Fishing report

Handline trolling behind s/v Honey Ryder

January 18, 2015

Prior to cruising, we have not been fishing people.  Tom did some as a kid but other than that, we know very little about fishing.  We did a little last year which mainly consisted of dragging (trolling) a line out the back of s/v Honey Ryder for three days on our passage down to the Caribbean.  While other boats in the rally reported each morning with excitement the fish they had caught, we had nothing to report.  Argh!  

We are determined to change that this season and become fishing people.   Correction - fish catching people.  We bought a book to assist us - "Cruisers Handbook of Fishing" which we have both read several times.  Tom has talked to many cruisers about gear and techniques.  He purchased lures, hooks, sinkers, etc....and in one case found a rod....while in scuba class.  It had not been on the bottom long so he cleaned it up and now it works just fine.  He has also made two hand lines for trolling.

Results to date -

Trinidad to Grenada -      Honey Ryder = 0  fish =1

Grenada to Carriacou -   Honey Ryder = 0  fish = 1

Carriacou to Union -      Honey Ryder = 0  Fish = 3  we had 2 lines out AND the rod

Union Island -                 Honey Ryder = 1  Fish = 0  we bought a tuna so it really doesn't count

Tom has also started visiting with the locals about fishing.  Who better to know than the local fisherman, right?  He even showed Sweet Deal (the guy we bought a tuna from) his hand line for trolling behind Honey Ryder.  Sweet Deal nodded in approval but immediately said "Get rid of da wire.  De fish da see it."  Ah.....clever fish.  

We have not tried fishing since Union Island because of the Tobago Cays Marine Park so no fishing.  This also includes Mayreau.  But look out fishes.  We are coming for you.  We are headed to Bequia soon and we will be fishing the whole way.  

Can you see it?

Update - 

Tobago Cays to Bequia -    Honey Ryder = -3  fish = 3 

We lost one off the rod plus the hook and then caught not one but two barracuda.  Yes, I know they can be good eats but only the smaller ones since the larger ones can carry ciguatera (toxins).  Since we are new to fishing, we don't really know what is small and big, so we didn't keep either.  Plus we really didn't want to mess with a barracuda (mean fish with teeth) as our first "landed, gutted, prepped and eaten fish".  The important thing here is that we Tom caught two fish.

Fish on