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joea
Member
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Posted: Thu Jun 29th, 2006 12:32 am |
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I am coming back to SC next Wednesday for a week and would like to try out the fishing at the long line bouy. Does anyone have the coordinates of the bouy. I would really appreciate any help with this. THANKS!
Joe
"HAWK"
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bartmanaz
Administrator
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Posted: Thu Jun 29th, 2006 02:45 pm |
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There is no fixed location for a long line-changes as the lines are set out and pulled up. They do not leave these in the water permanently. You'll probably have as much success watching for bird activity or keep watch for floating seaweed patches (even small ones) or any other debris. These will usually attract smaller critters then baitfish, then schoolie dorado and finally larger dorado. Also getting reports of some tooner action so watch the birds.
Bart
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joea
Member
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Posted: Thu Jun 29th, 2006 03:59 pm |
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Thanks!
Joe
"HAWK"
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Stuart
Member
| Joined: | Wed Oct 26th, 2005 |
| Location: | Tempe, Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 451 |
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Offline
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| Mana: |    |
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Posted: Thu Jun 29th, 2006 05:13 pm |
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Yeah, what Bart said.
If you're out there a good ways and you see a panga sitting all by itself, start looking around for small quart oil bottles floating around. They use whatever they can as floats, all different colors. While you can often see the reds, greens, and yellows before you're on top of them, not so with the blues and blacks. If you see anything like this floating around, immediately stop, get out the binoculars, look for other floats and try to determine which way the longline is running. You don't want to accidentally run over it because the 1/2" nylon rope they normally use can tangle your props and make one heck of a mess. Personally, I'm not keen on taking a swim out there to cut line off my props!
Once you've determined how the line is running, you can then approach it and troll along side it. When they say "long", they aren't kidding. We ran across some about 35 miles out earlier this month that were at least three miles long. The end of most long lines are generally marked with a larger float with a red flag on it. When you see that, you can get around it safely. You can cross them if you are careful. I usually find a low spot between floats, make a run towards it, then shift into neutral, raise my motors and drift over it. Somebody stands by with a boat hook in case it catches on my transducer or anything else on the bottom of the boat.
Also, be careful because they don't necessarily float in a straight line. There are often twists and turns in the lines and you can find yourself boxed in. It's not uncommon to encounter smaller pieces that have been broken or cut off from the main line floating around out there by themselves, too.
All that said, I generally look for weed patches, scum lines, or birds and avoid the long lines as much as possible.
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LimeyLInda
Member
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Posted: Thu Jun 29th, 2006 06:09 pm |
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Thanks Stuart that was great info. I am a starter fisherman so please bear with me. About the only thing I know about fishing is that it belongs on a plate along side a pile of chips. But I wish to learn the right way.
If I run into a long line and have to end up cutting it to clear the prop. will I be liable for damage to the longliner. Back in the UK, 25 years ago, if we catch a crab or lobster pot line and damage it and do not repair we would be fiscally liable for loss of equipment and catch ( within 12 mile limit). Your advice would be very valuable.
Thanks.
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bartmanaz
Administrator
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Posted: Thu Jun 29th, 2006 06:20 pm |
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Since many of the long liners do not have a long line license, there is probably no liability. Follow Stuarts advice and be careful around them. If you do get into one and I have, stop and take the boat out of gear. If the long line was not cut and may not be-you will have to cut it free and then may be able to pull it free with the boat in neutral-if not, some body is going to have to go over the side and unwind it. I carry a mask and so forth on the boat for just this reason. Then probably a good idea to vacate the area.
Bart
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Stuart
Member
| Joined: | Wed Oct 26th, 2005 |
| Location: | Tempe, Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 451 |
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Offline
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Posted: Thu Jun 29th, 2006 06:38 pm |
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I've never heard of anyone approaching a panga and offering to pay for line damage. It's Mexico and there's certainly not the same kind of liabilty issues as here in the US or elsewhere. That's almost the same thing as asking if the panga guys would pay you if you hit one of the lines because they aren't well marked and spin a prop or damage your outdrive. Good luck with that! 
Besides being a navigation and environmental hazard, the long lines are illegal, as far as I know. Some people deliberately cut them. Others have cut turtles and billfish off the longlines when they've encountered them and have gotten into confrontations with the panga fisherman. I don't advocate any of that, but it does happen.
Cutting the lines creates more of a hazard to other boaters and wildlife. As I mentioned, if you cut the lines, then you've got smaller sections floating around out there that never get collected. Those sections are not easy to see, drift on the current, and they continue ghost fishing, catching dorado, billfish and turtles that will die and rot on the hooks.
While I'm not a fan of the longlines by any means, I feel it's better to just leave them alone. I try to cross them with care or go around them.
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LimeyLInda
Member
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Posted: Thu Jun 29th, 2006 07:12 pm |
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Thanks both Bart and Stu. Did not even think about the after effects of cutting a long line. Very good point.
Thanks much to both, I will get a little smarter as time goes on.
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