What Is Deep Sea Fishing?

Deep sea fishing is a form of angling that requires deep waters and usually takes place further away from land. The water depth should be at least 30 meters to be considered deep sea fishing territory. This fishing method is also often called offshore boat fishing, sport fishing, and big game fishing.

How Is Deep Sea Fishing Different From Normal Fishing?

Glad you asked! By going out on a boat into the deeper waters, the fisherman is suddenly exposed to a pool of deep sea fish. These are totally different than your regular shallow water fish. We are talking big game fish - sharks, tuna, marlin, and swordfish just to name a few. You normally will not find these species closer to shore, as they require open and deeper waters to feed. The swimmers and surfers are surely thankful for that.

Check out this video to the see the kind of struggle that often take place during deep sea fishing.

Why Is It Fun?

This should be obvious by now, but let us discuss it anyway.

Picture a scenario - you go down to the local lake, cast your line, sit a while and catch your glorious carp or trout. Sounds like fun and it is.

Now picture this - you and some of your best friends sail out on a charter boat to go deep sea shark fishing. Do you have the Jaws theme playing in your head yet? Deep sea fishing puts the x in extreme sport fishing.

When it comes to adrenalin, there is simply no comparison between shallow water and the best deep sea fishing.

Check out this video to see some of the larger fish caught recently.

A Closer Look at Deep Sea Fishing Tuna

To describe an average deep sea tuna fishing expedition let's take Prince Edward Island in Canada is an example location. As you set out on your boat, you will often find whales, dolphins, and seals on your way to the fishing spot. For bait you will normally use mackerel, which you can catch or purchase before you set out in the deep sea.

PEI features the large bluefin tuna that often puts up a fight of two to four hours. There have even been recorded cases of blufin tuna fighting for as long as 24 hours. Finally, when the fish tires out, it begins making less energetic circles and this is the time to begin reeling it in.

Your trip is usually over at dusk, hopefully with a picture of you standing beside a huge tuna to take home.

The How-To Guide: Deep Sea Fishing Shark

A blue shark caught deep sea fishing off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.One of the first and most important mentions according to the guides for how-to deep sea fishing is conservation. Always keep nature first and fun second. Fishing for sharks can be an exhilarating experience, but they are slow to reproduce and we must take extreme caution to not overfish. Therefore, the catch and release method can be extremely fun and a lot more conservative on the environment.

1. You are going to need a large boat; something in the range of 35 to 40 feet. You need the space for gear, the shark, and all your friends who are going to witness your majestic clash with one of nature's most powerful beasts.
2. For bait, you need something that bleeds. Sharks go crazy for blood, so the more the better. The usual suspects for shark bait are tuna, eels, and stingrays.
3. Make sure you bring the correct float. You will need to float your bait at different depths, so going out properly prepared is the key. Floats are usually made of Styrofoam or plastic balloons.
4. Once caught, HANDLE WITH CAUTION! This can not be stressed enough. Sharks are extremely agile and very quick. The second you do no respect it, it bites you. It is best to let an experienced shark fisherman handle your first catches to show you how it is supposed to be done properly. Even then, do not mess with a beast. Try to be gentle and not cause injury to the shark. Often even a small injury will mean a long and painful death to an animal that depends on its prime form to catch it prey.

5 Important Deep Sea Fishing Tips

1. Be One With Nature
   A deep sea fisherman needs to establish some intuition and learn how to read into signs that a novice may not catch. For example, if you sea birds like gulls hovering over a particular area, that might be a good sign that there are smaller fish an a particular area, which means that the larger fish can not be too far either.
2. When Fishing For Tuna, Look Out For Dolphins
   The two species often school together, so the dolphins often mark the tuna. Careful though, dolphins are protected so make sure you do not try to catch one.
3. Fish Near A Reef
   There are many smaller fish that live on the reef, so the large fish go there to feed. This can be a potential gold min.
4. Motion Sickness
   Motion sickness is an important factor to consider if you are a novice who has never gone out deep sea fishing. The purpose of the trip is supposed to be exhilarating fun. It will turn out quite differently than expected if you are prone to motion sickness. There are medications you can take to alleviate some of the symptoms, but if you are really prone to it, then reconsider the trip.
5. Go With Experts
   It is always a good idea to have at least one person on board who knows a lot about deep sea fishing. A novice group should never travel alone, as this is a sport that holds a lot more danger than the average fishing trip. There are plenty of excellent deep sea fishing guides who can make your trip both fun and safe. It is also a recommended to find as much deep sea fishing info and learning materials as possible before heading out.

Best Deep Sea Fishing Spots

• Hawaii
  Available all year and you will find some of the best fishing variety of fish including marlin, tuna, and sailfish.
• Coast of Maine
  Here you will find some of the largest bluefin tuna and is also great for whale watching.
• Florida Gulf Coast
  Florida has some of the best deep sea fishing gulf locations in the world.
• Destin
  Deep sea fishing Destin is probably the most popular location among Florida spots.
  • Daytona Beach
  • Key West
  • Miami
• Dauphin Island
  Some of the most affordable deep sea fishing options in the United States.
• Bodega Bay, California
  Bodega Bay offers some of the most exciting king salmon fishing available.
• Prince Edward Island
  PEI offers giant bluefin tuna and shark fishing for the deep sea fishing enthusiasts wanting to visit Canada.
• Cancun
  Cancun offers all year fishing for several species like snapper, mackerel, barracuda, and shark.
• Sitka, Alaska
  Alskan fishing offers some of the largest halibut and salmon fishing around.
• St. Lucia
  St. Lucia has excellent fishing for blue marlin and yellow fin tuna and is also popular for whale and dolphin watching.