What boat features attract fish?

[josko]

I just read on WMI that white or blue bottom paint is a better fish attractant than black. I've also headr that painting fish sillouethes on the bottom is a good idea. Simmilarly, there is a comon view that inboards, particularly diesels, 'work better' then I/Os and outboards. On my I/O, I've gotten to believe that putting down trim tabs while trolling distributes the wake turbulence a bit and helps. Of course, I've no idea if it really works, but makes me feel as if I'm doing something about it.
Anybody with views of what good fish-raising boats are and what features make them so?

[bassman]

Hi Josko...Alot of my friends fish commercially for bluefin tuna and this is what I have gathered from them. About the inboards versus outboard or I/0. The inboards exhaust does not exit under the waterline so it makes for a much quieter ride *underwater* Up in Truro P-town the guys who are really successful at raising bluefins to squid spreaders seem to all be running inboards. And those that DO have an I/0 modify the exhaust so that it exits above the waterline and not out the lower unit. They talk about the effectiveness of this design all the time. I don't know of anyone out here who paints fishes on the bottom of the hull but have read that many captains believe it is effective. Sure would make for a pretty boat if done right!...Jeff

[Adam-Albino]

Oh man Josko.... If I hear that your under the joscolator on your back, like Michelangelo, painting fishies.... I'm gonna call the base doctor..... :-);
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[SteveK]

This is getting to sound like Hot Rod magazine! Custom paint jobs, modified exhausts to achieve better performance.
The women (fish) won't be able to resist the temptation to jump in....... It's mid winter and I think we need to go fishing.

[SteveK]

Jeff,

When they run the squid spreaders, are they flat lined down the middle or off to one side or the other on the outriggers? I'm still trying to justify using outriggers.

[bassman]

Steve...The guys I go with run a set off the outriggers and one flat lined in close down the middle. And the exhaust setup is quite popular and not that big a deal to do ..;-)

[SteveK]

How many are usually in a spread? I've seen some pre=rigged up to 6 squid...... and thanks but I'm all set; I 've got an inboard diesel. Funny, I can't get the image of Josko tonight, under his boat painting fish. Hey, new business opportunity, stick on fish decals that we can apply to the hull......

[josko]

Ey, if a guy wants to paint fish on 'is boat.... Actually, I was just grappling for a 'thread topic'. Down in Florida, I've seen some nifty bottom paint jobs. They actually think a white bottom hurts you, so they stick on all sorts of stuff. But then again, these are the same guys who put neon lights under their boats.
Anyway, as to spreader bars. I've seen two setups, with and without 'riggers.

Setup 1 runs 4 spreader bars in a trapezoidal pattern. First is run on an outward-canted rod close (~100')m second off an aft-facing rod far (~150), then aft rod near and finally canted rod far.

Setup 2 has 2 bars off the short riggers (Make sure you lead a line from the rigger attachment point forward to take the strike, else bye-bye rigger). Two more just ahead off hull-mounted canted rods, and a fifth dead center. Set up so center bar just clears the wake and then stagger back from there.

Best spreader articles:
BGF 1993 annual (slow-trolling for giant yellowfin);
BGF Fall 1996 (high-speede bars);
BGF 1994 annual (bar+ individual lure setups);

Also Pete Barret's book 'Tuna and Marlin Fishing'

[backman]

<FONT color=black face=Verdana,Geneva size=2>one of the offshore catalogs - finest kind or captain harry's sells stick on squid or ballyhoo decals. :-)</FONT>

[josko]

now there's a job for a mate...

[ssully]

Capt'n,

Might ye have anymore mate applications? Will work for fun! ;-);

[backman]

<P><FONT color=black face=Verdana,Geneva size=2>glad to stick them on before the reg hits the water; not after its in the water.&nbsp; leslie smith's husband's big rampage has squid painted on its hull; I've seen a couple other vineyard boats the same way..</FONT></P>

[Nor-Easter]

I just can't help it.....Anyway, when I got the 23 Sea Craft it had a white bottom, went fishing, zip for four nights straight. Hauled out, painted bottom BLACK and right into the old groove, blood all over the decks....No I didn't have decals of anything on the bottom....can't figure how to make them stay on at 25 Knots plus....
Way back when starting out with the 16 footer and ten HP Johnson I took the exhaust manifold off to exhaust above water and caught just as many fish as I did with the exhaust underwater...One other thing I caught with the exhaust open above water was HELL from everyone in the fleet for making to damn much noise.....
I think I might be concerned in going off with you Josko if you paint bait on your bottom...what of a hungry mako or white decides to eat the bottom out of your boat????
Cheers....I go now, back to lurking about...Chet