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Does Size Matter?
Background
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Finding
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Attracting
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Catching
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Fighting
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Misc & Conclusions
Range
 As
mentioned in an earlier section, lure trolling speeds for tuna
and billfish usually fall in the range of 6 - 9 knots, which
is above maximum displacement speed for many small
boats. This is the worst situation for fuel efficiency.
With our old motor in Toy Boat 2, our mileage at 7 knots
dropped to half of our optimum. With our current E-TEC, it looks like it
drops about 25%, which, because it has better fuel economy to start, puts it
right about where our old optimum fuel economy was, but in any event,
you should keep this in mind when planning trips.
"Battle of the Bands"
 There
have been a few articles over the years talking about whether or not some
types of boat noise attract fish better than others (see
sidebar). The idea is that there are some hull
-motors combinations which create sounds patterns that attract fish more
than others. This is assumed to be some combination of engine noise,
exhaust noise, propeller vibrations, and gear train noise
resonating against the hull.
Variations of the story include: some models of engines are better than
others, inboard motors are better than outboards,
diesels are better than gas, 4-strokes are better
than 2-strokes (or vice versa), large boats are better than small boats,
Hull A is better than Hull B, underwater exhausts are better (or worse) than
dry stacks, etc., etc.
So the real answer is...no one knows for sure.There is a
large body of anectdotal evidence to support the idea,
but no quantitative comparisons. It does sound like a good excuse to
pull out at the bar after a tough day of fishing!
Bottom Line
Skiffs have a number of inherent disadvantages when fishing offshore. We've
tried to identify the major issues, and what you can do to even
the playing field. Check out the ideas
mentioned, and see how they work for you. Be sure to
post something on
our discussion forum. Or if you have another opinion,
feel free to voice it! |