RUNNING THE BOAT

So you have a boat eh? How the heck do you get from this stage to hauling salmon in the boat? It's a bit of a process, but a fun one. One that will addict you incredibly like me! Here I will talk about the basics, how to run a boat, keep things organized and what not. There is nothing worse than getting down to your boat at 0430 and realizing you were too lazy the night before to get it ready. Even worse is getting out on the saltchuck unorganized. Trying to remedy this while being tossed in the seas, sucks.

WHAT TO HAVE

Past the normal boat operating materials... This site assumes you have your Pleasure Craft Operator's Card and know how to take the boat from Dock A to Dock B safely. Also make sure you have all the proper safety equipment.

You'll need a few things for salmon fishing. They are as follows:

BOAT EQUIPMENT

On every fishing boat there should be a few pieces of working equipment pas the standard as shown above and the engines. These next few are found on many avid saltwater fishing boats and can greatly enhance your situational awareness of the water and allow you to find the fish better.

Compass

Very vital. The earth's magnetic field will never change. It is useful for fog use and for finding your way home in an emergency, or in fog. Off the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, fog is frequent. A sure-fire way to get home every time is to have a compass on board. It is something that must be mounted on any westcoast fishing vessel.

Even with a GPS, many times I will initially set a course off the GPS, but use the compass to track a heading home. Worst case scenario? Your GPS and depthfinder are broken, land is always in a certain direction on the compass.

GPS

A GPS is a very useful tool for salmon fishing. Not only does it let you find your way home, but can aid you in precision fishing drop offs, shelfs, bays, underwater reefs and offshore banks. For example there is no way to really find Swiftsure Bank off Port Renfrew without a GPS. GPS's are also ideal in the fog. There is no other way to fish effectively in zero visibility other than guessing.

Depthfinder (Fishfinder)

A depthfinder is also a very useful piece of kit. The most important part of it is for determining the bottom depth and therefore location relative to underwater structure. As far as detecting fish, the new ones that have colour display will show anything picked up via the radar signals. Use it as a trend. Do NOT expect to see individual fish. As far as the depthfinder is concerned a piece of wood, a salmon and a piece of kelp all look similar. Use it as a trend. If you see big balls, it is likely bait or maybe even salmon schools.

If you see a bunch of readings at a certain depth continuously, that can also be salmon. (of course it also could not be).

I have had many customers look at old Fishfinders and say "oh look there's a big one at 63 feet, get him!".....it doesn't work like that. As you can see in the photo of the Lowrance X107 Fishfinder that I have used many times, it does not display individual salmon. Just sonar readings. I interpret what is under the boat. (fish or not). This finder even showed crab traps lowering. Very accurate and I recommend this one especially to anyone.

ENGINES

What kind of boat you have can be anything. Outboards are common for smaller boats, although many guideboats and charterboats are inboards or sterndrives. However I highly recommend purchasing a new one as opposed to used. Personally I have always run with Mercury/Mercruiser engines, never failed. But there are many good brands out there. Just make sure it is powerful enough for where you want to go or how far offshore, safety first.

A kicker engine is helpful for salmon fishing. Your main engine will take you there, but for most boats, a 4 - 9.9hp outboard "kicker" will let you troll at the right speed and save gas. It is usually mounted right beside the main engine on the stern of the boat, mounted so it will be up and out of the water or lowered into the water.

Engine Connecting System

Many boats have a system that connects the main outboard to the kicker. This allows one to sit and steer at the comfort of the main steering wheel instead of sitting back by the kicker while trolling along. Basically it attaches the kicker to the main with a 'connecting rod'. Turning the main engine therefore turns the kicker. There are various versions of this so ask your local boat mechanic or dealer for options available to you.

I recently just installed one for our Mercury 60 / 4hp pair, and it went on top of the engine casing. It consisted simply of two knobs on top of the back of the engines that fits a metal bar onto the two, therefore connecting them.

BOAT ORGANIZATION

Now that you have all these components set to go, the key is to stay organized. There is no set way to organize your boat, everybody likes things to be run different. A boathouse door I saw years ago, which I found very appropriate and true, said:

"When we're on your boat we'll do it your way..."

FISHING BOAT TIPS

However the key tip here is to have a place for everything and stay organized on it. A couple years ago another guiding service hired me for a day to train a new guide of theirs. The boat was a mess. The trip was a headache and I could not believe the state of this captain's boat. It was appalling. Accordingly, the trip was not enjoyable by any means. A messy boat means you will also be fishing ineffectively. This leads to less fish, obviously. Go look at any top guide's boat, you'll find it in tip top shape and ready to go at the blink of an eye. Even as small as having a spot for pliers, the knife, X-10 bottle, etc. Make sure everything has a practical spot. Therefore you are set to fish at maximum efficiency.

Never forget to always keep your eyes on those rods. It only takes the salmon a second to hit and another second or two to get away without a hook set. Hopefully this has gotten you going. Here is what should be in a salmon boat, and how a good one is run, organized!