Tips on Deep Sea Fishing?!??

[Me NeeD AnSWeRZ]

i mean i went fishing b4 but i only caught 2 catfish and 1 eel .... i never went deep sea ... im 14 with an ok amount of muscle for my age... anybody got any tips??? and please dnt say not to go cuz this is the only time my dad will take me this year before he goes back to canada with his girlfriend..... and i wont be able to see him untill like March i think so if i dont go now i wont untill like next year.... i wanna show my dad that i can be a good fisherman like him.... PLEASE HELP ME!!!!

[Don S]

First of all, relax. You will have a lot of help from the mate (capt's helper) on the boat. Don't worry about things like the drag, or what lures or anything like that. The boat crew will help to take care of those things.
If you have questions, ask. That is one of the most important things you can do. It shows you have the ability to learn from others who know what they are doing. And you are willing to show them they know and you need their help and your not afraid to ask. It will get respect where if you just guess it will not.
When you hook a fish, take your time. Make sure you keep some pressure on the fish all the time or it will get off. That means keep the line tight and the rod tip bent. Do this by reeling the line in . You don't have to reel fast, just nice and steady. Fast enough to keep pressure on the fish is all you really need. When the fish comes up someone from the boat crew will be there with a gaff to get the fish out of the water. Remember to call "fish on" when you hook a fish, that way the crew will know who has a fish and who to go help. If you do just those things I'm POSITIVE your Dad will be very proud of your abilities and your attitude. And most of all you.

[THE ANIMAL]

Dont get pulled overboard....

[keninani k]

you only need to pay attention to a few impt things

tie your rig right
rig your bait nicely
set your drag properly
and play with the fish

For rig tying tips - http://fishios.blogspot.com

[macarthur1977]

You need to determine quickly how big the fish is once it's hooked. That way, if it's a big fish, tuna, marlin, shark, you could let it take out drag without trying to hoist it in and break the fishing line. And always make sure your drag is set properly.

[gaffingpoints]

listen to the deck hands they know they fish every day

[Lori H]

Awesome.
Don't get spastic and nervous.
Listen to all fishermen on the boat, don't tell your stories just to get in on the conversation.
It shows maturity to listen, their experience will help.
Your dad wants to take you and show you , let him show you what he knows, it will make him feel like a hero.
Your muscle will be fine, let the waves do some work, reel when the boat falls and just hold when rising.
You do not have to speed reel your catch to the boat , enjoy it.
If you get a big fish, don't try to use your muscles, keep your arms straight and use your body to lean back and reel on the forward motion.
Have a blast and good luck!

[Peter_AZ]

Lots of good general suggestions above, especially about seasickness and listening to the crew.

If you want more specific information, let us know what part of the world you'll be fishing out of -- California is different from Florida is different from Washington is different from Massachusetts, etc., both in the fish you catch and in the way things are run.

Also, are you going on a party boat (10-30+ passengers) or a small 6-pack (up to 6 passengers), and do you know what species of fish you're after?

[shon42073]

Hopefully you dont get sea sick, once you start to feel it there is nothing you can do, I dont beleive that anything really works to avoid this, There is one thing but that a well gaurded secret that a kid your age shouldnt be doing. Most common type of deep sea fishing here in california is rockcod, the key to this is to not spend your day snagged on the bottom, do not allow reel to backlash because things like this are low on a deckhands priority becuase putting fish in the boat is job one. You must maintane contact with your rig, and pay very close attention and you should be able to draw a picture in your head of whats going on way down there.

[nuts4tv]

First, if you even think you get sea-sick, start taking Dramamine the day before you go out so it is in your system. And continue taking it on the day of the trip to keep it in your system. Even if you are not sure, Dramamine wouldn't hurt.

Find out in advance what is provided (food, beverages, tackle, bait, etc.) you do not want to be out at sea and find out that they (the boat's capt.) provided a lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,,,and you are allergic to peanuts. Or that you could have brought your 'lucky' fishin' pole. Just be informed so you can substitute if needed.

Don't bring greasy food to eat while out at sea. A couple of light sandwiches and some nabs and sodas work well here. Bring bottled water, unless the boat provides it for you.

What area are you fishing out of? Most good fishing areas have some sort of web-site to glean the local info about fishing conditions, what they're using to catch what they're catching and where and when. I use the local on for my area. It helps to kinda know what to expect.

I wish my dad was still around, we used to fish often, not a lot by any means, but when we could get together. It was the best time because it was just he and I, and we could talk about anything and everything. Good times, yes, good times.

Good luck. Throw back a line to let us know how it went.