If you’re a fisher looking for fun, try pushing the boat out – to the sea.
9% of Americans currently enjoy fishing as a hobby. But not all fishing is made equal. If you’re hitting the high seas for your next trip, you’ll want to go prepared.
Below, we’ve put together 5 must-know offshore fishing tips you’ll need for success.
Knot Prepared?
Knots are the single biggest point of failure in your fishing efforts. Weak knots could kill your success, so make sure they’re tight by wetting when you’re cinching.
Luckily, knots are the easiest part of fishing to practice in advance. Take some time to get it right while you’re on land so you don’t lose your catch when you’re on the ocean.
Find the Right Places
We often think of the ocean as a place teeming with life. The reality is that many places in the ocean are desolate.
Life congregates around features, not the bare ocean floor. Wrecks, reefs, and rock formations are all favorite spots where animals gather. That makes them much more suitable places for fishing than the open water.
Think like a fish. If you were out here, where would you hide? And where would you hunt? Keep an eye out for seabirds, too. They’ll often show you where the fish are hanging out.
Know What You’re Fishing
When fishing offshore, you’ll encounter a vast variety of fish even in a small area.
Knowing what you’re fishing is vital to ensuring success. This will decide the equipment you bring along, such as the lures and bait you’ll use.
Knowing in advance also means knowing what offshore fishing techniques to use. Chumming can help bring you larger fish, for instance, or you could try trolling for smaller grouping fish.
Watch the Weather
Experienced fishers know to keep a weather eye open, but it goes double for fishing offshore. Bad weather can bring misery and even danger to a deep sea fishing trip.
The weather can change rapidly at sea. And you’ll often be further from a safe and comfortable refuge, too. Take a look at the forecast before you head out, and stay attentive while you’re out there.
Don’t hesitate to react if you think the situation might grow unsafe. It’s better to head back to the harbor and return another day than to put yourself at risk.
Be Patient
There’s a common rhythm to life at sea: nothing happens for a long time, and then everything happens at once.
It might be a while before you see any action on the end of your line. Remain patient and consistent, and enjoy the feeling of relaxing out on the ocean. If you predicate your enjoyment on whether you catch anything, you might face disappointment.
If you go a long time between catches, you can also try switching up your tactics.
Offshore Fishing the Easy Way
These offshore fishing tips should be enough to get you started. Offshore fishing is a unique aspect of fishing with its own rules for success, so don’t be afraid to experiment to see what works best for you.
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