FISHING in deep waters presents unique challenges for anglers. Several variables come into play when fishing deep with wind, current and the drag of your overall rig impacting the ability to effectively send a bait into the abyss. Knowing how to manage these variables can make all the difference when it comes to catching a variety of fish in relatively deep water; read on for a few helpful tips that can make a dramatic difference to your success rates next time you happen to be sending a bait deeper than usual.
Streamlined offerings
The resistance of an object dragged through the water is referred to as its drag coefficient. An object that is streamlined will cut through the water more readily and able to get down deep quicker and without being dragged away by the current. The term streamlined refers to the reference area that is moving through the water so if you can decrease the leading edge and surface area passing through the water, you’ll decrease the drag coefficient, and your rig will fall to the bottom quickly and unimpeded. This means that thinner braided lines and leaders are far more effective in deep water than thicker lines. Similarly, baits that are trimmed and sleek will glide down far easier than bulkier baits. Remember that as a bait plummets to the depths, it will be forced upwards so you should taper the side of the bit nearest the eye of the hook to offer less drag as it falls.
Effective deepwater rigs.
The more effective deep water rigs involve a fixed rather than a running sinker. A running sinker allows the bait to move freely however this works against you in deeper waters as the bait will tend to drift away from the sinker unless you keep constant pressure on the line. Snapper leads or long streamlined weights are most affective again, allowing the rig to fall through the water with the least resistance possible. These two factors point to rig with a sinker at the bottom and fixed baits above being ideal which suggest to a dropper or paternoster rig being the most suitable. A paternoster rig consists of a weight at the bottom which is typically a snapper sinker with two or more dropper loops tied to the leader above the sinker. Hooks or lures can then be attached to the dropper loops, allowing multiple baits to be presented at different levels off the bottom. Another effective rig involves the use or a deep water bottom weighted jig as your weight which gives the additional bonus of having a lure or teaser as your weight and baits sitting above.
Hook and Bait Selection
The selection of hooks and bait is also critical to the success of a deep water fishing trip. The deeper the water, the more likely there will be a belly your main line which dampens your ability to strike and set the hooks. Circle hooks are preferred because the hook does all the work with the fish hooking themselves rather than relying on angler intervention. Another benefit of circle hooks is that the curved point locks the hook in position, lessening the changes of the fish falling off the hook when thrashing about during a long trip to the surface. Baits for deep water fishing should be hardy and resilient. A fresh strip of mullet or squid for example is far more resilient than a fillet of pilchard and is less likely to tear or fall off during the long trip down to the bottom or if attacked by pickers.
Using your boat and sounder
Effective use of a sounder and chart plotter is invaluable when fishing down deep. A well set up sounder allows you to identify the depth, structure and aggregations of fish whilst a chart plotter allows you to effectively track the speed and direction of your drift. The wind and current will influence the boat’s drift so you want to where start upwind or up current to gauge the speed and direction of the drift. The speed of the drift will dictate how far off the mark you need to be; on days where the current and wind are light you can position your drift closer to the mark whereas if the wind is strong or current raging you want to be a reasonable distance off. Once you have figured out the direction of travel, position the boat updrift to allow the boat to pass over the mark. Use a sea anchor, electric motor or judicious use of the throttle to stall the drift and stay onto of your rig, allowing it to fall vertically and closer to the mark.
Deep water bait fishing can be a challenging but rewarding experience however if you consider a few key points such as streamlining your baits and rigging, using your boat and electronics to effectively drift over a spot plus using the most appropriate rigging techniques and bait selection, you can master the art of deep water bait fishing and experience the thrill of catching a variety of fish species in the deeper waters around Australia.
