Offshore Fishing

Charter Boats

Charter boats are popular options in most saltwater fishing areas. A good local charter boat will provide anglers with a safe, enjoyable experience. Charter boats are typically larger than private boats and can usually accommodate 6 or more anglers.

Head boats

Head boats are another good option for many anglers. Unlike charter boats, head boats carry large groups, sometimes over 50 anglers! Head boats have many advantages, including lower costs, shared resources and an atmosphere that makes it easy to learn new techniques from other anglers. The down side of head boats is that anglers have more competition and are much more likely to get tangled or feel crowded while fishing.

Popular bait catching equipment includes cast nets, sabiki rigs, seines, dip nets, minnow and fish traps and umbrella nets.

These options allow anglers to catch live bait such as shrimp, crabs, squid, silversides, glass minnows, mummichugs, spot, pinfish, pigfish, ballyhoo, herring, shad, eels and other small fish suitable as live baits or to store for later use.

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Recreational saltwater anglers pumped more than $31 billion into the U.S. economy in 2006, with Florida, Texas, California, Louisiana, and North Carolina receiving the largest share according to a new study issued by NOAA's Fisheries Service.

At the national level, saltwater anglers are estimated to have spent $5.8 billion on trip-based expenses, such as ice, bait, and fuel, and another $25.6 billion on fishing equipment and durable goods like fishing rods, fishing tackle, and boats.

The top five coastal recreational fishing states are: Florida ($16.7 billion), Texas ($3.2 billion), California ($3.0 billion), Louisiana ($2.9 billion), and North Carolina ($2.0 billion).

In addition to quantifying angler expenditures, this study examines how these expenditures circulated through each state's economy and the national economy using a regional assessment. The $31.4 billion in total U.S. expenditures in 2006 contributed $82.3 billion in total sales, $39.1 billion to gross national product, $24 billion in personal income, and supported nearly 534,000 jobs.

The Economic Contribution of Marine Angler Expenditures in the United States 2006 is available online. A hardcopy of this report may be obtained by contacting Scott Steinback via e-mail or by mail at the address below:

NOAA's Fisheries Service
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
166 Water Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026

Stand up fishing involves specialized tackle which gives the angler not only freedom to maneuver but also puts the angler in a position where they can use their body to its utmost advantage against large and powerful fish. The foundation of the system includes special rods which are shorter than traditional IGFA trolling rods that were once common in offshore fishing. Stand up rods bend in a parabolic curve, meaning they flex more at the tip and stiffen sharply along their length. The reel seat is also closer to the butt on stand up style rods. This design allows more pressure to be transferred to the fish during a hookup and fight.

A key component of stand up tackle is the gimbal belt, which places the pivot point low on the angler, creating an optimal leverage against the fish. For larger fish, a kidney or shoulder harness is added. The harness greatly increases the size of fish that an angler can comfortably catch.

How does stand-up fishing help the angler?

First, the simplicity of the system makes it an ideal choice for small to mid-sized boats, and for anglers of all ages and skill levels. The learning curve is fast and the technique is extremely popular among beginners and seasoned anglers alike. Another reason that stand up fishing has become so popular in offshore fishing is that it is more fun. Anglers can follow the fish around as it maneuvers and keep pressure on the fish, even while resting their arm momentarily.

A captain that specializes in stand up fishing explained how they use the technique to fish for large tuna off the coast of Virginia, stating "Stand up tackle allows us to introduce anglers from teens to seniors to large bluefin and yellowfin tuna as well as several other species. In matter of minutes, we can effectively coach anglers of any skill level to battle tuna that sometimes outweigh the angler. The tackle allows us to have a clean, organized cockpit with lots of room for fishing and relaxing. When a tuna is hooked, we quickly outfit the angler and the fight is on. People are amazed at how easy and effective this system can be."

Anglers that fished aboard the boat described the experience, saying "On the day we fished, we found the motherlode of fish. We fought fish 2, 3, and 4 at a time, sometimes non-stop. Our catch included dolphin of all sizes, a couple types of jacks, enormous false albacore and skipjack tuna. Captain Glen and his mate showed us how to use the standup tackle, quickly getting us equipped with belts and helping us into postion at the stern. The covering boards are well padded which provided a comfortable surface to brace ourselves against. We were able to catch a lot of big fish with very little physical strain."

To learn more about fishing in Chincoteague Virginia for tuna, sharks, billfish and other species visit Shammy Sportfishing.