Moving boat while fighting fish?

Really good thread and all comments are correct . I think with so many variables with fish on I am thinking it is based on the situation how to play fish at the time
 
Once a sizeable Spring is on, having a shipmate pull the gear and putting it into neutral allowing me to enjoy fighting the fish is my pleasure. The runs are more dramatic, and exciting. It's sport after all not a commercial harvesting technique. Now if you are in traffic, winds, etc., this isn't feasible.

We are there to have a good time, and nothing beats having a Tyee on the end of the line giving you one h3ll of a fight with nothing else in the way. (It's even better with no Flasher.) This is the ultimate fishing experience IMHO.
 
pescador said:
Into neutral, hit both downriggers. Fight fish and bring in second rod at same time. It’s a balancing act. I reel in the 2nd rod while it’s still in the rod holder. Get the second rod/line out of the water first. Then pull the downrigger balls up and onto boom hooks. Then focus on landing fish and getting the net ready. Having a good system of net stowage and retrieval is super important. I fish solo lots and even with my wife there she’s not gonna touch the gear. Her choice not mine, she gets nervous. It’s just an ugly mess waiting to happen if you don’t clear everything outta the water first. I lose the odd fish. I’d rather lose 3 fish a year than deal with lost gear and the headache of line tangles. I even do this when I have experienced fishing friends on board.
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How are you gonna get a double header if you pull the other side? 😉
Just busting you balls. Everyone’s got their own technique.
I slow down slightly, maintain course and fight the fish. When it gets close, slowly turn towards the side the fish is on.
Of course traffic, depth, structure, winds, and what the fish wants to do etc all play in as others have said.
 
As noted it depends on the situation. One key factor being if you are going with or against the tide. If you are going with the tide and fish is behind you are in good shape with boat moving away from fish. When facing into tide different situation. I get a lot more double headers these days from keeping second side in the water longer than I used to.
 
Depends on the fish, winters / coho etc keep it rolling , big fish with some shoulders neutral and enjoy the fight , just always stay down swell / down wind to push you off the fish in close quarters or bad things can happen .
 
wolf said:
Same get gear out of water ive seen so many people get gear stuck on other side and break off, slow it down bring fish to you ... I watch guys troll same speed and then stand on swim gird and see many a time flasher and hooks fly at mach 10 slow everything down and be calm relax its suppposed to be fun enjoy it. guys will see you have a fish on and most move ...
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Thanks @wolf , this is exactly what made me think about others' tactics and possible reasons for them. I have often seen people struggling to land a fish that is barely fighting, but being dragged by the momentum of the boat while continuing to "troll" and try to land the fish, and have been curious why they don't slow down and allow the fish to come to them and the net. Slowing down will also signal to others that you've got one on, and they should ("should") give a little space if the fish starts acting erratically. As others have said, we're out there for fun, not commercial harvest.

Maybe there is another reason to keep hauling on at trolling speed, but it often seems counterproductive. (Aside from winters and coho)

Keep calm, and "slowly troll" on...
 
Case dependent as we all know.
However, I’ve said it before and I’ll always say it again… when no other boats are around and all stars align with logistics, there is nothing better than pulling up all the gear and shutting off everything including engines to play the fish 1:1.
 
banger17 said:
Case dependent as we all know.
However, I’ve said it before and I’ll always say it again… when no other boats are around and all stars align with logistics, there is nothing better than pulling up all the gear and shutting off everything including engines to play the fish 1:1.
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The best fish I ever had a client reel in and catch was up in knight inlet almost pushing 50 lbs, on cut plug herring in protection bay . flat calm evening I brought it up to check cut plug still looked great pulled it out about 6 pull to reattach to rigger all of a sudden line starts peeling at mach 10!!! I was oh S*%t put it in the kicker motor which I thought hhhmmm......

Then watched this line bark out and start going out in front of boat ... NOPE fish on!!! guy said kill the motor !!!!!!!!!! that fish took us everywhere up down turned boat in circles im thinking what is with this fish other guest and I sat down and had a bevie. The guy played this tank 45 mins as he wanted no help from me with motor, finally we won... back hook was in lip but front hook went into pectoral fin hence why so wild. its way more fun to play a fish like that .....
 
Ryan A said:
All these people putting their boats in neutral is bizarre and cause the most chaos in the tack. You’re the problem. Stop it.
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There's a time and a place and a fish for it. Lots of factors, as lots of posters have mentioned. No one standard solution.
 
I keep going. If it's a big running fish and he's taken a lot of line and then turns around and comes back straight at the boat I'll maybe speed up... I sure don't stop... Keep the tension, keep the fish behind the boat, keep the other rod fishing, you don't get doubleheaders when you pull your gear.
 
sly_karma said:
There's a time and a place and a fish for it. Lots of factors, as lots of posters have mentioned. No one standard solution.
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That’s why I said in the tack, solo and calm giver, too many knobs in French creek do this now surrounded by 30 boats. Typically the new first time boat owners in there 18-34ft Kingfishers.
 
I've setup my boat specificly for being able to fight and land a salmon solo of needed.

As others say lots of variables but I stay in gear but slow down or speed up depending on conditions.

Ill bring up my other rigger if fishing near bottom. If not ill leave it down unless it's a really big salmon then I bring it in as I'm fighting the fish.

If in a circuit near shore ill use my remote clipped to my life jacket to steer slowly out of the conga line if other boats and out to deeper water away from the pack so I have space.

Pro tip. The back of my boat (18ft sliver streak) has 2 extra rod holders just before the cabin (furthest away from the back of the boat). When I'm ready to land the fish solo I put the fishing rod that has the salmon in thay rod holder. The holder is facing up with a very slight lean/tilt outboard. This frees me up to use both my hands to use the net to land the fish.
 
kingblazer84 said:
exactly, and turn out of the crowd when you hook up not into the crowd..
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OH I try and do that.... every place has its issues but when there is 10 boats beside ya cant really turn out, so ill slow down and get on top of fish and let guys pass. IF I see someone in front of my usually ill do a turn aound and come back up on tact you be amazed at how many fish ya get when you turn away from guy in front IMO the school is racing past and you get one or 2... its a lot wasier to navagate around a guy in neutral and on top of fish then a guy moving same pace .
I dont want to be that guy that cuts a guys fish off with a huge amount of line out while he trolls away from a screeming fish...
 
If you're playing a good fish do whatever you need to do to land it.
If that means slowing down or stopping, so be it.
I hate fishing in a pack with other boats but if in that situation, it's up to the other guys
to give you room (it's just common courtesy)
It's a lot easier for them to manoeuvre out of the way than trying to control a running fish
and drive a boat at the same time.
 
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