Close quarters solo fishing

[numberguy77]

With the rough water last night on the big lake (and for the next few days), I ended up fishing by the Muskegon Sand Docks last night.

Pretty good number of boats around, so I had the drags tightened down a lot more than I usually would. I usually keep the drag very loose. Kept the drag tight, so if I got one on, I would be able to keep it away from the other boats (theoretically!).

Managed to get one on off a yellow/red with black spots j-plug, 32' down, in 42' fow. Battled him for a minute, and it felt like a pretty good fish, but, with that tight drag on the reel, he ended up breaking me off.

Needless to say, I was pi$$ed, and don't want this to happen again.

Any tips for a solo fisherman fishing in close quarters?

And, if you find that j-plug, it''s mine!

[EdB]

I keep my drags loose and use my thumb on the spool when needed to add pressure. This does not work for rookies who don't know how much pressure to apply. If you've caught a few kings, you can tell by the strength of the run and the fishes pull when to put the hammer down. Sometimes when a fish want to run hard, you have to let it go and hope for the best. That is better than a quick break off.

Communicate nicely with the nearby boats. "I have a fish running your way, can you give me some room." 9 of 10 people will, 1 out of 10 will be an ahole.

[MoJoRisin']

We had one last year in the breakwater that got wrapped up in my adjacent dipsy which I opened the bail on to keep it from cutting the line and it went off majorly screaming so I thumbed the open bail spool (see smoke roling off my thumb) and the fish commenced to run right into another boats rigger - the lady watching rods ran to the corner rigger grabs the rod and snap there goes my j plug and fish. Place thumb into cold water - ahhhh!

Moral of the story - you win some and lose some. In my case I lost a few layers of skin off my thumb too!

As much as you would like to think that 30 lb test can handle 20 lb kings or less without breaking - plan on tackle and fish loss in close quarters and when you land them you are happy. When they break off then you aren't quite so disappointed because you ALMOST expect it.

[woodsman]

I dont fish in water like that if I can help it. Too many boats not good. Thats like people running lead core in a pack. Hear that on the radio all the time another fight. Not to start something there I run lead core myself.

[westwind]

Fishing solo is hard enough without trying to do it a the pier heads. You are going to cause problems and it's just not worth it. Combat fishing is hard enough with a good crew, by yourself it's just too tight and can't be that much fun. Fishing should be fun right!

[mattmishler]

3 people is always usually effective when there in tight, a wheel guy, rod guys and a net guys. Makes things so much easier.

[numberguy77]

Great comments and suggestions.

I appreciate them.

[EdB]

Communicate nicely with the nearby boats. "I have a fish running your way, can you give me some room."

I should add one more thing about this suggestion. You need to look what's on the other side of your immediate boat. If that guy has boats on his opposite side or the pier or breakwall pinching him from moving, no point in asking for room. That is when you tighten the drag down and hope for the best.

[danthebuilder]

http://www.greatlakesfisherman.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=70

[numberguy77]

Dan the Builder,

Yes, thanks for the link to the "riders" page.

I do like the challenge of solo fishing.

Quite often, I may decide at the last minute to go, and only stay out for a short time, say under 2 hours or so. I live 1 mile away from the little marina where I slip at, so, if the honey-do list is caught up, I could go at a moment's notice.

So, I haven't really considered contacting riders, but I may be doing so in the very near future.

Not sure that it would have made a difference on the fish I lost last night, but it could have. One of us could have fought the fish, while the other safely steered us away from other boats.

[GLF]

Its great that you like the challenge of fising solo, but fishing solo in the combat zone is a no no. I dont like fishing in the pack even when I have someone on the wheel at all times.

How can you safely navigate your boat in the pack and fight a fish?

I am not trying to pick on you in any way, but you have to consider the other boaters out there with you. You can not expect them to change coarse because you are busy fighting a fish.

If I was going to fish solo around the combat zone, I would be on the outside edge of the other boats so I was not in their way.

[numberguy77]

Again, thanks, for a worthwhile post, and, no, I don't think you are picking on me.

I do not expect others to change course if I have a fish on, even though I have changed course many times for others while they have had fish on.

Some that replied to this post have referred to this as the "combat zone", and, yes, while it is not as wide open as the big lake, Muskegon Lake sand docks is not as confined as Muskegon channel or even between the Muskegon pier head arms. So, not sure I would call this pure combat fishing, but it could approach it.

You have all given me a lot of food for thought.

Thanks again.

[SeaCatMich]

I really do like fishing solo and did it a lot when I lived closer to the lake. It is one of the reasons that I went with a center console boat. It is also one of the reasons that I put an auto pilot on. The AP really does help when fighting a fish solo by keeping the boat straight and being able to steer quickly one direction or the other a specified number of degrees by pressing a button. I use it almost all of the time trolling BUT I rarely fish in the pack solo. When I do it is on the outside edge which can often be more productive anyway.

Some things I do if pack fishing solo (usually when the pack moves out and envelopes me):

1) Go to heavier line (30#) which lets you crank down the drag a lot -- you won't get as much on the reel but you don't have the room to worry about a 100 yard run from the fish either;

2) Slow way down on a hit -- you don't need the forward motion of the boat contributing to how far the fish gets off the boat. This is where an AP really can help to keep the boat straight when at a crawl.

3) Fight the fish aggressively. Keep the pressure on it and don't let it rest or get any line easily. You won't have more than 3 lines in the water and you can space them out -- 2 outdowns, 1 diver or visa versa -- so fighting the fish close to the boat does not have nearly the risk as out in the deep water.

4) Keep the leads relatively short -- around 40' off riggers max and 100' or less for divers (if traffic permits) with the diver on a 2 at most.

5) Don't use planer boards. When I lived and fished in St. Joe there were a couple of big (30'+) boats that regularly put out 2 inline boards on each side to make a fairway for them to fish in right off the pier heads. It is rude to the other boats but it also means you have that much more line to reel in when a fish hits. They did it during both the fall combat fishing and in July for Skamania.

6) Have 2 nets. I have had nearly as many doubles (and triples) fishing solo than with others on the boat. This is especially true fishing staging fish since they are in schools and I have found the quick random moves of the boat will cause multiple hook ups. Much easier to have a second net ready than to try to get the first fish out to net number two.

7) Steer to "open" water. Since you don't have that many lines out, you can be more maneuverable. Steer your boat toward areas without other boats if you can.

[sjk984]

I have 3 solo rods.

2 50 lbs braid for riggers and 1. For a dipsy