Posts from — March 2010

How do you get to the grocery store when your a thousand miles from shore, and a thousand and two miles from the nearest grocery store? The short answer is you don’t. The longer answer will be presented here, and it begins with a trip down below to see what you’ve got stashed in the galley of your boat. Provisioning for a extended boating trip is no small task. If you forget something, there’s no quick run to the convenience store to pick up a couple of things. Out in the middle of the ocean, if you can’t catch it, or find it somewhere in the galley, your not going to eat it. Here’s a few quick ideas to get you started thinking about boat provisioning.

To start a list of what kind of provisions you think you’ll need, draw up a menu with a weeks worth of meals your boating crew would enjoy. Then figure out what would be required to make each meal. This list should be a good base to build from when you actually start buying items for the boat trip.

Be sure to have some very simple to prepare meals. When weather is rough, and the boat galley is an unworkable environment, some pre-packaged meals that require no heating will be a saving grace.

Keep an eye out for foods that will stay fresh for long periods of time, or are packaged in such a way as to say fresh longer. Cheese that is packaged in wax, will stay good for a very long time. Some salami, sausage and pepperoni that is keep in the non-refrigerated section of the grocery store will stay good for months at a time.

Anywhere you can find a place to store snacks, be sure to take advantage of it. Boating always seems to make people hungry, but doesn’t always seem to provide the opportunity to stop what your doing and make something fancy. Healthy snacks will be better to fuel the fires that keep the crew and the boat going.

Be careful of what foods you store together. They’re not always compatible. Apples and carrots stored together, will often cause bitterness in the carrots. If onions are stored with potatoes, the onions will steal moisture from the potatoes.

Most fruit should be bought in the not-yet-ripe state, and then stored in a way to slow down the ripening process. Green apples stored in the dark should last a couple of weeks.

Give some thought to were you store items in the boat. Storage lockers closer to the hull and below the waterline will be cooler, and better for produce. Especially if you are going to be boating in warm tropical areas.

While there is a lot to consider, some thorough and logical planning will make things smoother come launch day. And while you may forget a few items, or lose a few perishables in transit, don’t fret. It’s only a thousand and two miles to the nearest grocery store.

Tuna

If you’ve never been out to our states under water canyons you don’t know what you’re missing. The cobalt blue nutrient rich Gulf Stream water brings all bait up to the NJ canyons every year and the Tuna along with it. The most popular species are Yellowfin, Longfin, and Bluefin with an occasional Bigeye mixed in. While fishing for Tuna there are also many other species caught like White and Blue Marlin, Mahi, Swordfish, Shark and Tilefish on the bottom. It’s like a whole other world out there. No need to go to distant places to fight these fish. They’re right here in our own back yard.

The largest, most popular and most northern canyon in the state is the Hudson.. The Hudson Canyon is a V shape bite out of the ocean’s bottom that runs from it’s narrow NE point and widens as it drops off into the continental shelf.. The tip of the Hudson lies about 70 miles due east of the Manasquan inlet. The Gulf Stream warm water eddies well up along the canyon walls and makes for the perfect spot. Much of the water surrounding the canyons tip is 200 feet and drops quickly down to 600 feet on its sheer walls. It then takes a fairly steady drop and widens out until it reaches 6000 feet. Best way to describe it is the Grand Canyon under water…. Now that’s what I call structure and your best bet is to fish its ledges.

Time of Year:

Southern canyons usually start up a bit earlier then their northern peers, usually in June/July. Northern canyons usually start getting hot in July/August with the best months being September/October.

How To Catch Them:

• The general rule of thumb is daytime trolling in the early season and daytime trolling and nighttime chunking later in the season.
• Trolling is done at relatively higher speeds of 6 to 7 knots and concentrated around structure like steep drop of canyon walls. Larger boats will run as many as 9 lines. Each out rigger will have 2 lines (long and short) and a teaser. You will also run 2 short lines off the line clips on the stern and one line down the middle way back in your spread for big guys. The lures usually are a mix of skirted Ballyhoo, Islanders, Spreader Bars and a Green Machine with a Birdie down the middle.
• Chunking is done pretty much exclusively at night and later in the season when the water temps are warmer. You can either drift or anchor. Drifting is very effective if there is a small amount of wind and current. You throw cut pieces of Butter Fish or “Chunks” over to create a chunk slick to attract Tuna and keep them with you when the come into your area. You hook a whole Butter Fish, Sardine or Squid below an egg sinker running through your main line. The amount of sinker weight depends on the current.. You want just enough to keep you line straight down from the boat. It’s best to hand feed the line out so you can put it down to a specific depth by counting the number of pulls. 1 foot per pull. You want to put your lines down at various depths to see what works best. The first line is down 30 feet or so and then others in 50 foot deeper increments.
• Jigging is also a very effective method. Butterfly jigs are dropped down to the target depths and jigged. These outfits are typically very light weight rods and reel with colored braided line marked at 20 foot increments so you can judge what depth your are jigging.
• These fish hit like a freight train and where there is one there are others. You need to be sure and preset your reel drags and be prepared. Tie up some rigs ahead of time to maximize your time in the water if you get into a good bite.
• Lights on board and in the water will greatly enhance your chances since they attract bait and the bait attracts the Tuna. This is especially true for the Tuna’s favorite bait, Squid. You want to try your best to snag or net as many live squid as you can and use them as your hooked baits. Live Squid in general is the most productive bait for Tuna.

Best Places To Catch Them:

• The most northern canyon is the Hudson, which is 70 miles due east of Manasquan Inlet. The other major canyons south of the Hudson are the Carteret, Toms, Spencer, Lindenkohl and Willmington.
• Some years we get a shot at the Tuna inshore of the Canyon in the Mudhole area, bu the canyon fishery is typically much more productive and consistent.

Some Fishing Tips:

• Be sure to keep your Butter Fish chunking steady to build a long contiguous slick. It’s best to throw handful of chunks out at timed intervals like every 2 minutes.
• When on the chunk keep a close watch for marks on your depth sounder. If you see consistent marks at a certain depth try to adjust your lines to that depth.
• When you land a Tuna the first thing you want to do is bleed the fish. This keeps the meat white and tasty.
• Make sure the boat you are fishing on has a permit and you know the regulations since they change frequently.
• When party boat fishing, you usually anchor so try and find a spot in the stern.
• When trolling you and your crew need to keep a constant watch. If you get one fish hooked up chances are you will hook several more.
• When chunking it’s best to work the lines… You pay out line manually to the desired depth and if you get no bites, reel it in and try again. If you just get the line down to the depth and leave it the pole in the holder you are typically not going to get as many strikes.
• Most people use circle hooks. If you are using them DO NOT set the hook on a bite. Simply engage the drag and let the fish hook itself.
• If you are trolling it’s good to keep a few pitch poles set aside with bait on them… Often times when you are trolling for Tuna you can get a Marlin to come up into the spread. You want to be able to tease him in with your trolled lures and teasers but pitch him a bait so your are fighting him on the outfit you would prefer to fight him on.
• Get lots of sleep. Tuna trips can be long and tiring
• Unless you, your boat and crew are equipped for this sort of fishing, its best left to the experts on Party and Charter Boats… They have all the safety and fishing equipment, a big hold to keep the fish on ice, a license and the knowledge to identify the specific species of Tuna and what the current regulations are for size, quantity and species. Since they fish often they also have the best intelligence as to where the fish are to increase your odds of catching.
• Tuna can sometimes be very line shy. If there are fish in the area try using a lighter leader and always use fluorocarbon.

We are into March and before you know it, it will be time for the boating
enthusiasts to take their boats out of dry dock and get them ready for another big boating season. Now is the time of the year the boat owner should review the steps necessary to protect his boat from thieves and make this a crime free year.

Thieves are always on the lookout for easy targets. Many boat owners take a lackadaisical approach when it comes to their property. Do not make yourself and your boat an easy target. You can make your boat less of a target if you follow these simple steps:

• Never leave anything valuable on display, however small and insignificant it may seem. Thieves steal first and think about the value later.
• Don’t leave equipment or other items loose in the cockpit or on deck.
• Don’t leave your engine key in the ignition; always take it with you.
• Keep your other boat keys separate from your engine keys.
• Always keep your boat locked when no one is on board, even if it is for a short time.
• Use strong casehardened padlocks or rim locks on all your hatches, entry points and cockpit lockers.
• Consistently check and think of ways to improve the security on your boat. Do not take security for granted.
• It is a good idea to install an alarm and use a visible sticker to say that one your boat has an alarm system.
• Make sure your cockpit lockers are properly secured, and check that your main hatch and fore-hatch are strong, making it harder for thieves to get access to the interior.
• Also, think about having a strongbox or a hidden safe down below. If you don’t think something is secure, get it fixed.

IMPROVE YOUR SECURITY

Once you’ve tied up alongside, always do a quick security check before going ashore.

Always:

• Lock anything valuable out of sight in a strong locker secured by a strong casehardened padlock.
• Lock up any emergency money away from other valuables. A hidden safe can be handy here.
• Keep your curtains closed so that no-one can look in.
• Keep unused ropes, fenders and other items out of sight in your cockpit, lockers and cupboards and always lock them.
• Make sure that your life raft and outboard motor are secure, as these are valuable and attractive to boat thieves.
• When you go ashore using a dinghy, always remove your oars or paddles, row locks or pump, and secure the dinghy with a strong chain and padlock.
• If you are the victim of boat theft, call the police immediately and tell the harbor master or boatyard manager. Check to make sure that your boat is still seaworthy and hasn’t been badly damaged.
• And, if you can, check that neighboring boats haven’t been broken into as well.

Get to know other boat owners in your marina and work as a team to keep the marina secure. As a team or marina watch you can do the following:

• Keep an eye on other boats, as well as your own.
• Report any strangers at the marina to the harbor master or yardmaster.
• Don’t give your marina access card or key to other people for any reason.
• Never tell anyone else the access code to the marina.
• Don’t allow strangers into the marina, however genuine they may seem.
• Keep the marina gate closed at all times.

Don’t hesitate to act on these recommendations today. Tomorrow may be too late. Always remember that thought, planning and intentions are great but in order to accomplish anything you must take action.

Sharks

There are certainly plenty of Sharks in New Jersey’s waters. In fact, the movie Jaws was inspired by a series of shark attacks that took place along the Jersey shore in the summer of 1916. The first attack was in Beach Heaven, the next in Spring Lake and the last attack took place in the backwaters of Raritan bay in the Matawan Creek.

The most abundant species is the Blue Shark and the most prized is the Mako. Threshers and Tiger sharks are common as well. There are many local Shark tournaments with the most popular being the Mako Mania. There are several Charter boats that will target Sharks specifically.

The usual method is to set a drift over structure like wrecks and walls while paying out a long slick consisting of ground chum and Bunker oil. Typical baits are Mackerel and Blue Fish fillets suspended by balloons set down at 25, 75 and 100 feet. The shallower baits are in close while the deeper baits are further back in the slick.

Heavy gear is required for Shark fishing along with long braided wire leaders to protect against the Shark’s sharp teeth and rough skin… Long stretches of boredom are the norm while you are waiting to hook up. They are however coupled with moments of the most exciting fishing you can imagine. These majestic beasts are fighters and if you are lucky enough to hook up with a crazy Mako get out your camera… These are probably the craziest fish in our waters and are known to leap several feet clear of the water when hooked up!

An experienced crew is a must Shark fishing since subduing and landing a shark requires special equipment and a knowledgeable crew. With many exceeding 150 pounds and rows of laser sharp teeth, you don’t want to mess with them at boat side unless you know what your are doing. For this reason, Sharking is best left to the experts.

Time of Year:

Shark fishing is usually best in June before the water warms up too much but Sharks can be caught all summer long and into September.

How To Catch Them:

• Be sure to keep a steady chum slick… Ground frozen Mackerel works well since it’s very oily and creates a nice slick. Put the contents of a frozen bucket into a chum bag and hang it off the side of your boat.
• You don’t move around a lot when Sharking…. You need to commit to a spot and judge the wind and tide to take long drifts over as much structure as possible. A long uninterrupted slick is the key to attracting Sharks.
• A butterfly fillet Mackerel makes a great bait since the are oily and stay on the hook very well…. Bluefish fillets work well too as do large trolling Squids.
• Set your long deep line out first by pulling off the required amount of line to set it at the depth you want. You then tie off a balloon and let the current move the floating balloon out 50 yards or so. Next do the same with your mid depth line and then the short line so they stair step away from the boat from shallow to deep.
• Often times you’ll have Sharks come into your slick with out picking up any of your baits. For this reason it’s good to have a pitch pole rigged with bait handy so you can pitch a hooked bait to them quickly if the opportunity arises.
• Shark fishing is done pretty much exclusively by charter boats not party Unless you, your boat and crew are equipped for this sort of fishing, it’s best left to the experts. They have all the safety and fishing equipment, a license and the knowledge to land a Shark safely.
• If you want to keep a Shark the best tasting ones are the Mako and Thresher.

Best Places To Catch Them:

• Best fishing takes place usually 15 – 50 miles off the beach in the areas of deep water wrecks like “The Mudhole” area. Wrecks get the most attention.