid, I did love to snorkel at the back of the surf beach and fish with a hand-line in the gutters. In Mauritius and Reunion we ate a lot of Dorado and learned to hold smoked Marlin in high regard.
Thanks guys. I sometimes feel a bit weird about fishing since I grew up and worked part of my life at sea but can’t fish for nuts. I will give your suggestions a go.
We still do prefer to dive for our dinner but a yacht is going at a nice trolling speed anyway so it seemed wise to capitalize on it. The secret is to be thorough in the details.
Incredible! Loved this! Good onya!