Longline fishing from a kayak

[Dawsie]

Happy new year to you all.

Longline fishing from a kayak, anyone tried it?

[barry luxton]

Happy new year to you all.

Longline fishing from a kayak, anyone tried it?

 

What for, where would you put all your catch if you have a good day, would they be for personal consumption as most if not all would be dead, what about undersized by-catch, concidered that. Just curious.

[Dawsie]

What for, where would you put all your catch if you have a good day, would they be for personal consumption as most if not all would be dead, what about undersized by-catch, concidered that. Just curious.

 

Hi Barry,

 

I have considered the points you mention, the catch would be for my personal consumption (hopefully 2 outings a month would keep the freezer well stocked, we eat a lot of fish, 4 hungry kids and a wife to feed, we used to have a cheap supply from a local fishing boat, but he has recently retired and most fish is quite expensive to buy at the local fish market).

 

On a good day, I would utilize the forward hatch to contain the fish, other times I would just leave the fish by my legs as when fishing with a rod.

Undersize by-catch would be minimised by using larger hooks 4/0 & 5/0, I intend to drift with the longline for a few hours (which will be 100mtrs long and have 25 hooks) its not something that will be left overnight, so any under size fish will be released when the line is pulled in.

 

Im hoping to hear from people who are already doing this type of fishing as although I understand the theory I havent yet put it into practice.

[maidstonemike]

That's got to be the caziest thing Iv'e heard from a kayak. Why not just drift fish a 3 hook baited feather rig with 6/0 hooks? You won't catch any more with a long line of hooks.

Your number of hooks for 100yds doesn't make much sense either, you either would need 25 hooks one foot apart at the end of a line that was let out for 100yds, or 300 hooks on a 100yd line.

Edited January 11, 2009 by maidstonemike

[captain cojones]

That's got to be the caziest thing Iv'e heard from a kayak. Why not just drift fish a 3 hook baited feather rig with 6/0 hooks? You won't catch any more with a long line of hooks.

Your number of hooks for 100yds doesn't make much sense either, you either would need 25 hooks one foot apart at the end of a line that was let out for 100yds, or 300 hooks on a 100yd line.

 

sounds like you misunderstand what a longline is mike,or at least how they are rigged!

[cleeclive]

Hi Barry,

 

I have considered the points you mention, the catch would be for my personal consumption (hopefully 2 outings a month would keep the freezer well stocked, we eat a lot of fish, 4 hungry kids and a wife to feed, we used to have a cheap supply from a local fishing boat, but he has recently retired and most fish is quite expensive to buy at the local fish market).

 

On a good day, I would utilize the forward hatch to contain the fish, other times I would just leave the fish by my legs as when fishing with a rod.

Undersize by-catch would be minimised by using larger hooks 4/0 & 5/0, I intend to drift with the longline for a few hours (which will be 100mtrs long and have 25 hooks) its not something that will be left overnight, so any under size fish will be released when the line is pulled in.

 

Im hoping to hear from people who are already doing this type of fishing as although I understand the theory I havent yet put it into practice.

[cleeclive]

sounds like you misunderstand what a longline is mike,or at least how they are rigged!

Cleeclive Jan 11th 2009.

 

I have done this quite successfully working around 200 hooks in the Humber on slack tides but it can be dangerous and you need to know what you are up to. The mainline was 3mm twisted nylon with snoods 3ft long spaced 6ft apart Snoods can be made from heavy mono or 2mm PE braid and should be around 3ft long. The line was prebaited with frozen Loligo squid and all coiled into a large bucket with the baits laid in the coils of line. I used one marker Dahn which was a garden cane with gill net floats in its centre and a flag at the top made from a black plastic bin liner. The stick dan was weighted at the base with some old chain. The Dahn line was attached just below the floats and should be at least 4 times the water depth. I used the same 3mm line as the longline for the Dahn line. The anchors I use are the small folding 4 prong ones that you can buy for less than £5 each.

 

For safety it as well to do this as a 2 man team i.e 2 canoes. Carry the bucket of line between your legs whilst paddling to the grounds with the anchors and dahn line behind you The marker dahn can be carried in one of the rod holders. Plan your fishing so that you haul the line at slack water because you will be pulling the canoe along the line from amidships broadside unless you have a rudder which might give you some directional control. When shooting the line you will be drifting down tide with the wind possibly pushing you across the tide a bit. Choose a flat calm day to play with this. If you start by attaching the Dahn to the Dahn-line and then to the first anchor away. You way away the Dahn from the windward side the dahn-line , then attach the end of the mainline to the anchor and carefully feed this over the side paying away the line and baited hooks as the vessel drifts away from the anchor. Tie the final anchor to the end of the line and drop into the water as line becomes taught then mark its position on your GPS. The dahn will most probably dissapear under water, but do not worry it should bob back again as slack water approaches. Your GPS waypoint will give you an idea wher to be looking about half an hour before slack water. Always have a sharp knife handy just in case anything goes wrong because you do not want to be capsizing with 200 fish hooks wraped around you. 2-3 hours soak time should be more than enough so plan the trip around that, so you have a bit of time for some angling.

 

As slack water approaches head to your waypoint and start looking for the dahn, when spotted approach it uptide and pick it up on the windward side with your bucket in position and a fellow canoeist near by for safety. Grab the dahnand carefully stow your paddle. Untie the dahn and stow it then haul in the dahn-line and anchor. Disconnect the longline and coil into the bucket whilst hauling the line removing any old baits and debris as you go. Unhook fish and discard or put into a box behind you. On completion of hauling seek help from yor colleague to either carry the bucket of longline or stow it behind you on your canoe.

 

Regarding this huge catch that you are going to make, dream on boys a very good catch rate would be 10% return so for 200 hooks you could on a very good day see 20 fish, and some of these will be discarded, so do not worry too much. You could always have a small keep net on a floating hoop tied to the side of your canoe.

 

If you try this be careful it can be dangerous unless you know what you are doing, and make sure you hae a mate nearby to lend a hand

 

Most of the boat anglers up here recon I am crazy but I have been fishing the Humber from small boats for around 35 years, so there is a bit of experience and several scary moments under my belt. It keeps you on your toes as well!

 

Re environmental impact concerns don't worry yourselves nothing that we do in a canoe is going to decimate fish stocks all the damage has been done by commercial fishermen over the last 30 years, and anything that we kill or discard is totally insignificant in the scale of things. Trust me I have worked with commercial fishermen and in discard research for most of my life.

 

Good luck and come back for more advice if you want it

 

Cheers

 

CLEECLIVE

[Hungry Fisherman]

thanks for that info i too have been investigating the possibility of long lining from a yak not that many hooks by far 25 max and no intentions of leaving the line unatanded will fish with rod nearby

for me it to guarantee ill take some thing to eat home to justify the cost of launching gear etc

till now ive heard a lot of opinions from ppl that have no experience with long lines

if i did do it i probs wont anyhow itll be with size 3 circle hooks and the fish size i limits will still be followed

[maidstonemike]

thanks for that info i too have been investigating the possibility of long lining from a yak not that many hooks by far 25 max and no intentions of leaving the line unatanded will fish with rod nearby

for me it to guarantee ill take some thing to eat home to justify the cost of launching gear etc

till now ive heard a lot of opinions from ppl that have no experience with long lines

if i did do it i probs wont anyhow itll be with size 3 circle hooks and the fish size i limits will still be followed

[/quote

 

You are the one who doesn't seem to be understanding what we are trying to tell you. A long line has a lot more hooks than 25! You won't gain anything by fishing 25 hooks in a line, and it will be a nightmare to bring aboard a kayak without a big dangerous tangle..

You might as well fish two rods with 5 hooks on each, it will be much easier, and just as productive.

5 hook 6/0 rigs with white feathers are readily available, bait them up, and you have a very good setup. Add a handline over the side with another set of 5 hooks, and you are at maximum production without the awkwardness of a line of 25 hooks.

You know it makes sense!

You also seem to be wanting to justify the cost of your kayak etc, why? If you can't afford to have a kayak for fun and sport, and need to offset the cost by catching enough fish to supply your family, you are going to be dissapointed, in a big way!

I'm happy to enjoy a few hours on the water and not catch any fish, whereas you will be annoyed with no fish because you havn't justified the cost on that day.

I think you have chosen the wrong sport for the wrong reasons, buy a TRAWLER!

Edited January 12, 2009 by maidstonemike

[barry luxton]

I think you have chosen the wrong sport for the wrong reasons, buy a TRAWLER!

 

 

 

 

Couldn't help but laugh at that sorry, from a dingy might be a healthier and safer, cheaper method if that is what you want to do.