If you’re seriously thinking about picking up a fishing rod for the first time and getting into a boat, it’s probably a good idea to take some professional advice first. Manual and Do-it-yourself videos probably boost up your confidence, but at the end of the day its experience that matters. Keeping that in mind, asking mariners, electronic dealers and commercial fisherman for advice on buying the best equipment and knowing the best techniques for boating and fishing is very crucial.

Boating

The first thing to do is get a boat and one of the most efficient machines would be the Alaska gillnet boat. It carries a big net reel on deck and has the ability to pack over a thousand pounds of salmon and even includes accommodation and equipment fit for a captain and his crew.

If the fog sets in, being among Alaska gillnetters is probably not a good idea. The time span for catching salmon is really short, so making quick decisions could either make or lose you money. Some boats tend to travel at 12 to 14 knots during foggy weather, while others still maintain 20 knots. If you can manage to see what’s happening within a mile then running at 14 knots is preferable especially if you have a radar that provides outstanding discrimination.
According to Bill Webber, who’s a Copper River Salmon Fisherman and Boat builder in Cordova Alaska, “The typical bow picker (a gillnet boat that hauls its net over the bow) has a planning attitude that varies 20 degrees or so, from sitting in the water, getting under power to getting on step”, he further went on to say that he would still push even in the worst situation which drove him and many other gillnetters to adjust their radars accordingly.
They don’t recommend that recreational boaters adjust their radars, but instead discuss the angle of the radar with a professional electronic dealer so that it can be adjusted to an angle that provides a view of both the calm water and the heavens.

Another very delicate equipment to use is the fishfinder. This nifty piece of equipment helps you scavenge fish that are deep under the water. It provides you with the complete information of the hardness and bottom contours of the sea where the fish inhabit.

Fishing

The most important thing to know about fishing is to know where and when to fish. Smaller fish that usually weigh up to about 7lbs surround the reefs and wrecks during the summer and early autumn. If you are intending to catch bigger fish that weigh around 20 to 30 lbs, you should visit the wrecks from November up to March. Now, the perfect way to capture these fish would be using the uptiding technique, which is one of the most successful techniques used when anchoring within fast tide areas.
Uptide is defined when the angler casts the bait in a sharp uptide manner. Then when the weight of the lead hits the sea surface, begin to release it till you feel the weight touch the bottom. Then further release the bait another 20-yards. Once you’ve done that, snap the reel into gear. This method releases the line after the lead hits the seabed creating a big down tide. The rod now tips steadily over the tide.

Now that you’re familiar with the technique, it’s time to understand what bait to use for successful boat fishing. For uptide fishing, the use of big lugworms are perfect. Use 1 or 2 whole black lugs depending on their length and then include juicer, smaller blow lugs at the bottom, for adding scent. You need to give them a big sausage shape. After you retrieve the thread, don’t remove the old bait. Simply add fresh bait to maximize the bait size and scent. To have an even more effective catch, you can even add rag worms, squid, razorfish and crabs to the lug. 

Now, if you’re still thinking about fishing and haven’t figured out which vendors to choose to go to buy the equipment then you need to visit Sportsman’s Guide and Fishwest. These are two highly professional vendors that provide you with complete fishing gear for your recreational experience.
They have equipment that ranges from fresh water fishing to ice fishing, from water sports to boating. With equipments that include baits, anchors, reel, rods, boat seats and accessories.
So, whether you’re looking for a real thrill boating experience or bait at the bottom of the sea, it won’t hurt to ask for some friendly advice from people that know what they’re doing.