I was recently asked, "What is the most important ingredient attributed to the success of crews that consistently catch their targeted species?" "Preparation," I replied. You see, I've asked the same question to many of the top captains and crews in various ports all over the world, and most, if not all, agree that preparation is the key ingredient to any man's fishing success. A lot can be gathered about a crew's preparation by looking at the condition of their boat and tackle and how well they stow their gear when not fishing. If you see all the tackle lying around in the salon without any place to live when the boat's under way, it's a dead giveaway that the same gear will probably fail prematurely and become old and devalued before its time.
It's in your best interest to keep your tackle properly stored, cleaned and ready for any fishing situations that might arise. This mentality of cleanliness and organization carries over to terminal tackle and rigs as well, and it all starts with how you put away your gear on the boat.
Preparation Equals Flexibility
All top skippers preach the value of preparation and demand this trait from their crew. Years ago I worked under Capt. Howie Vermilye, a longtime charter skipper fishing out of the Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, Florida. We fished up and down the East Coast and spent time in New Jersey, Montauk and Nantucket. We fished a lot on these trips, with the weather always dictating what we fished for, so we had to capitalize on any opportunities that came our way. On any given day, we might fish offshore for tuna and marlin, then run in, fish for bluefish and then switch over to bottomfishing for fluke and sea bass to finish up the day. The next day you needed to be ready to do the same thing all over again, reverse the sequence or just do the inshore or offshore for a bit. The key to our success was having all the different components for each species kept clean, organized and ready for deployment at any time. Keeping plenty of backup rigs ready and waiting for when the bite gets hot doesn't hurt either.
Knowing this, we made sure to stay ready for anything and everything. I kept all our gear in compartmentalized storage systems, including the baits in the freezer. Everything from ballyhoo, mullet, trolling squids and mackerel to boxes of squid, sand eels, chum and shrimp had its own special spot. We even kept live bull minnows and finger mullet in the livewell - just in case. We placed all of our lures, swivels, weights of all kinds, hooks, rigs, crimps, chafe gear, rigging needles and the like in clear Plano tackle boxes.
Our offshore leaders and lures were stored in trays and separated by position in the spread - long rigger, short rigger and flat positions - for more efficient deployment.
Everything was labeled, categorized and kept close at hand because the different fishing situations called for a complete change-out of our equipment, and that change needed to come instantly and seamlessly. Time was of the essence. And when the gear was put away, it was put away ready for its next use, especially since it may only be an hour or so later that we switched back again.
When freelancing on the tournament scene years back and hopping from boat to boat, I carried everything I thought I might need along with me so I wouldn't run into any last-minute surprises. The second year of the Mid-Atlantic $500,000, Peter Wright and I fished the new 72-foot Donzi demo boat, and we brought everything, including six outfits each of 30-, 50- and 80-pound tackle. Keeping all the different swivels, leaders and other terminal tackle in compartmentalized, soft-sided tackle bags that held my clear Plano boxes ensured that I wouldn't spend all day trying to dig out a piece of 100-pound leader.
Aboard Brier Patch we believe the difference between a good day and a great day of fishing starts in cockpit readiness. My deckhands keep us in the mix during the day because they have plenty of extra rigs ready to get in the game at all times. We can and do change up our fishing technique when appropriate, like quickly catching and deploying a live bonito while trolling dead ballyhoo if we see a marlin harassing a school of bait.
We also keep tackle and rigs ready in our tackle locker that can be deployed instantly if I mark a good spot on the bottom, locate some suspended bait or find birds and fish working bait on the surface. If you have to take the time to rig up a rod from scratch when you stumble on one of these gifts, the opportunity typically disappears before you can get it together.
Where to Put It
Many production boats don't come with the proper amount of rod storage, so you must be creative and make the most of what you've got. A proper storage system for your rods and reels isn't just about being prepared for an unexpected bite; it also makes a big difference in the overall care of your equipment. You need a secure, safe place to store gear where it won't bounce around and risk damage to the guides and tips when in transit or while just sitting at the dock for that matter. All storage space is critical and usually in short supply on board any traveling boat, so finding the most efficient means of safe storage remains key.
Several manufacturers produce mounting and storage systems for tackle of all kinds. One of the best is a system made by Du-Bro (www.dubro.com). Completely flexible, Du-Bro's Trac-A-Rod system allows you to carry many different sizes of tackle using the same unit. This track system holds brackets that adjust to fit any big-game reel by clipping to the reel's harness lugs with a spring-loaded clip. This clip locks the reel securely in place without rattling or swinging. This system helps keep your rods and reels from rubbing together or moving in the holders and also helps minimize the space needed for storage.
Rupp Marine builds a bracket system (www.ruppmarine.com) that's made to fit specific reels and lock them in place without risk of damage. Rupp's gear is as industrial strength as its riggers and works great when you have the same tackle on board all the time.
If you've got the room, however, a custom-built storage locker with built-in rod holders is an ideal option. Try contacting the good folks at Custom Tackle Creations (www.customtacklecreations.com) and ask them to take a look at your space and build the perfect holder to fit your needs. (They will even make a nice one for the house.) Keeping your tackle in an air-conditioned space indoors probably adds years to its serviceable life.
Take the time to organize your gear properly, and then give it a safe place to live. Pre-make all of your leaders and label all of your boxes so that you can read them quickly and identify their contents in a hurry. Make sure the crew knows where you like to put things and how you like to have the gear organized. Investing the time to get your gear right before you leave the dock pays off with maximum fishing time and the ability to convert opportunities to catches.
