Fishing Offshore ALONE

[auguste]

As some of you know I sometimes fish offshore alone
. . . I like to fish with others
. . . Someone is not always available to fish with me
. . . Fishing alone is a special challenge
. . . Fishing alone sharpens your skills

Before leaving the dock
. . . I tell friends where I am going
. . . I tell friends when I plan to return
. . . I tend to follow the fleet out in the morning
. . . I tend to fish within a few miles of others . . . when reasonable

Before leaving the dock
. . . I double check fuel
. . . I double check engine fluid levels and belts
. . . I double check all my safety gear
. . . I put on my life jacket before shoving off

My personal equipment worn on me are
. . . personal EPIRB strapped to my life vest
. . . hand held VHF strapped to my life
. . . hand held GPS strapped to my vest
. . . my vest is an inflatable vest and I wear it all of the time

My other safety practices include
. . . a ditch bag at the transom
. . . a ditch bag next to my life raft at the bow
. . . the gaffs are on rod holders
. . . and 8 feet long gaffs so that the hook is way high out of the way

More safety includes
. . . lures have only one single hook
. . . snips that can cut hooks near by
. . . a first aid kit near by
. . . keeping my cool and not running

Hope this helps
. . . other ideas are requested
. . . suggestions for improvement are appreciated
. . . we all want to have fun
. . . and we all want to get back safe

[CAPTJohnny]

Nice job, I fish alone very often as well. My only suggestions would be a sat. phone, and a knife. I ALWAYS make sure everyone on the boat has a knife on him/her. I prefer the blunt nose, hook and skinner type. If you get wrapped up and go over, you have no shot at getting out of heavy mono or especially dacron.

[Bullshipper]

How do you handle the engine kill switch Gus?

[Bullshipper]

Bullshipper - 4/2/2006 3:11 PM

How do you handle the engine kill switch Gus?

Is the water cold where you fish? Shark repellant?

[auguste]

Bullshipper - 4/2/2006 5:11 PM

How do you handle the engine kill switch Gus?

Good question and with my boat I do not have a kill switch

I am looking at a product called the virtual life line . . . it is wireless kill switch for use on boats like mine

http://www.powerboatsafety.com/

I have not finished researching this option

[auguste]

Bullshipper - 4/2/2006 5:12 PM

Is the water cold where you fish? Shark repellant?

The OBX stream is warm . . .when I fished the great lakes I wore a flotation jacket

There is no true shark repellant except that chain link suit they developped about 20 years ago

[auguste]

CAPTJohnny - 4/2/2006 5:00 PM

Nice job, I fish alone very often as well. My only suggestions would be a sat. phone, and a knife. I ALWAYS make sure everyone on the boat has a knife on him/her. I prefer the blunt nose, hook and skinner type. If you get wrapped up and go over, you have no shot at getting out of heavy mono or especially dacron.

Good point . . . I also carry a knife in a sheath . . . it is a short 4 inch blade with a serrated section

I do not have a sat phone . . . at least not yet . . . have been considering a single side band radio (I think that is what they call them)

[Drifter]

CAPTJohnny - 4/2/2006 3:00 PM

I ALWAYS make sure everyone on the boat has a knife on him/her. I prefer the blunt nose, hook and skinner type. If you get wrapped up and go over, you have no shot at getting out of heavy mono or especially dacron.

Very good suggestion. Every offshore angler on board should consider wearing something along the lines of a Sportsmans Release Knife:



link: http://www.releaseknife.com/

(commonly available from retail tackle suppliers)

[auguste]

Drifter - 4/2/2006 5:57 PM

Very good suggestion. Every offshore angler on board should consider wearing something along the lines of a Sportsmans Release Knife:



link: http://www.releaseknife.com/

(commonly available from retail tackle suppliers)

Very nice

Just placed an order

THANKS

[CAPTJohnny]

Thanks also another word on the Sat. Phone. The single side band is great, works at a much greater range than VHF, the whole line of site, curvature of the earth thing. The only drawback is being permanently attached to the vessel. The Sat. phone serves its greatest purpose in the event of abandoning ship, and being already in the liferaft. That way you have the absolute ability to contact USCG and with an EPIRB and GPS it "should" in theory not be more than a few hours upon rescue. Food for thought. My best to all for a safe and amazing season.

[auguste]

CAPTJohnny - 4/2/2006 6:51 PM

Thanks also another word on the Sat. Phone. The single side band is great, works at a much greater range than VHF, the whole line of site, curvature of the earth thing. The only drawback is being permanently attached to the vessel. The Sat. phone serves its greatest purpose in the event of abandoning ship, and being already in the liferaft. That way you have the absolute ability to contact USCG and with an EPIRB and GPS it "should" in theory not be more than a few hours upon rescue. Food for thought. My best to all for a safe and amazing season.

With VHF handhelp radio and EPIRB that has built in transmission of GPS coordinates . . . a hand held sat phone would be just too much to wear all day plus my life vest

[ubettcha13]

I read an article about giant fishing solo The author had a flat nylon webbing leash attached to something similar to a bowhunter/treestand safety harness incase he fell over rigging baits while trolling/running He also had one on the kill switch I'm pretty sure it was 50' in lenght with the excess rubber banded but I cannot find the article Anyway this was with the auto inflate vest and secured to the hull The reason for the webbing was it lay flat on the deck and was stronger and much easier to care for the excess when working around the boat. His hull was a 26' cuddy Prokat I believe it was in the magazine On The Water but not positive

[auguste]

ubettcha13 - 4/2/2006 7:28 PM

I read an article about giant fishing solo The author had a flat nylon webbing leash attached to something similar to a bowhunter/treestand safety harness incase he fell over rigging baits while trolling/running He also had one on the kill switch I'm pretty sure it was 50' in lenght with the excess rubber banded but I cannot find the article Anyway this was with the auto inflate vest and secured to the hull The reason for the webbing was it lay flat on the deck and was stronger and much easier to care for the excess when working around the boat. His hull was a 26' cuddy Prokat I believe it was in the magazine On The Water but not positive

Would love to see the article you are referring to

A long flat web works if you have a connection to a kill switch . . . with a cabin I do not know how it would work

Maybe have the web connected to a master switch that kills all power going to the engines . . . will that stop the diesels?

It would not be fun being towed by a boat at 7 knts

But I think you have an idea there that would work

[Elusive]

Gus - Are you wearing an auto-inflating type like this ?



When I fish alone I wear the belt. Not as good as an auto-inflating vest, but I rationalized that it is better than nothing as I was doing before



Here is a nice addition to any PFD. It is a pouch that can carry a PLB, flares, flashlight, knife, etc.



Another thing to consider: If you go over the side, do you have the ability to get back onboard ?


Good thread. Thanks

[ubettcha13]

Gus some kind of electrical main switch would work with electric injectors or fuel pumps How do you turn it off now fuel shut off or just key switch

[auguste]

Elusive yes that is the type of vest I wear

ubettcha13 I currently turn off at the switches (twin diesels)

[Captain Spike]

Elusive - 4/2/2006 4:45 PM

Here is a nice addition to any PFD. It is a pouch that can carry a PLB, flares, flashlight, knife, etc.

That looks good. Who makes / sells that pouch?

[Tireless]

Fishing alone...been there, done that, love it.

Everything you recommended Gus is good advice.

I don't do everything you suggested (aux. epirb and vhf stay in the ditch bag). I do wear a fanny pack life vest, the kill switch lanyard is attached to my belt and the knife Capt J referred to is between my teeth at the end game. I never hang my arse over the drink when gaffing (6 to 8 ft gaff is used) and I relieve myself on the deck if the chop is up. Frequent radio checks are the norm and I announce my departure to the hill to my buddies when I am way way offshore. I will only pick bluebird days for the trips to the stream (80 miles) and will avoid days with seas over 4 ft if I am fishing near shore (20 miles). I don't run in the dark either coming or going when I am by myself.

Oh yeah, one more thing I do when fishing alone.........I rarely get in arguments with the crew. The few times I get in those confrontations it's because the captain is an ahole.

[Elusive]

Captain Spike - 4/2/2006 6:28 PM

That looks good. Who makes / sells that pouch?

Made by SOSpenders. Sold by board vendor LRSE. Around $16

[Bullshipper]

A big worry seems to be falling overboard. Just wondering if a leash with a large clip to hook on the rail might do the same things when fishing heavy gear instead of wearing all this gear.

You guys are giving me a complex as I don't wear a lp, have a raft, epirb or any of this other gear.