Another FAD question.
 

Tried searching but found nothing.


Will a ship anchored offshore work as a FAD, attract fish?

I would think it would depend on how much growth is on the bottom and how long it is sitting.

Large, immobile object creating a huge shadow... Why not?

Definitely! Fish just swim up the anchor line out of curiosity, seen a handful wahoo off the bow just cruising around the anchor line while bottom fishing

Absolutely!
It May take some time for a solid food chain to develop, but yes, a large floating object will become fish habitat.
It will work better if it is anchored in a spot where fish will naturally aggregate, as on a good drop off or a current line.
Check with applicable laws and agencies first.

Thanks, apparently a number of cruise ships are outside Tampa Bay for a forseeable future.

Might provide some opportunities.

Definitely fish those. Offshore in the Gulf guys fish drilling ships and pipe laying ships. Here in the S. Caribbean we have oil tankers that stand by, waiting to offload crude into a storage facility. We catch tuna around them at night, and tuna, marlin, and wahoo around them in the daytime.

yes just needs to float long enough to accumulate growth and bait fish

Caught/seen Cobia around anchored freighters in lower Chesapeake bay

Short answer... yes.

The "parking lot" is a good place for kingfish this time of the year.

Not sure how it applies offshore, but I think in ports at least there may be a 300' "No-Float Zone" for unauthorized vessels around cruise ships. Probably rarely enforced but I imagine the ship officers would not be thrilled to have someone trolling or casting near or under the ship or its anchor chain, or in such a way a fish could take the line under .

My son caught three sails just off the stranded cruise ships off of Miami yesterday coming back from the sword grounds.

When "Fisherman's Paradise" was anchored just outside of state waters off of Tarpon Springs for several months, it turned into the "goto" spot for bait and more. Was very sorry to see it go.

I saw those cruise ships outside of the ship channel last weekend and wouldn't be at all surprised if they did the same, so long as they stay in one spot.