Fishing options

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Big-game fishing, sometimes called offshore sport fishing or offshore game fishing, is a form of recreational fishing, targeting large bony fish such as tuna and marlin in the open sea, often some distance from land and, in some fishing grounds, out of sight of land. It is conducted recreationally, as well as in competitions.

It is conducted in a variety of locations around the world where such fish are located - off coastlines of Florida, California and Hawaii, the eastern coastline of Australia, through the Caribbean and near Mexico, and in South America, amongst other places. It is a common pattern for these fish to be found along the continental shelf, thus determining the distance offshore where boats commonly operate.

Offshore game fishing requires a boat of sufficient capacity, seaworthiness, speed, stability and range to transport a crew out to sea some distance, carry the large amount of equipment required, remain stable when fighting fish which, in extreme circumstances, can weigh over 500 kilograms, and safely carry the crew back in possibly unfavorable weather and sea conditions. These requirements are met by only the largest of trailerable boats; many game fishing crews use larger vessels of 9 to 15 meters (30 to 50 feet) in length.

Fish are enticed by trolling fishing lures (the most common form are designed to resemble squid) or baited hooks behind the boat. Multiple lines are used. To spread the lines widely, outriggers - long poles with fittings designed to hold the line out, then allow it to run free when a fish bites, are attached to the sides of the boat, and spread once fishing commences. Some fishing captains have adopted the technology of commercial fishermen, often at great expense, including forward-scanning sonar, water temperature measurements, and even satellite-provided sea temperature charts, to attempt to narrow down the search for fish.