“Let’s go fishing on a party boat!”

Party boat fishing can be a good experience if you go about
it intelligently. We say this because there are a couple
things you do not want to be on a boat: sick, cold, or wet.

When you make the decision to spend the day out on a party
boat it is wise not to hoop it up the night before with too
much drink and/or rich food. The rocking of the boat may
have an adverse effect on your stomach. If you have a
tendency towards motion sickness, it is a good idea to take
a motion-sickness pill at least one hour before the
departure. Do not depart on an empty stomach. Eat a mild
breakfast of toast and cheese, or an egg sandwich. Stay
away from greasy food like sausage it you have a tendency
towards motion sickness.

It is smart to look at the weather before going out on the
party boat. If it is blowing over 20 miles an hour, expect
it to be rough. When the captain says you may get a little
spray over the sides take him seriously and ride inside, or
you could spend the rest of the day trying to dry out! If
the weather report calls for rain, you may want to take rain
gear and boots as well. Always expect it to be a little
cooler on the ocean then it is on land. Take some sweat
clothes if you think it may get cool. It can also get hot
out there! If you wear your clothes in layers, you can take
off, or put on. Remember that west breezes will make it
hotter and that east breezes can be cool. Be sure to take
sunscreen, especially for your face, neck, and hands.

Party boats are much nicer than in the old days. Most have
food, beverages, tackle and bait. All you need on many
boats is yourself and a cooler with a bag of ice. Be
sure to call in advance and make reservations and ask what
is available to buy on the boat. Some boats offer more than
others do.

“What about rods and reels?”

All the boats have rods and reels for rent. They will be
of the conventional type, so if you do not know how to use
these boat reels, be sure the mate explains them to you
before you start fishing. (The most important thing to
remember is to keep your thumb lightly on the spool so you
do not backlash.) If you want to take your own equipment,
make sure it is heavy enough. The rod and reel needs to be
able to handle at least 6 ounces of weight. The line should
be at least 15- pound test. If your equipment is too light,
it is best to rent on the boat.

“What about rigs?”

You do not need fancy rigs on a party boat this time of
year. Anglers are catching sea bass and tautog. You want
to use #1/0 wide gap type hooks. You can buy snelled hooks
and put them on a heavy-duty type top and bottom rig, or you
can buy loose hooks and tie them directly into the line off
your reel. You do this by making large dropper loops and
inserting the hooks into the loops. At the end of the line,
you make a loop and insert the sinker. This is the way the
mates tie the rigs on the boat. There are fewer tangles
with these simple rigs. If you want to use a pre-made rig,
the Aqua-Clear brand rigs work well because they do not
tangle.

“What about bait?”

Bait is supplied on the boat. Usually the boats have squid
and sometimes clam. Occasionally they have some kind of
crab. If you are interested in targeting tautog you may
want to carry along some live green crabs, sand fleas, or
bait shrimp. I usually carry along some frozen clam as
well.

“What is the technique?”

When you fish on party boats, the full day boats usually
fish over top of some kind of structure. This means you can
get snagged if you let too much slack get in your line.
What you want to do is let your line go down until you feel
the bottom, immediately reel in any slack and make sure your
line stays taunt. If you get a fish on, reel it up right
away so it does not get you in a snag. If you get a bite
and then the fish gets off let your line back down, and
maybe you will catch it again. When you have no bites for a
while it is time to check your bait.

If the captain tells you the bottom is full of snags
because they are fishing over wire cables let your line go
to the bottom and then crank up a half a turn. This will
put your bait just off the bottom, but the fish will still
see it. If you do get snagged, let your line go limp for a
few minutes, then try to crank it in again. Sometimes the
boat will sway and put you at a different angle so you may
be able to pull it out more easily. Sometimes a hooked fish
will actually swim out of a hole if it feels no pressure on
the line. This happens when tautog fishing all the time.
Be patient. If you have trouble pulling your line out of a
snag, call for the mate. That is what they are trained to
do.

If you hook a large fish, call for the mate so he can get a
net. Do not pull the head of the fish out of the water, or
you may lose your trophy catch!

Party boat fishing can be an excellent time. You meet new
people, catch some fish, and enjoy the great outdoors. When
the boat is crowded you must be careful not to tangle with
your neighbor. Use enough sinker weight so your line goes
straight down with all the other lines on the boat. If you
are on the side of the boat where the lines tend to drift
under the boat, be sure not to continuously let out more
line, or you may get snagged with someone on the other side.
If you are on the side of the boat where the lines tend to
drift away from the boat, you have less to worry about. In
fact, you can cast out just a little ways from the boat if
you are not getting any bites. Be sure, to cast out
straight and reel in all your slack as soon as you hit the
bottom.

Always keep your fish on ice so the delicate meat stays
fresh. If you have ever bought sea bass at the fish market
you know what sea bass is worth. It is excellent! It
freezes well and has a long freezer life if treated
correctly. When you get to the dock, fish cleaners will
clean your fish for a fee. I always find this is a nice
treat after a long fishing day. It is always best to clean
your catch as soon as possible. Tautog and lingcod are also
excellent fish to eat. All these fish have white meat and
are mild. Some anglers like to eat the sharks that
occasionally are taken on the party boats. These cold water
sharks are quite tasty. Again, be sure to keep your catch
iced throughout the day.

Mates on the party boats are like waiters and waitresses in
a restaurant. It is customary to tip the mates at the end
of the day. Usually someone will pass a “hat.” If not, be
sure to hand the mate a few “bucks.”

Good fishing…