Angling from Inflatables

Sharkbyte · 05 January 2009, 14:52

Anyone else use their inflatables for going fishing?

I've been using various models for over ten years now, with our latest ride, a Zodiac Futura MkIII HD, set to make our heavyweight GRP dory totally redundant.

It's be good to hear from a few other angling enthusiasts to hear what your catching, and your plans / targets for 2009.

A bit of video here, from the other day. http://www.vimeo.com/2701620

Cheers

Wayne

karlT · 05 January 2009, 15:49

2009 Targets

As many days with rod in hand as possible.

50lb+ tope
Any size porbeagle, alongside / boarded to unhook and release

Above off hard boat but will use rib for some bass fishing in close to the rocks.

10lb+ bass a minimum would like to do 13lb+ to break my PB.

Tight Lines

kelson · 05 January 2009, 15:51

Great video! Thanks for posting. I really like fishing out of the zodiac. Waaay more stable than my buddies skiff. Though I kind of miss the excitement provided when his two other crew both went to help land a fish and rolled him right out and over the side! Do you carry anything for emergency punctures? Haven't hooked or gaffed the tube yet, but I carry a clamshell temporary repair just in case. Should be hooping bugs out of my mk2 when the temps rise to 70 f daytime and 50 f nighttime low here in San Diego later this week. You coldwater types are real men or real crazy

Looking forward to your next post!

Sharkbyte · 05 January 2009, 16:16

Hi KarlT

"As many days with rod in hand as possible."

Good call my friend!

Funny, I was looking down your list of targets for 2009 and instantly thought of the CI's. We're regular visitors over to your 'Muratti' rivals, Guernsey and Alderney. Parents live in Guernsey, so we go over for the Bass comps every year (won the 2008 GBASS Festival's 'dinghy and kayak' section from our Zodiac MKII Classic) and the idea of a Hanois Porbeagle hunt is often mooted.....never actually instigated though! lol

13lb Bass sounds good. Had them to 11-8 now (10-14 in the comps), brother had a 13-8 a few years ago.

Hi Kelson

"70 f daytime and 50 f nighttime low here"

Jesus wept. I can't even wash the Z down from the last trip, the hose pipe's been frozen solid for a week!

Like you say, the Zodiacs punch well above their weight. We grab last minute weather windows with both hands, day or night, and get out catching fish when the owners of far more 'substantial' vessels lose out due to preparation time. Clocked over 250 miles since the end of July, and that's just motoring to and from fishing marks.

We carry a clamshell, like yourself. Never had a puncture in over ten years, and five different models.

"You coldwater types are real men or real crazy"

Neither mate, just well wrapped up. lol

Flyguy · 05 January 2009, 18:33

Hi Wayne,
Thanks to your input (along with Matt and Tony) on the bass forum I will be start SIB fishing this season. Hopefully picking up a Tohatsu 9.8 on saturday and I'm go to go.
I'm trying to convince the family to holiday in France this year so I can take the boat down and have a pop at those big bass they have there.
cheers
John

thornbackflound · 05 January 2009, 19:58

Mine is geared up for fishing,but i have only fished off it once so far and the crew member had sea sickness after just 3 casts ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,so that was that lol,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but hopefully this year i can get out in her more,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,got a cracking GPS /PLOTTER for crimbo to try out TIGHT LINES TO ALL WHO FISH IN THERES

kelson · 06 January 2009, 15:43

Sharkbyte, Do you just wear foul weather gear or are you going out in something like a dry suit or exposure suit?

Sharkbyte · 06 January 2009, 16:44

Hi Kelson

We wear, what we term as, flotation suits.

Widely used by anglers over here. Available in 1 or 2 piece, neoprene cuffs and neck with Velcro fasteners. Very effective when new or lightly used but slowly degrade when the insulating / buoyant lining starts to crush down.

Time for a new bib and brace (bottom half) for me. Lasted four years or so, though.

Never felt the cold whilst wearing it.

Best of luck with the new SIB, John. You've got a cracking model in the Fastroller, she'll buzz along lovely with that Tohatsu.

One of the benefits of an HP2 inflatable floor, as opposed to my aluminium deck, has recently become apparent when out in this 'Arctic' weather. They're great for further insulating your feet!

m chappelow · 06 January 2009, 17:59

i have used various sibs for sea angling for years and found them great as long as you keep it all simple ,tackle wise and i land every thing into a plastic crate so hooks and crud dont get every where if the fish is having a fit ,sibs are also great for getting into places that with a hard boat would be practically impossible ,i have taken commercial fishermen out with me at times and they get really panicky when getting near rocks reefs ect ,it takes them a while to get used to going into places that they normally have to avoid ,i also use a couple crab pots when i get the time and the sib comes into its own when getting into shallow reefs ,

thornbackflound · 06 January 2009, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

i have used various sibs for sea angling for years and found them great as long as you keep it all simple ,tackle wise and i land every thing into a plastic crate so hooks and crud dont get every where if the fish is having a fit ,sibs are also great for getting into places that with a hard boat would be practically impossible ,i have taken commercial fishermen out with me at times and they get really panicky when getting near rocks reefs ect ,it takes them a while to get used to going into places that they normally have to avoid ,i also use a couple crab pots when i get the time and the sib comes into its own when getting into shallow reefs ,

Now you are talking i will be trying a crab pot this summer ,whilst im fishing you never know?

prairie tuber · 07 January 2009, 06:51

You guys may find this useful. With the modification to this rod holder. It holds my rod very securely even when bouncy in choppy water at WOT.

http://rib.net/forum/showpost.php?p=252420&postcount=15

thornbackflound · 07 January 2009, 08:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

You guys may find this useful. With the modification to this rod holder. It holds my rod very securely even when bouncy in choppy water at WOT.

http://rib.net/forum/showpost.php?p=252420&postcount=15

any chance of a closer up pic of the rod holder,,,,,,,,,,,,,and is that your ditch bag on your life jacket,,,,,,,,,,,i like the idea of that

Steve Hackett · 07 January 2009, 10:37

We used to do a lot of bass and tope fishing from ribs and sibs when in Wales, we had 1 incident when the Mrs. was swinging a small bass aboard when it dropped off the hook and landed straight on the tube, snapping part of it's spine off in the tube. We always used a net after that.

thornbackflound · 07 January 2009, 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Hackett

We used to do a lot of bass and tope fishing from ribs and sibs when in Wales, we had 1 incident when the Mrs. was swinging a small bass aboard when it dropped off the hook and landed straight on the tube, snapping part of it's spine off in the tube. We always used a net after that.

i got a rubber mat i lay over the tubes,,,,,,,,,,,rubber anti slip on the floor ,and lay my end tackle down over it,,,,,,,,,,,not had a fish yet ,lol,,,,,,,,,,,but a rubber bucket me thinks

prairie tuber · 07 January 2009, 13:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by thornbackflound

any chance of a closer up pic of the rod holder,,,,,,,,,,,,,and is that your ditch bag on your life jacket,,,,,,,,,,,i like the idea of that

There is a closer image in in the link. That is is a pocket right in the life jacket I keep some basic survival gear. I will also keep a more extensive a survival kit in a small daypack that serves a ditchbag/bug out bag (BOB).

thornbackflound · 07 January 2009, 18:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

there is a closer image in in the link. That is is a pocket right in the life jacket i keep some basic survival gear. I will also keep a more extensive a survival kit in a small daypack that serves a ditchbag/bug out bag (bob).

cheers fella ,i see now

kelson · 07 January 2009, 19:59

Well, I didn't go hoop netting, but I did go wakeboarding this morning... 58 F water and 45 f air at sunrise. Defintely going to get a flotation suit for my longer range runs in open ocean. Thanks for the tip Sharkbyte. It may be relatively warm offshore in San Diego, but it's not like your body is going to heat up the whole ocean!

Steve Hackett · 08 January 2009, 11:25

This was our last fishing rib, i loved that little boat, wish i had it now.
http://rib.net/forum/attachment.php?...1&d=1231413493

spartacus · 18 January 2009, 10:54

Last year's fishing was particularly poor. Used to have a MkII GT, but the seams split. I repaired it - but being 3-4 miles offshore didn't give me the confidence to totally depend on it - so traded up.

Now fishing from a Zodiac Pro 7 Man RIB. Caught a decent pollock off West Loch Roag (Lewis) last year and loads of red gurnard. Also fish in the Moray Firth from Rosehearty. Nothing much, mackeral, dab, etc.

Hoping for better days. Still looking for another boat to come out with us so we can attempt the SS Fram (torpedoed during WW2) which lies 4 miles offshore from Pennan. Meant to be good for cod, etc.

http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k...5/DSCF1940.jpg

Link for the SS Fram if you're interested.
http://www.shipwrecksofscotland.com/ss_fram.htm