Direct Correlation: Boats Get Bigger as Fishing Opportunities Get Smaller?

Sharphooks

Well-Known Member
For the last several decades I’ve always been able to go out in my local waters during the month of June and at least have the option to try and catch a spring. This year, June is out. No fishing. So now, the season opened 01 July, but you can’t fish on Thursdays and Fridays. And if you want to set a dungeness pot—-you can’t do that until 12 JUly, and only on Sundays and Mondays...

And if you fish prawns, they give you 4 hours of fishing time per year. Yes, per year—-you read that correctly.

And I can’t go north to the promised land this August because we can’t manage our plague properly so no border crossing.


Meanwhile, everyone I see is driving around in these huge brand new boats with double and triple outboards. Rocket launchers bristling with rods. Brand new downriggers. Doppler radar. Twenty five footers are so yesterday—-28 footers, 30 footer.....a quarter million bucks for just the base package before you start adding the goodies.....These are go anywhere boats; bad weather? No problem....just blast through it and fill your fish boxes on the other side of the rainbow!

Am I missing something here? Seems to be a huge disconnect, especially when you read the marketing hype about the “bottomless” fishing opportunities the owners of these new boats will almost certainly have because now, bad weather won’t stop them....

Meanwhile, for my last two outings on home water I stared at blank screens....no bait....no signs of life other then scads and scads of jelly fish.

I was all set to get a bigger boat. Had it chosen, had already done the re-power in my mind....then woke up one morning and asked myself....why would you need something bigger then what you already have when all the opportunities for doing things with the bigger boat just seem to be getting smaller?
 
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For the last several decades I’ve always been able to go out in my local waters during the month of June and at least have the option to try and catch a spring. This year, June is out. No fishing. So now, the season opened 01 July, but you can’t fish on Thursdays and Fridays. And if you want to set a dungeness pot—-you can’t do that until 12 JUly, and only on Sundays and Mondays...

And if you fish prawns, they give you 4 hours of fishing time per year. Yes, per year—-you read that correctly.

And I can’t go north to the promised land this August because we can’t manage our plague properly so no border crossing.


Meanwhile, everyone I see is driving around in these huge brand new boats with double and triple outboards. Rocket launchers bristling with rods. Brand new downriggers. Doppler radar. Twenty five footers are so yesterday—-28 footers, 30 footer.....a quarter million bucks for just the base package before you start adding the goodies.....These are go anywhere boats; bad weather? No problem....blast through it!

Am I missing something here? Seems to be a huge disconnect, especially when you read the marketing hype about the “bottomless” fishing opportunities the owners of these new boats will almost certainly have because bad weather won’t stop them....

Meanwhile, for my last two outings on home water I stared at blank screens....no bait....no signs of life other then scads and scads of jelly fish.

I was all set to get a bigger boat. Had it chosen, had already done the re-power in my mind....then woke up one morning and asked myself....why would you need something bigger when all the opportunities just seem to be getting smaller?
It's the Instagram effect.
 
For the last several decades I’ve always been able to go out in my local waters during the month of June and at least have the option to try and catch a spring. This year, June is out. No fishing. So now, the season opened 01 July, but you can’t fish on Thursdays and Fridays. And if you want to set a dungeness pot—-you can’t do that until 12 JUly, and only on Sundays and Mondays...

And if you fish prawns, they give you 4 hours of fishing time per year. Yes, per year—-you read that correctly.

And I can’t go north to the promised land this August because we can’t manage our plague properly so no border crossing.


Meanwhile, everyone I see is driving around in these huge brand new boats with double and triple outboards. Rocket launchers bristling with rods. Brand new downriggers. Doppler radar. Twenty five footers are so yesterday—-28 footers, 30 footer.....a quarter million bucks for just the base package before you start adding the goodies.....These are go anywhere boats; bad weather? No problem....just blast through it and fill your fish boxes on the other side of the rainbow!

Am I missing something here? Seems to be a huge disconnect, especially when you read the marketing hype about the “bottomless” fishing opportunities the owners of these new boats will almost certainly have because now, bad weather won’t stop them....

Meanwhile, for my last two outings on home water I stared at blank screens....no bait....no signs of life other then scads and scads of jelly fish.

I was all set to get a bigger boat. Had it chosen, had already done the re-power in my mind....then woke up one morning and asked myself....why would you need something bigger then what you already have when all the opportunities for doing things with the bigger boat just seem to be getting smaller?

Your right! I’ve noticed it a lot more up here as well. I know we gripe a lot about our public fishery but man you guys have it so much worse and that sucks.
 
When fish are abundant, and seasons are wide open, a small boat works great! Pick and choose when you go out, and you can always go locally.

I’m upgrading to a bigger ( 21’ now, 29’ soon) boat for several reasons:
1) when I have the time to go out, I want to make the most of it. Part of that is a stand up head for my girls and wife
2) when the only open area is 30 miles away, it’s a lot nicer to travel in a bigger boat!
3)for the 90 mile trips, I can take the boat instead of trailer on a ferry. Faster on the boat, cost will be equivalent.

And the real reason,


4)I’m old. I can afford it. I WANT a bigger boat. :)
 
People having to go further afield to the small pockets of remaining opportunity. Bigger boats seem inevitable, albeit less sensible.
 
I am wanting a bigger one just so I can diversify my adventures out on the water. I got the SS for a 'fishing machine' but now thinking of something a little more multi use.
 
Even with fishing opportunities dwindling everywhere I still dream of a bigger boat and cruising our ridiculous coastline.

For now my 20 footer is just fine for me
 
I got my 33 Chris in 2003; right after my first trip to Kyuquot at Murphy's. Started with a 14 Livingston, then a 24 SeaRay after fishing with the Bayshore guides in Ucluelet in 1986. Years ago booking moorage/motel in Ucluelet in August was very difficult; wanted to be self-contained; hence the 33'. Certainly many things to do on the Salt besides fishing. I now have grandkid's & want something extra-safe. fyi running hot water is REALLY nice. The bigger boats are way better at handling most rough water inside, but outside waters you still get beat-up.
 
OK, full disclosure—-I own a boat strictly to chase fish. And having admitted that, It now appears I’ve painted myself into a corner because of all the draconian fishing regs in my neighborhood....summer regs are bad enough but now, going in to 2021—ZERO winter spring fishing. Zero!

If I wanted to have a drinking platform I have my back porch and a lawn chair. I could never wrap my head around burning gas to go sight-see...didn’t God invented cars to do that?

But hats off to all the guys and gals who enjoy boating just for the sake of boating. I must be missing the gene for that.
 
OK, full disclosure—-I own a boat strictly to chase fish. And having admitted that, It now appears I’ve painted myself into a corner because of all the draconian fishing regs in my neighborhood....summer regs are bad enough but now, going in to 2021—ZERO winter spring fishing. Zero!

If I wanted to have a drinking platform I have my back porch and a lawn chair. I could never wrap my head around burning gas to go sight-see...didn’t God invented cars to do that?

But hats off to all the guys and gals who enjoy boating just for the sake of boating. I must be missing the gene for that.

dang I just realized that there will be no epic multi-part adventure thread this year :(
 
OK, full disclosure—-I own a boat strictly to chase fish.
<snip>
But hats off to all the guys and gals who enjoy boating just for the sake of boating. I must be missing the gene for that.

That's what makes this forum cool...there's lots of people with lots of different perspectives. You're way more hardcore than me...I like being on boats and taking the kiddo for a little putt-putt through the harbour or over to Granville Island for ice cream. I want to go cruising too. Fishing is a bonus for me. But also, when I do get a moment to go fishing I want a boat big enough that I can go no matter what.
 
With Covid everyone is staying close to home and much of the road travel has been done already by most. Cruising our coastline for many families is all new country that most haven't seen...I've heard many of the new boat sales fall into this group.
 
Now with the larger sport fishing boats they are very fishy yet you can leave the rods in the lockers and go for a weekend getaway with your family or wife having most of the comforts of a traditional cruiser. Good sleeping arrangements, cooking stuff, separate enclosed bathroom, and they are fast so you can get to a destination pretty quickly. Should you come across a bait ball or have some time to kill you can break out the gear and you have a serious fishing machine. Tuna is a fairly new sport target as well.
 
Now with the larger sport fishing boats they are very fishy yet you can leave the rods in the lockers and go for a weekend getaway with your family or wife having most of the comforts of a traditional cruiser. Good sleeping arrangements, cooking stuff, separate enclosed bathroom, and they are fast so you can get to a destination pretty quickly. Should you come across a bait ball or have some time to kill you can break out the gear and you have a serious fishing machine. Tuna is a fairly new sport target as well.
As soon as you take a dump next to your wife's head and then stink your sheets up with bacon you'll realise that although they HAVE the amenities they're not great for more than a night or two. A good long term cruiser for a family who's primary objective isn't fishing needs to be more liveable.
 
As soon as you take a dump next to your wife's head and then stink your sheets up with bacon you'll realise that although they HAVE the amenities they're not great for more than a night or two. A good long term cruiser for a family who's primary objective isn't fishing needs to be more liveable.

LOL, well a 25ft probably not ideal on a first date. Depends how big of a sport fisher you get 32 plus feet, there's some pretty serious off shore fishing/cruisable boats with great layouts. They are a hybrid fishing/cruising

There's a lot of campers and small trailers out there and they are set up very similar inside. No bedroom door, kitchen, bedroom and seating area all in tight quarters and people go for a couple nights, weeks or months. :)
 
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Theres alot of fun to be had anchoring the big one and putting along the shore in the zodiac with the 2hp. Nooks to explorer, beaches , hikes to hidden lakes, jigging and other wise relaxing lands me more towards cruising type vessels where you can still drag the occasional line. My buddies have the hardcore fish boats if I'm heading out strictly for fish
 
Theres alot of fun to be had anchoring the big one and putting along the shore in the zodiac with the 2hp. Nooks to explorer, beaches , hikes to hidden lakes, jigging and other wise relaxing lands me more towards cruising type vessels where you can still drag the occasional line. My buddies have the hardcore fish boats if I'm heading out strictly for fish
I'd like to think mine is both :cool:
 
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