Skippering tactics on hook-up

[Ken Elliott]

[Brian J Richardson]

All of the above.  Sounds like a lot of good advice there.  Following fish around the bommies sounds a lot like fishing in Palau.  I think it's going to be different for each situation.  Maybe the guy that's hooked up should be calling the shots as he knows best the help he needs from the boat.

[Cam Foley]

Could be a bit different with our kingfish here in NZ but i like to drive on top of them and pull there lips off, this make for a great fight the more you pull the more the fish pulls.

[Callan Wallace]

I think it helps if the skipper has caught GT's before. Each situations tends to be a little different. Communication and experience always help. I find if the angler is new then as the skipper, I tell them what to do or my deck hand tells them what to do. The deck hand and skipper should have an understanding between them without talking. I try to set the stage before the fight with the angler, less confusion when there is a fish on.

[Ken Elliott]

[Mark Harris]

Some input here from the guys operating in Southern Oman would be insightful.

Huge 50-60 kg fish plus very shallow water make that one of the toughest locales to be skippering I think.  In certain locations there, it seems there is really no choice other than the angler trying to hang on giving no line to the fish while it is worked into deeper water by the skipper. Absolutely brutal on the angler!

I realise that is a very extreme case but it corresponds with the Shoalwater experience mentioned above.

It would also be interesting to hear from some of the guys here who do regular DIY trips.

[Jon Li]

Fishing from big boat and small boat call for different approaches , on a big boat the angler can exert a lot more initial pressure while on a small boat , exerting heavy pressure will just move the boat toward the fish hence " engine power " needed to help the angler maintain heavy pressure .

Twin powered boat makes manouvering easier than single powered boat when trying to get the angler positioned in favourable situation when fighting big stubborn fish , moving the boat slowly while the angler maintaining pressure with good stance is the better way than galloping away causing the angler to lose balance which can cause injury or tackle damages .

An experience skipper should weigh the situations before the angler cast into the strike zone , meaning anticipating current and wind directions as well as obstacles around the boat where the boat must manouver to give the angler the advantage .

Just my experiences fishing from a 20+ ton boat with 1000 hp inboards to a small narrow boat with 15 hp outboard .

Jon .