There are many different types of boat fishing. Technically speaking, any form of fishing that is done onboard a boat can be considered boat fishing. In this section, we shall focus only on bottom fishing at sea.
Boatman
Bottom bashing at sea is also governed by the main rules of fishing - timing, bait and location. If these factors come auspiciously together, you are in for a good time. But how can we control these factors as the boatman is usually the one deciding on the timing and location? Well we can always maintain a good relationship with the boatman by means up to your imagination.
So let us assume you and the boatman are good friends now, which means good timing and location is not a problem. We still lack the good bait. The best bait is always the ones caught from the sea during your fishing trip and not those from the market or sometimes trawler boats as their freshness is not guaranteed.
Bait
Other than relying on the boatman or the deckies to catch the bait for us, we can also catch the bait ourselves. The most common types of bait are live squid, fish and prawns. Live squid and fish can be caught using lures and Sabiki rigs respectively. Live prawns will have to be purchased from floating prawn farms or from fishing tackle shop before the trip. You may have to use different types of bait at different fishing spots, so when to use what type of bait? You will have to ask your good friend again, the boatman.
As you realized by now, how good your catch will be depends a lot on the boatman’s willingness to change fishing spot whenever fish is not biting and also his knowledge on fish feeding habits and timing at different locations. Even if the boatman is experienced and hardworking, he still cannot control natural factors like weather, water temperature and sometimes irregular currents, which affects the feeding mood of the fish. So please don’t blame the boatman if the catch is not up to your expectations as luck still plays a major role in whatever form of fishing.
On our part as anglers, we can present the bait well to increase our chance of getting fish to bite. Basically there are two main types of rig for bottom fishing.
Paternoster Method: This rig is usually used when the current is weak. The logic behind this is that during weak currents, fish tend to venture higher above the sea bed in search of food. Thus paternoster rig can present the bait effectively at a few different levels depending on the number of snoods you extend out of the main leader. But this rig is not recommended for leader shy fish.
Bottom long snood Method: This rig is the most common rig for bottom fishing as it can be used for both strong and weak currents. Normally we will use longer leader like 2-3m for strong current and 1-2m leader for weak currents. During strong current, fish tend to swim near the seabed where the current is weaker, so as to conserve their energy. And also larger predatory fish are not so shy to attack suspicious bait during strong currents. Therefore, usually larger fish are caught when the current is strong. This is one of the reasons why longer leader is required during strong currents as the leader must be at least longer than the fish that you are expecting to catch, so that during the fight, your mainline would not come in contact with the fish body, which may cause the mainline to burst.
Another reason is that bigger fish are generally more cautious when taking the bait; therefore the bait should be presented far away from the terminal tackle and sinker which may spook the fish.
Leader to use
Nylon leader is the most common in the market, followed by the more expensive fluorocarbon (FC) leader. FC leader is manufactured in such a way that it will be more invisible to the fish when it is under water. But whether fish take the bait based on the invisibility of the leader is subjective. Please click here for a better comparison between nylon and fluorocarbon leader.
Some people say during night fishing when there is practically no light at the bottom, nylon leader will work as well as FC. Personally, unless steel leader is required at the end, I will use FC leader no matter day or night. Whether it is more effective or not, I cannot guarantee but it will sure give me more confidence that the fish will bite.
There is no strict rule saying that fluorocarbon leader will yield better results than nylon ones, or a certain brand is more effective than the other. Now that you know the difference between the two types of leader, it’s all up to you to decide.
Terminal tackle
Please do not save on terminal tackle when you are going to places where big fish are expected. Your terminal tackle should be able to last a prolonged fight of at least 30 minutes or more without giving way. Though cheaper ones can bring up fish, only the quality ones can last and bring up the prized catch. There will be no more stories of straightened hooks, opened up or busted swivels. Please do not try to recycle rusted terminal tackles as well. It may save you some costs but it may also cost you the one that got away. Furthermore, rusty hooks are a safety hazard.
Knots
Knots are very important when you are talking about fighting for long period of time like 30mins and above. The mainline used for bottom bashing are mostly braided which are known for its thin diameter but high strength. The main weakness of braided line is that it can cut itself if the knot is not tied properly. And if the fight lasts for a long period of time, the knot may give way due to fatigue and continuous abrasion from the line itself. There is no fool-proof knot to tied braided line to terminal tackle and therefore we would recommend you to introduce a shock leader.
As shown in the bottom long snood diagram above, the shock leader is connected to the braided line using an FG knot. This knot will effectively eliminate braided line cutting itself.
Always prepare yourself for something bigger than expected to take your bait, and when that time comes, it will be a photo session of a satisfied angler instead of a disappointed face with a busted setup.
