Fishing on the hook? can u really get around the cuddy?

[-scallywag-]

Hey guys, long time lurker, first time poster....anyway, I fish out of san diego a lot and plan on getting a 17 or 19 searanger. I have read tons on this sight (awesome thanks guys) and think the arima suits my needs well.

I've seen a few down here in person and my only concern is access to the bow. I would say 80-90% of the fishing i do is on anchor fishing for yellowtail or white seabass, which will frequently take you around the boat a few times and then try to wrap in the anchor line at color.

How hard is it to get up to the bow of a sea ranger while fighting a fish? I assume the skiptop would make it much easier, but what about without? Any tips?

[Seattleflyfisher]

Have you looked at this boat?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/boa/4152352030.html



SFF

[croaker stroker]

There is a guy on this board named Streamfixer who is able to dance around the bow of his boat, eat a sandwich, and scratch an itch, all while fighting a fish around the bow of his Sea Chaser. 

But he does have a nice top with hand holds.

[-scallywag-]

yeah, a buddy had a SP17....i currently have CC that works well, just no cuddy which is the main reason for the switch. Its getting to cold to sleep on the deck :)

[croaker stroker]

Welcome to the board.


Where are you located?

[Tom Mac]

I have a sea ranger with a hatch. I just open the hatch stand up in the cuddy, open the chain locker and drop the hook.

[-scallywag-]

Croaker...im in san diego.

I have a sea ranger with a hatch. I just open the hatch stand up in the cuddy, open the chain locker and drop the hook.

haha, this is my fear, i read about a lot of guys doing this. If it is that much of a pain to anchor how tuff is it to get up to the bow while fighting a fish? Fishing conditions are usually 2-3' rollers with 1' windchop.

[croaker stroker]

It's tough to get to the bow on most small boats with a cabin.  I had a 20' Skipjack open, and a 24' Skipjack with a Flybridge.  The "walk around" space was about the same as the Arima.  You gotta hold the rod in one hand and the window in the other.

I fell off of the 24' Skipjack walking around while in the harbor. (Not fishing)  Good thing I had a buddy along.   

Good idea to wear a PFD.

[-scallywag-]

cool, thats what i thought....been on quit a few skippys so thanks of the reference.

gonna pull the trigger here soon....gonna head up north this weekend to look at a few and hopefully pick one up. Really like the skiptops but tough to find in my price range. Will post some pics when i find "the one"....im sure I'll have a million more Q's once i have it in my driveway.

[croaker stroker]

Look for a newer one with Starboard interior and the deeper Chine.  (After 1991 ??)

[Tom Mac]

Croaker...im in san diego.

I have a sea ranger with a hatch. I just open the hatch stand up in the cuddy, open the chain locker and drop the hook.

haha, this is my fear, i read about a lot of guys doing this. If it is that much of a pain to anchor how tuff is it to get up to the bow while fighting a fish? Fishing conditions are usually 2-3' rollers with 1' windchop.

This is how I anchor when fishing, I'm off in seconds. After the fish is aboard I can go back to my Scotsman and reconnect

[Salmon King]

With a soft top I would never recommend transiting to the bow while away from the dock ESPECIALLY with a rod in one hand.
Heck...I have a hard time using two hands and being tied to the dock or on the trailer in my own yard!
If you have a hard top or any top with hand rails it would be much safer.

S.K.

[So.Cali]

Scallywag, I'm not too far from you, if you want to take a test run, I have a 17' sea reanger. It's an older model, but will give you the idea of how they are to fish on. Shoot me a pm, and we'll set up a time to go for a ride.

[fishorcrab]

Woody's from the archives:  http://www.arimaowners.com/index.php?topic=179.msg1280#msg1280

Resources:
These are three of the items you can use to create Woody's anchoring system. Somewhere on this site, the old Arima site, or ifish is a thread with photos & explanation by his honor but these can get one started.

A. Red Head Anchor Release http://anchorrelease.com/anchor2.htm
B. Danik Hook http://danikhook.com/
C. Anchor rode storage bag http://www.chinookoutdoorgear.com/products/AnchorRopeBag.php

Very important to bring black release line into deck area and tie off. Important to keep the black line from dropping into the water where it could get into prop.

Paul

[wedocq]

We were 30 miles out in the ocean and had a 43lb Chinook on the hook. It circled the boat at least 4x before we landed it. It's not the easiest walk around, but it can be done!
-Shawn

[fishorcrab]

Shawn,

Would have been fun to watch that.   

Think how much more fun you would have had if you were on the hook.   :whistle:

Paul

[StreamFixer]

There is a guy on this board named Streamfixer who is able to dance around the bow of his boat, eat a sandwich, and scratch an itch, all while fighting a fish around the bow of his Sea Chaser. 

But he does have a nice top with hand holds.

While all that is indeed true, I also stepped on a couple of rods and damned near fell into the cockpit on the way back.  Thank goodness for the stout top SaltBoss built for me.

If you are going to need to get onto and from the bow while fighting a fish, I STRONGLY recommend you get a Pacer, a hardtop (that is what WeDoCQ has and he is posting difficulties moving around it) or a skiptower.  I cannot stress this strongly enough.  You WILL end up in the drink with a standard canvas top/frame.  They simply will not give you the support you will need.  And you will find this out at the most inopportune time.

As far as PFD's are concerned.  Everybody on my boat ALWAYS wear their inflatables.

WeDoCQ grumbled when I made him put one on.  It was supposedly going to be in the way and uncomfortable.  At the end of the day's fishing I had to remind him to come back and leave it with the boat as he was heading up the dock.

StreamFixer

[Markshoreline]

If you get a ragtop and don't have the radar arch and other superstructure you just hold the rod up and let the fish run around the boat as he wishes!  I love a convertible.

[StreamFixer]

Mark

Even with a tower of any kind, you can usually clear the fish/line over the top of it by standing on a seat or cooler.   Your response is correct unless you are on anchor ("on the hook").   

Why do you think Croaker had the opportunity to watch me dance around on the front of my boat?  HIS fish wrapped the anchor line.   :biggrin:

That's why Woody (and others) have been figuring out the anchor release system without going forward.  However, I am not too sure how well that would work in 2 to 4 foot waves.  At least you would not be fighting a hog line.

StreamFixer

[Markshoreline]

Yeah I get that hook thing- I just haven't been anchoring lately fishing for coho in 6-700 feet of warer

[StreamFixer]

Well, when you do, remember it is a 3:1 rode length   

STreamFixer

[PNW Pride]

Did someone mention a 43lb king?  Shawn I know as the years pass the fish in the stories get bigger, but this is outlandish.  Come on man!!! 

[-scallywag-]

Thanks for all the input. Love the fish stories....scrambling around on deck, tripping over stuff, wrapping in other stuff....spilling everything  :dance: Luv it!

We've messed with the quick release anchor line before but found that either the fish wraps up in the anchor line still (but now its not attached to the bow so no chance of going over or under) or the fish pulls the boat into another boat anchored nearby. Down here boats regularly anchor within 100-150' of each other....gotta love socal. The close proximity to the other anchor lines is what forces us to used heavy tackle (#40 or 50lb never less) with locked down drags, which forces the fish to run around the boat...a few times. When no one is around its easier cause u can just let them dump line and wear them out far away from the boat.

Sounds like Im gonna have to come up with some kind of handles to mount below the windshield or get used to sleeping on the deck of my current skiff.

PS....about how many 40lb salmon can u fit in the fishbox on a 17'SR?

[StreamFixer]

about how many 40lb salmon can u fit in the fishbox on a 17'SR?

All you can catch in one outing, especially if they are being caught by WeDoCQ   

StreamFixer

[Threeweight]

PS....about how many 40lb salmon can u fit in the fishbox on a 17'SR?

We'll, if there are Wedocq-sized 40# fish, you could fit at least 24 of them  .  If they are a true Oregon-40, probably 3 or 4 if you use the fish box tray, 6 or 8 if you use the whole fish box without a tray.

I use a simpler system than the one Woody came up with.  You can find an old post on it here:

http://www.arimaowners.com/index.php?topic=680.msg5972#msg5972

After some trial and error, I have taken to running the bow line through the anchor roller then back to my jam cleat (helps get the boat more centered in the current), and I replaced the carabiner on my anchor rope bag w/ a Danik Hook like Woody used.  In terms of a fish tangling in it... the bow line has no knots or hardware on it to snag, and I have a float in my anchor bag, so there is nothing a fish can wrap around any differently than if I were fishing out of an open-bow boat.  If you are fishing in current, a set up like this (or Woody's) is the only way to go in a closed-bow boat that doesn't have a big walk-around.