By Captain Matt Baryshyan
Unfortunately, East Coast canyon fishermen do not have the option to set out the trolling spread when they break the jetties like our brothers down in Palm Beach. The average canyon trip, including the miles that are spent trolling, is between 160 and 240 miles total per trip. The fact of the matter is that I know there were very few cruising boats in my marina that ventured even half that distance in total all last season.
A canyon fisherman runs farther and in tougher conditions than any boater or sport fishermen. Just in the last two years, the cost of a canyon trip has doubled. Signs that our fishing fraternity has thinned are everywhere. The marinas all have transient slips available on the weekend and if you look at the boat listings, it appears that almost every boat over 40 feet is for sale. On our last trip of the 2011 season, we were offshore at Veatch Canyon and saw a sum total of three boats fishing at the edge and that included the ride out and back—a 280 mile round trip!
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?????
I have too much invested, and money is only a small part of it. I have invested my life, my passion and what makes me tick and I am not about to take up golf!
No mountain was ever scaled, nor a great battle ever won, without a plan. My Dad used to say to me that the difference between a dream and reality was having a plan and a budget. So here it is, the 10 steps to fishing the canyons in an economic nor’easter.
1.DOWNSIZE
Today’s 28- to 35-foot diesel powered sport fishermen are efficient and amazingly seaworthy. I downsized from a 42’ Jersey to a 28’ Henriques and while I loved the Jersey and my whole family misses her, the Henriques allow us to fish the canyon more often at a third the fuel cost. We are very careful in picking our days and while sometimes you can’t help being out in the slop, our boat is incredibly rugged and the new Amanda Lee has asserted herself over and over in the big water just as safely as our big boat at a fraction of the cost.
I realize that downsizing may result in those of us with larger boats taking a loss as there are so many medium to large sport fishermen on the market.
Just consider the big picture here. Once you take in the lower operating cost of the smaller boat along with the lower slip and storage costs in addition to the lower mortgage and insurance costs, the potential loss on the sale of your ex-big boat gets equalized in the first or second season.
Always remember your big boat is someone’s downsized boat. If you think this approach is right for you, get her priced to sell and kiss her goodbye!
A canyon fisherman runs farther and in tougher conditions than any boater or sport fishermen. Just in the last two years, the cost of a canyon trip has doubled. Signs that our fishing fraternity has thinned are everywhere. The marinas all have transient slips available on the weekend and if you look at the boat listings, it appears that almost every boat over 40 feet is for sale. On our last trip of the 2011 season, we were offshore at Veatch Canyon and saw a sum total of three boats fishing at the edge and that included the ride out and back—a 280 mile round trip!
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?????
I have too much invested, and money is only a small part of it. I have invested my life, my passion and what makes me tick and I am not about to take up golf!
No mountain was ever scaled, nor a great battle ever won, without a plan. My Dad used to say to me that the difference between a dream and reality was having a plan and a budget. So here it is, the 10 steps to fishing the canyons in an economic nor’easter.
1.DOWNSIZE
Today’s 28- to 35-foot diesel powered sport fishermen are efficient and amazingly seaworthy. I downsized from a 42’ Jersey to a 28’ Henriques and while I loved the Jersey and my whole family misses her, the Henriques allow us to fish the canyon more often at a third the fuel cost. We are very careful in picking our days and while sometimes you can’t help being out in the slop, our boat is incredibly rugged and the new Amanda Lee has asserted herself over and over in the big water just as safely as our big boat at a fraction of the cost.
I realize that downsizing may result in those of us with larger boats taking a loss as there are so many medium to large sport fishermen on the market.
Just consider the big picture here. Once you take in the lower operating cost of the smaller boat along with the lower slip and storage costs in addition to the lower mortgage and insurance costs, the potential loss on the sale of your ex-big boat gets equalized in the first or second season.
Always remember your big boat is someone’s downsized boat. If you think this approach is right for you, get her priced to sell and kiss her goodbye!
