Trolling for Mahi while Sailing

by Merab-Michal Favorite

CARIBBEAN -- One would think that it is only natural to throw a pole over the side when sailing a long distance course. After all, when the crew is spending several days at sea, perishable food goes fast – then it is on to the canned goods. Some fresh fish lifts spirits and adds a bit of variety to an otherwise unexciting dinner. Mahi caught in the depths of the crystal-blue Atlantic makes for great ceviche.

Of course fishing from a moving vessel is a bit more complicated than fishing at anchor or slow trolling. Anglers are forced to make an important decision when that line goes taught and the pole bends over. When time is of the essence, choosing between a prized catch and altering course to slow down a sailing yacht is the hardest part of this kind of fishing.

“When I know I have something on the line, the first thing I do is ask myself is if it is worth the effort and who will be affected?” said Mark, the captain of the Swan charter yacht Extraordinary.

Slowing down means the helmsperson has to luff sails, crank creaky winches, and sometimes even completely furl-in the headsail. If they are the only one on deck, accomplishing this could be quite a feat. Mark doesn’t like to wake a crew that's deep in slumber -- the most bites occur early in the morning while most of the crew is sound asleep. When each person serves several watches for hourly increments throughout the 24-hour day, disturbing their sleep pattern could have negative results.

After all that work, there is still no guarantee that the fish will still be on the line!

Tackle is simple. Someone once told me that the bigger the bait is, the bigger the fish will be. This rule reigns true most of the time . In the past we’ve had the best luck with a yellow squid lure and a big treble hook that can keep the fish hooked while members on deck accommodate the situation.


All the action is incredibly exciting when a beautiful mahi is finally landed. I always feel a little bit bad about killing one, because they travel in pairs and their life partner will swim with them until the end, before he is pulled aboard. It is a little distressing to think about them losing their mate to a hook.

Because there are no bait wells on a yacht and we don’t want to make a mess, we kill the fish by pouring cheap hard liquor, like gin or vodka, in their gills. It seems a little harsh, but it is actually quick and easy – more humane then a lot of other practices I’ve seen. When they die, the beautiful coloring of greens, yellows and blues fade and they become almost white. It is freakish the way the blank color makes them look hauntingly sick when only minutes prior they looked so beautiful.

Even cooking fish on a moving vessel is trying, but there is nothing like a fresh-caught fish dinner to make the whole process completely worthwhile. Making ceviche is an easy solution because it uses lime juice or lemon juice to cook the fish via chemical reaction. On our trip we ate our share of mahi sashimi and though it tasted wonderful, it is not without risk. Most fish considered "sushi grade" in the U.S. are flash frozen to temperatures as low as -4 degrees. An average boat freezer can't comply, so parasites remain a threat to even the most fresh fish.

Merab Favorite is a writer for the Bradenton Times. She can be reached at merab.favorite@thebradentontimes.com.

The pole should be strong, short and able to hold a lot of line. There is usually no need for a pole holder, most sailboats already have one on the stern for their flag. If there isn’t one, or if it is located in an unusable location, lashing the pole to the stern rail or stations works just as good.


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