What should I be using to fish on a budget whilst in the Caribbean?
I am relatively new to sea fishing and have just started my Merchant Navy officer training.
In February I join a ship in the Caribbean for six months. Whilst we are at anchor I’m planning to do a little fishing from the ship, but as I am only a cadet I’m on a slim budget.
What fish am I likely to encounter and what kit do I need? Would a British boat rod and fixed spool reel of about 50 lbs be sufficient? What about line, hooks and simple rigs?
Anyone with experience of fishing from Florida down to Venezuela, feel free to answer!
Sure…you can see people fishing with ordinary spinning rods, beachcasters, bamboo poles, all sorts.
There are normal-sized fish around. They’re not all 100lb Tunas and 200lb sharks.
Loads of 1lb and 2lb fish come up on lines.
Lines over 6-8lb are OK but put 20lb or 30lb on if you feel safer. You can’t get as much on the reel but you won’t be casting far with a boat rod.
Any hook you want. Big hooks and big bait for big fish, littler ones for littler fish.
No point getting too technical with it all. The locals catch fish and they don’t chat in fishing forums, buy Sea Fishing Monthly or ponder the intricacies of Penn reels against Skakespeares or Daiwas or worry about agate rod rings versus steel rings or optimum tip curvature and profile for distance casting or even which specially-concocted cord to use for tying large baits onto hooks.
They just get on with it and thengo home and eat.
That’s the idea…….food!
I’ve had great fishing in South America, Singapore, Malaysia, India, all sorts of warm waters, without ever worrying about getting dragged out of the boat by a massive shark or what colour line I should be using, even in my little 16-foot Sampan, made in Beach Road in Singapore for peanuts. Linen sail. Bamboo mast and boom. Tohatsu outboard for calm days. Great island explorer and fishing boat. Spent days and days in it. Slept overnight in it, explored further. More fish for dinner.
A twelve-foot bamboo pole with twelve feet of line has got me hundreds of fish for about 10p spent on lines and hooks.
Tie the line on one end of the pole and tie the hook so it sits firmly in the other end with a little stretch of the line. For use, release the hook, put some bait on it and drop it into the water. Jig it up and down a bit and get a fish within a minute. Lift it out of the water and into a bucket or on the deck. Easy to handle, because the line is the same length as the rod. Holding the rod upright puts the fish on your lap if your sitting.
Ten minutes feeds six of us well on a good day.
For getting a potfull of small catfish for curries from Kerala rivers and Malaysian ponds they can’t be beaten. Fish coming out two a minute. Easy. Comic-book rod and line. Works a treat.
With your rod and reel you’re laughing. You’ve got plenty to get you loads of big fish.
Of course if you want really nice big ones you’ll be better off with a body harness to give a fulcrum to pull the rod against and maybe 100lb line and 2 or 3 inch long-shafted hooks and a long gaff or net and time the winding so there’s no pressure going on the spool or you’ll implode it.
Heave the fish, drop the rod end, wind the slack, however little.
Heave, drop, wind. Otherwise, trouble ahead.
100 turns with 10lb of pressure on a turn is 1000lbs.
You can put 50lbs on a whole turn easy with bad technique and a 20lb fish on the hook.
100 turns of that is 5000lbs…. 2 1/4 tons!
Quartermaster job then. Reel store.
Titanium Profressional Oceanmaster No3, QTY 2, free issue. Well, we can all dream.
You’ll get plenty of sport from a 20-40lb fish on your rod as it is if that’s what you’re after. After a few brought in you’ll know you’ve got arms. And everything else.
Have a geat time. You might with one of these. An ideal rod for catching sea trout from half a mile inland…well, it gets windy on the shore
http://www.ourbc.com/travel_bc/bc_cities/yellowhead_hwy/photos/fly_rod_640.jpg . . . .
Fish
http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_8392_caribbean-fish-identification.html . . . .
http://www.coralreeffish.com/larvae.html . . . .
3 Brinks Max Security Aluminum Body 6 Spool Locks Picked
|
|
Artistic Craft Wire Silver Plated Non Tarnish 20 Gauge 6 Yards $4.32 20 gauge silver wire. This spool of 20 gauge wire has approximately 6 yards of wire. Artistic Wire, permanently colored copper wire is the leading craft wire in the industry. It is high quality jewelry and crafting wire and offered in a multitude of colors and gauges at Jewelrymakingshop on Amazon! Use this wire for jewelry making, stringing buttons, beading, crafts, scrapbooking, and card makin… |
|
|
6 Spools of 100% Pure Silk Ribbons – Green Tones – 60 mts x 4mm $12.95 6 spools of 100% Pure Silk Ribbons of 4mm size. Each spool has 10 meters of ribbon on it giving you a total of 60 meters (approximately 66 yards). This set includes 6 different shades of Green – No Duplicates. This is Best Quality Silk Ribbons and have a retail value of approximately $5.00 per spool, . The Ribbons come prewound on their individual plastic container for easy storage. These Embroide… |
|
|
Cyclone .065-Inch-by-300-Foot Spool Commercial Grade 6-Blade 1/2-Pound Grass Trimmer Line, Blue CY065D1/2-12 $9.99 Ideal for landscaping professionals, the Cyclone .065-inch-by-300-foot commercial trimmer line features a patented six-bladed shape for added cutting power. A proprietary commercial grade copolymer nylon provides superior strength and durability. For use with all trimmers calling for .065-inch diameter line, this blue trimmer line comes in a 300-foot package…. |
|
|
6 Pack Compatible Universal Calculator Spool EPC B / R Black and Red Ribbons, Works for Sharp EL 1630 A, Sharp EL 1630 G, Sharp EL 2196 BL, Sharp EL 2615 $11.00 Compatible Universal Calculator Spool EPC B / R Black and Red Ribbonsworks in Brother, Canon, Casio, Citizen, Sharp, Texas Instruments, Victor Calculators Brand New Compatible Universal Calculator Spool EPC B / R Black and Red ISO 9001 Certified… |
|
|
6 Pack Compatible Universal Calculator Spool EPC B / R Black and Red Ribbons, Works for Canon Canola MP-27 D, Canon Canola MP-31 D, Canon Canola MP-31 D II, Canon Canola MP-31 DH $13.00 Compatible Universal Calculator Spool EPC B / R Black and Red Ribbonsworks in Brother, Canon, Casio, Citizen, Sharp, Texas Instruments, Victor Calculators Brand New Compatible Universal Calculator Spool EPC B / R Black and Red ISO 9001 Certified… |
|
|
RG-6/U Quad Shield Coaxial Cable 100 ft. Spool $22.40 This high quality American made cable is ideal for any CATV/CCTV installation. It is 18 AWG copper covered steel cable with a polyethylene foam dielectric. The cable utilizes aluminum foil and aluminum braid to provide 100% shielding which reduces RF interference and cross talk. 100ft. roll. Specifications: *Capacitance: 17.3 *Impedance: 75 ohms *Velocity of Propagation: 78% * UL approved, CL2/CAT… |
|
|
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread $3.00 WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL!Kate DiCamillo introduces a hero for all time!Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. … |
|
|
Worx .065-Inch 6 Pack Replacement Line Spool #WA0010 … |
|
|
Cyclone .105-Inch 3-Pound Spool Commercial Grade 6-Blade Grass Trimmer Line, Red CY105S3-2 $27.99 Ideal for landscaping professionals, the Cyclone .105-inch-by-700-foot commercial trimmer Line features a patented six-bladed shape for added cutting power. A proprietary commercial grade copolymer nylon provides superior strength and durability. For use with all trimmers calling for .105-inch diameter line, this red trimmer line comes in a 700-foot package…. |
|
|
6mm White String Pearl Beads on Spools (3 Spools) for Wedding Favors, Crafts, Decorations & More $17.96 … |