offshore yesterday
 

it was dead flat !!

been dying to get offshore - dying for some wahoo on the grill...


steamed off - no crew ! don't care ! I've got an autopilot !

dropped in lines @ 110'...trolled all the way to the steeples - worked that area pretty hard...then turned further east - deep n dirty !


seen nothing ! absolutely no life - dead flat calm,clean.blue water..



seen a few other boats


run home was 67nm - speed trolled till 100'...did I mention how much I like that autopilot ?

Is the auto-pilot wired into the GPS/Chartplotter. Those can follow a multi-legged route and not just a single bearing. Sweeeeet!

We've had an AP on my sled for 3 years now and love it. The long hauls over on this side can really take it out of you. Worth every penny.

Garmin has just put out a new compact version of their reactor unit with a basic cost of $2k.

Weren't trolling those yankee style salmon spoons were ya? Don't forget you're fishin in Florida!

pilot's interfaced with the chartplotter - makes things easier...

my old Bertram,i had set it up with an autopilot as well - I couldn't run an offshore boat without one...makes it so much easier,especially for trolling,and long runs

Autopilot's are definitely helpful.

When I used to captain a 60 footer, making long 225-300 mile runs in one day takes a lot out of you. With an autopilot, you can set your heading and go and reserve your energy to focus on the ocean in front of you and your engine instruments, etc.

My 27 Seacraft came with an old Simrad Robertson autopilot. I don't think it is connected to the GPS, but it still comes in handy when plotting a long course.

not sure what a "yankee style salmon spoon " is ?

never fished for freshwater fish...never caught a salmon either - no salmon in new jersey...


lots and lots of big Bluefin,yellowfin,bigeye tuna ! swordfish,tilefish,snowy grouper there too and wahoo...


I spent the day "high speed trolling" for wahoo - trolling 15-18kts - large in line weights and bullet head lures,rigged on stranded cable - requires good equipment...little different than catching redfish over @ mosquito lagoon,or grabbing a few speckled trout off the docks....

maybe you would like to go ?


pictures :

that's a taste,of what kind of equipment I have....
there's short high speed trolling/planer rods - with international 80's and TLD50LRSA reels - these are what's required for speed trolling...hollow core line - top shot spliced up it...

storage shed has more equipment than most of the bait and tackle shops around here....it's alarmed and camera protected...

Lil' Kenny & friends on Saturday...
Same area !

Attachment 12000

Nice smoker. Pelican, it looks like you're set up on tackle and might as well go to the other side in a few months for some tuna.
As far as the a-p goes, I remember a number of years ago I was on a friends boat, headed to his Yellowfin spot at about 4 am (dark thirty). He wasn't watching too well apparently (relying on the ap) and we were headed in between what looked like two separate boats. As we got closer, I told him that he better be changing course because that's a tug towing a barge. Glad I was watching.

Bitchin chapeau.