Running an engine whilst fishing

[hoss68]

Hi all, sorry to ask such a stupid question, but as im new to boating i have silly questions in my head.
I have a 3.8m Quicksilver rib with a Honda 15 hp outboard.
Do I keep my engine running throughout my fishing trip ? Or do I turn it off whilst im fishing ? I wont be far off shore aprox 500 meters.
Thank you
Hoss

[Rokraider]

I suppose it depends on what sort of fishing you are doing. In Chi Harbour, a lot of the guys fishing in the channel go out a fair way and drift back in with the tide. As long as your engine is a reliable starter, can't see why you would want to keep it running? I guess you can always drop anchor as well? I don't fish, so could be talking nonsense? There are plenty on here that do and I am sure will be along shortly.

[Ribochet]

Welcome to RIBnet

No such thing as a silly or stupid question - especially when its about safety

I know the dilemma but one of the reasons that I go out fishing is for the peace and "quiet" so if it is safe to do so re location then I always my engine off.

I assume you will have all the other essential kit with you if your engine doesn't start. Check out this link/s for some really good top tips for angling

RNLI | Respect the water | Angling

[Hightower]

If at anchor I always switch engine off but not before anchor is set. Like wise when I recover anchor always start outboard first.

If drift fishing it depends on the length of the drift and the hazards around as to whether I turn off or keep it running.

[Dhf]

That's not a stupid question Hoss, Quite a debatable scenario in many drift fishing situations, first thought being are you likely to drift into hazard anytime soon, if not then you could drift fish with engine off, you would need to be confident your engine will restart of course, and make sure you have adequate safety equipment, a suitable anchor with enough rope for whatever depth your drifting into, vhf preferably waterproof, small inshore flare pack, a flask of tea, Welsh cakes and a packet of Scotland's finest shortbread etc.

[hoss68]

This is good advise and deffo taken on board thank you

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Hightower

If at anchor I always switch engine off but not before anchor is set. Like wise when I recover anchor always start outboard first.

If drift fishing it depends on the length of the drift and the hazards around as to whether I turn off or keep it running.

Like the Man said
(it depends)

[paintman]

Originally Posted by Hightower

If at anchor I always switch engine off but not before anchor is set. Like wise when I recover anchor always start outboard first.
If drift fishing it depends on the length of the drift and the hazards around as to whether I turn off or keep it running.

^^^This.
If the engine's starting is suspect then you shouldn't be out in the first place.

[Peter_C]

I don't fish, but it is just a general boating rule for me.

Peace and quit is always nice, so motor off when stopped in a safe place. If there is not enough time to attempt to start the motor, fail, and deploy the anchor, then the motor stays running. If close to a shore break and we are pulling anchor the motor is running. Many times though the ocean is calm and we pull anchor casually with the motor off.

When we see whales and other marine mammals and want them to come closer to us, the motor gets shut off. Often they are curious, especially the dolphins, and they will come close in to check us out. I have had sea lions jumping between the outboard and the tubes. Harbor seals have put their front legs on the boat while staring at us from less than a foot away. (Note as a diver the harbor seals will nibble our fins and heads.)

[tonymac]

Good question Hoss68.

When I go fishing I'm generally on my own so I don't turn the engine off, simply fire her into neutral and drift.

There is a spot I go to where I have brought crew along also. However it is an inlet with cliff faces each side and rocks sitting in deep water, so no turning off the engine there either

Always did wonder about it though. Last few times at this place, fish finder was spotting the fish, but no bites. I wondered if the engine sound was keeping them away. No good answer for that maybe I need to get the anchor out and try with her shut down .....

Welcome to the group hoss68.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by tonymac

Always did wonder about it though. Last few times at this place, fish finder was spotting the fish, but no bites. I wondered if the engine sound was keeping them away.

I used to always believe the "Don't make noise; you'll scare the fish" thing, until I started diving. Fish (to paraphrase Dave Barry) are concerned with 2 things: "Food" and "Yikes", and generally, the "Yikes" part involves immediate, visible or physical threats. You can often get pretty close to fish while diving as long as you don't make sudden moves (and divers make a hell of a lot of noise underwater.)

Fresh water fish, I think, are more skittish than salt water fish, so that may be different. I don't do much freshwater diving.

jky

[tonymac]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

I used to always believe the "Don't make noise; you'll scare the fish" thing,

jky

Thanks a lot jyasaki, thats 2 new pieces of information for me - I believed the fish would be scared away by the noise - seems not and I also thought divers were silent underwater! Seems not there too

[Boatnomad]

If there is even 1 Seal around, that will do it

[Johnny5vikk]

I have caught loads of fish while drift fishing with engine running, I've also caught loads of bass in a shallow weedy bay full of seals. In my opinion if the fish are feeding and you offer what they want not much puts them off

[Peter_C]

Although fish are far more sensitive to noise underwater than I, with confidence I can say a Honda 4 stroke 15HP is going to be very quite 8 meters down. Scuba divers blow bubbles (Except rebreathers), and the bubbles are really LOUD! Even into my ears, and I wear a 12mm hood. As to fresh water fish, well the ones I have seen while diving don't seem to care much either. Surface feeders tend to be more skittish. While fly fishing (The only kind of catch and release fishing I do) in small streams we do have to be stealthy, but in an ocean, I really wouldn't be concerned with movement and noise.

[A1an]

I have an Orkney Longliner with a Honda 15hp, I use it for both fly fishing and trolling for salmon and trout, whilst fly fishing I have the engine off but obviously whilst trolling it sits just above idle and I've seen fish take lures just yards from the transom.

Whilst sea fishing recently our skipper never shut off his 2cyl Lister Petter all day and we had a cracking day, granted we were fishing in 30m+.


Like somebody has already said, if you are worried about getting going again after shutting down for a while then you should be thinking twice about going out in the first place.

[willk]

Originally Posted by tonymac

Last few times at this place, fish finder was spotting the fish, but no bites. I wondered if the engine sound was keeping them away. No good answer for that maybe I need to get the anchor out and try with her shut down .....

Do you take tides into account when you go fishing T? Fishies round these here parts tend to feed/bite more readily at the turn of the low tide and to a lesser extent at the turn of the high.

[hoss68]

I have faith in my 15 hp Honda 4stroke, but as I will be fishing along the swellies and the Menai straits in wales I'm seriously thinking of purchasing a small backup engine as the waters are so treacherous I cannot risk my safety and play with oars to guide me back to shore.
thanks for all your replies very interesting to hear different thoughts.
Any recommendations on a second outboard I should look at and is the back of the 3.4m quicksilver RIB strong enough to hold 2 outboards at the same time?
Hoss

[tonymac]

Originally Posted by willk

Do you take tides into account when you go fishing T? Fishies round these here parts tend to feed/bite more readily at the turn of the low tide and to a lesser extent at the turn of the high.

Yep tides are always problematic.
Launching on a falling tide has its problems where I am and then staying out for the turn is grand. However, how long do you have to stay out till there is enough of the wet stuff under you to get back in? As I say always a conundrum.

Some times I've had to tie her off at the pier end and come back a few hours later to retrieve her. Creates a bit of a bottleneck at our small harbour.

Anyway I'm not really that serious a fisherman, I do it as an excuse to lie back and drift more times than enough!