Anyone fish from a jetski? Considering the Sea-Doo Fish Pro...

[Fishing Nerd]

I have a boat, but I find myself fishing alone more often as my kids get older and lose their patience (for the boat or the old man, that's up for debate). I started kicking around the idea of a GPS anchor (my biggest solo complaint is anchoring when I'm alone with no windlass), but adding a $6k (all-in, installed) GPS anchor to my older boat doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

I trailer, so I thought about possibly just getting a slip to make quick trips on my own easier, but then I considered maybe just getting a jetski instead. I fish the North Fork, so a ski might be a good compromise for when I'm alone and the weather is good, can drop on either the bay or the Sound side, dropping would be easy peasy and the gas a fraction of what I spend in the boat. It would also serve as a good recreational vehicle for those times I just want to go out and have a ride around in the bay.

Not sure how practical fishing rips would be in a jetski though, or whether these Sea-Doos are solid machines (my only jetski experiences have been all Yamaha, like my outboards). I figured some of the limitations might be the same as I already run into with the kayak (albeit not a powered kayak or one with pedals, just old me and my paddle).

Anyone fish from a jetski that has an opinion they'd like to share?

 

[Roccus7]

I have a boat, but I find myself fishing alone more often as my kids get older and lose their patience (for the boat or the old man, that's up for debate). I started kicking around the idea of a GPS anchor (my biggest solo complaint is anchoring when I'm alone with no windlass), but adding a $6k (all-in, installed) GPS anchor to my older boat doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

I trailer, so I thought about possibly just getting a slip to make quick trips on my own easier, but then I considered maybe just getting a jetski instead. I fish the North Fork, so a ski might be a good compromise for when I'm alone and the weather is good, can drop on either the bay or the Sound side, dropping would be easy peasy and the gas a fraction of what I spend in the boat. It would also serve as a good recreational vehicle for those times I just want to go out and have a ride around in the bay.

Not sure how practical fishing rips would be in a jetski though, or whether these Sea-Doos are solid machines (my only jetski experiences have been all Yamaha, like my outboards). I figured some of the limitations might be the same as I already run into with the kayak (albeit not a powered kayak or one with pedals, just old me and my paddle).

Anyone fish from a jetski that has an opinion they'd like to share?

I agree 100% with your assessment that the limitations found while fishing from a kayak would directly translate to fishing from a PWC. You need to come to grips whether or not being seated close to the water is what you really want to do. You need to "experiment" to help you answer some of your own question.

In my experience, there are many things you can't do well in a kayak that you can from a boat, and I believe this will also be true from a PWC. Now you have to understand that I feel fishing is a full contact sport, which means I NEVER fish sitting down, always standing.

Let me give some specific examples of where I feel seated fishing is not the best way to go.

• There's no way I could properly do vertical diamond jigging or squidding while seated, so if you like this "modality", I feel it would suffer off of a PWC.
  
  
• Casting is more difficult for me when seated, both distance and accuracy suffer. I do it once in a while off of my kayak, but I often think, "Crap, should have taken the boat" if it's a day where I need pinpoint accuracy in my casting.
  
  
• Do you really want to be hauling up a bluefish or bass attached to a lure with a couple of treble hooks into your lap?

Like I said, experiment for yourself, as fishing is very personal. If you do a lot of trolling, and NOT with umbrella rigs, but with single lures, then a PWC is probably a fine platform.

Now for an alternative for your boat anchoring issue. I have the same issue fishing alone, BUT since the only time I anchor up is in water less than 20', I commit the most unholy of unholy sins, and anchor up stern first with a small, but very effective anchor. No need for an expensive windlass or GPS anchor and I have no trouble holding position even with a 3 kt raging through some of the channels I fish.

When I do go offshore and anchor, I drag out a big azz anchor with plenty of rode, along with an anchor retrieval buoy system. Since when I fish offshore for tuna/shark I have company, it's not an issue.

Just my 2¢...

 

[Snapprhead27]

Skinner did a test run on one of them.

 

[BennyV]

I see a guy fishing off Greenwich CT all summer off of a jet ski. He literally bails porgies lol. Kind of a funny to watch but pretty awesome since he can get into some pretty skinny water.

 

[captmike28]

I have always tried to be as safe as possible while on the water but I will also admit that as a much younger man I would sometimes take a few chances that I no longer consider. I also accept the fact that if you watch the weather carefully and pay attention to local tidal conditions, rip currents, and other potentially dangerous situations you can often fish some wide-open areas in fairly small craft.

Personally, back in the early 70’s my ride was an open 16’ aluminum StarCraft skiff with a 35 hp Jonson outboard. Fluke fishing at Montauk was very hot in those days and when a stable weather pattern allowed, I would often launch that skiff in Lake Montauk and run to the Midway Rips, halfway between the Point and Block I. Most of those trips were successful, fish wise, and pretty safe, from my own perspective. Although it didn’t really present a super dangerous situation, I do recall one trip when a pretty sizeable Pilot Whale surfaced close to my vessel and got the adrenalin going. Thankfully, he wanted something to eat that didn’t have a strong “metallic taste”!!

So, IMHO fishing from a Jet ski could be an acceptable activity, once again making sure the weather conditions, area you are fishing and species being pursued fall in line with such a small craft. However, there are a few spots I would say should be off limits to this type of watercraft on almost any occasion.

Those who know me realize I spend a lot of time Striped Bass fishing in the very turbulent waters of Plum Gut and the Race. Four years ago, on a nice June morning I was working the Gut and sure enough I see this guy on a Jet ski move ahead of my drift line. Next thing I see is him pull out a rod and try to fish Bass from his tiny platform. Although the water ahead of the rip was nice and calm, when you eventually reach the rip line during the strongest portion of the tide there are always rolling waves waiting to greet you.

As others have mentioned what would he have done should he actually hook a decent sized Bass. How about if it was a nasty Gorilla Blue with those sharp teeth slashing at everything in sight! To me this looked like a bad accident just waiting to happen.

As I said earlier, there are probably a number of spots and less challenging species where one could safely fish from a Jet ski. As usual, if the operator would just exercise some common sense a lot more accidents could be avoided. As the old saying goes, “there is no fish worth risking your life to catch”!

 

[Roccus7]

I have always tried to be as safe as possible while on the water but I will also admit that as a much younger man I would sometimes take a few chances that I no longer consider. I also accept the fact that if you watch the weather carefully and pay attention to local tidal conditions, rip currents, and other potentially dangerous situations you can often fish some wide-open areas in fairly small craft.

Personally, back in the early 70’s my ride was an open 16’ aluminum StarCraft skiff with a 35 hp Jonson outboard. Fluke fishing at Montauk was very hot in those days and when a stable weather pattern allowed, I would often launch that skiff in Lake Montauk and run to the Midway Rips, halfway between the Point and Block I. Most of those trips were successful, fish wise, and pretty safe, from my own perspective. Although it didn’t really present a super dangerous situation, I do recall one trip when a pretty sizeable Pilot Whale surfaced close to my vessel and got the adrenalin going. Thankfully, he wanted something to eat that didn’t have a strong “metallic taste”!!

So, IMHO fishing from a Jet ski could be an acceptable activity, once again making sure the weather conditions, area you are fishing and species being pursued fall in line with such a small craft. However, there are a few spots I would say should be off limits to this type of watercraft on almost any occasion.

Those who know me realize I spend a lot of time Striped Bass fishing in the very turbulent waters of Plum Gut and the Race. Four years ago, on a nice June morning I was working the Gut and sure enough I see this guy on a Jet ski move ahead of my drift line. Next thing I see is him pull out a rod and try to fish Bass from his tiny platform. Although the water ahead of the rip was nice and calm, when you eventually reach the rip line during the strongest portion of the tide there are always rolling waves waiting to greet you.

As others have mentioned what would he have done should he actually hook a decent sized Bass. How about if it was a nasty Gorilla Blue with those sharp teeth slashing at everything in sight! To me this looked like a bad accident just waiting to happen.

As I said earlier, there are probably a number of spots and less challenging species where one could safely fish from a Jet ski. As usual, if the operator would just exercise some common sense a lot more accidents could be avoided. As the old saying goes, “there is no fish worth risking your life to catch”!View attachment 32046

Please tell me you've never seen one out there at night.

Oh wait, you wouldn't see them since they don't have running lights...

 

[george]

@captmike28 Is that you on that thing? I would have never guessed I'd see you on one of those. They just don't seem safe.

 

[captmike28]

No, Roccus, to the best of my knowledge I have never seen a Jet ski out there at night. There are enough other idiots I have come across with their running lights turned off at night trying to protect their "secret Bass spots"!!

No, George, it is not me. Don't own one, only took a ride on one many years ago while on vacation in the Bahamas. It was a lot of fun until I come face to face with a sizeable shark.! That cured me of my interest in PWC's!!!

 

[Fishing Nerd]

I agree 100% with your assessment that the limitations found while fishing from a kayak would directly translate to fishing from a PWC. You need to come to grips whether or not being seated close to the water is what you really want to do. You need to "experiment" to help you answer some of your own question.

In my experience, there are many things you can't do well in a kayak that you can from a boat, and I believe this will also be true from a PWC. Now you have to understand that I feel fishing is a full contact sport, which means I NEVER fish sitting down, always standing.

Let me give some specific examples of where I feel seated fishing is not the best way to go.

• There's no way I could properly do vertical diamond jigging or squidding while seated, so if you like this "modality", I feel it would suffer off of a PWC.
  
  
• Casting is more difficult for me when seated, both distance and accuracy suffer. I do it once in a while off of my kayak, but I often think, "Crap, should have taken the boat" if it's a day where I need pinpoint accuracy in my casting.
  
  
• Do you really want to be hauling up a bluefish or bass attached to a lure with a couple of treble hooks into your lap?

Like I said, experiment for yourself, as fishing is very personal. If you do a lot of trolling, and NOT with umbrella rigs, but with single lures, then a PWC is probably a fine platform.

Now for an alternative for your boat anchoring issue. I have the same issue fishing alone, BUT since the only time I anchor up is in water less than 20', I commit the most unholy of unholy sins, and anchor up stern first with a small, but very effective anchor. No need for an expensive windlass or GPS anchor and I have no trouble holding position even with a 3 kt raging through some of the channels I fish.

When I do go offshore and anchor, I drag out a big azz anchor with plenty of rode, along with an anchor retrieval buoy system. Since when I fish offshore for tuna/shark I have company, it's not an issue.

Just my 2¢...

Thanks Roccus, all great points. I know the utility is severely limited - from fishing off the kayak, there are a lot of things I can't do that I normally would on the boat, and I have had the misfortune of hooking in to a gator blue and trying to gracefully discharge it without too much trouble. I learned my lesson that time - thankfully I only use crushed barbs on my hooks, but fat lot of good that did for my previously-dry pants.

As for anchoring off the stern - you're a braver man than me. I'm sure if you really know what you're doing it can be done safely, but I omit myself from that category.

The more I think of it, the more it's looking like my fishing might be limited to porgies and blackfish. Can't hit the spots I'd normally hit for bass. No good anchor solution in the PWC either - I thought they would be equipped with a spot lock similar to a GPS anchor, but no dice. If I can't hold structure, that puts another dent in the utility.

 

[Fishing Nerd]

I have always tried to be as safe as possible while on the water but I will also admit that as a much younger man I would sometimes take a few chances that I no longer consider. I also accept the fact that if you watch the weather carefully and pay attention to local tidal conditions, rip currents, and other potentially dangerous situations you can often fish some wide-open areas in fairly small craft.

Personally, back in the early 70’s my ride was an open 16’ aluminum StarCraft skiff with a 35 hp Jonson outboard. Fluke fishing at Montauk was very hot in those days and when a stable weather pattern allowed, I would often launch that skiff in Lake Montauk and run to the Midway Rips, halfway between the Point and Block I. Most of those trips were successful, fish wise, and pretty safe, from my own perspective. Although it didn’t really present a super dangerous situation, I do recall one trip when a pretty sizeable Pilot Whale surfaced close to my vessel and got the adrenalin going. Thankfully, he wanted something to eat that didn’t have a strong “metallic taste”!!

So, IMHO fishing from a Jet ski could be an acceptable activity, once again making sure the weather conditions, area you are fishing and species being pursued fall in line with such a small craft. However, there are a few spots I would say should be off limits to this type of watercraft on almost any occasion.

Those who know me realize I spend a lot of time Striped Bass fishing in the very turbulent waters of Plum Gut and the Race. Four years ago, on a nice June morning I was working the Gut and sure enough I see this guy on a Jet ski move ahead of my drift line. Next thing I see is him pull out a rod and try to fish Bass from his tiny platform. Although the water ahead of the rip was nice and calm, when you eventually reach the rip line during the strongest portion of the tide there are always rolling waves waiting to greet you.

As others have mentioned what would he have done should he actually hook a decent sized Bass. How about if it was a nasty Gorilla Blue with those sharp teeth slashing at everything in sight! To me this looked like a bad accident just waiting to happen.

As I said earlier, there are probably a number of spots and less challenging species where one could safely fish from a Jet ski. As usual, if the operator would just exercise some common sense a lot more accidents could be avoided. As the old saying goes, “there is no fish worth risking your life to catch”!View attachment 32046

I don't know what some of those guys are thinking. Last summer I saw a group of kayakers go right through the gut. I couldn't believe my eyes, did a double take at first because they were a bit far away and I figured maybe someone was running with a smaller Zodiac, but no, it was 3 SOT kayaks with trolling gear out.

It would be a dicey proposition if they were out there alone, just in terms of dealing with the turbulent waters. But you've spent plenty of time out there, so you know how often people drift close to the rips or chase the bait and how haphazardly some of those boats can move at times. Even the ones not fishing - more than a few speedboats have come screaming through there with little consideration for anyone else. To me, a PWC, a kayak, or even a smaller boat is asking for trouble out in the gut or waters similar. The rip I was thinking of earlier was the one near by the buoy by Jessup's in the bay, and even that might be too might to lurk near with just a PWC.

 

[Fishing Nerd]

Skinner did a test run on one of them.

With all due respect to Skinner, who has forgotten more about fishing than I'll ever know - I've learned to take his YouTube videos lately with a grain of salt. They've reached the point where they're almost all product placement - I keep waiting for him to break out a Big Mac and declare 'you deserve a break today!'.

That's been the case with most of the YT videos I've seen on this PWC - everyone loves them, and very few mention anything critical about them. To me that's a warning sign - even the best watercraft always have some compromises or downsides.

 

[Roccus7]

Thanks Roccus, all great points. I know the utility is severely limited - from fishing off the kayak, there are a lot of things I can't do that I normally would on the boat, and I have had the misfortune of hooking in to a gator blue and trying to gracefully discharge it without too much trouble. I learned my lesson that time - thankfully I only use crushed barbs on my hooks, but fat lot of good that did for my previously-dry pants.

As for anchoring off the stern - you're a braver man than me. I'm sure if you really know what you're doing it can be done safely, but I omit myself from that category.

The more I think of it, the more it's looking like my fishing might be limited to porgies and blackfish. Can't hit the spots I'd normally hit for bass. No good anchor solution in the PWC either - I thought they would be equipped with a spot lock similar to a GPS anchor, but no dice. If I can't hold structure, that puts another dent in the utility.

In my feeble defense, all my stern to anchoring is done in estuaries so there are no wave issues. The only "challenge" may be strong current, but I'm not intent of holding over a particular patch of real estate. It's more that I'm trying to be within casting distance of a particular spot that I want to lob a plug into. The real comedy is watching me anchoring up with one hand, while fighting a fish with the other as the brain commands, "Third fish in this spot, drop the hook you idiot!!"

When I'm out in the open ocean groundfishing, I never anchor, I just drift, so there may be limits on fishing days, but that's the beauty of retirement and a boat sitting on a dock in the backyard; one can play "Goldilocks" based on weather/wind, waiting for when it's "Just right!!"

 

[captmike28]

Hi Fishing Nerd,
I can tell by the questions you ask and your commentary that you do have a healthy respect for the water and potential risks involved.

As I have noted in the past, I have over 50 years experience fishing the North Fork and the waters around Plum Gut and the Race are nothing to fool around with. Even smaller center consoles and cuddies can be at risk when you put together a strong moon tide or wind vs. tide situation. I have been out on days with my own vessel when a few smaller craft capsized and guys actually drowned!

As far as the rip by Buoy 17 off the northern tip of Jessups Neck, it is certainly less turbulent than the eastern Sound spots we have been discussing. Still with the wrong weather conditions a pretty good rip can form there too. However, I must admit there is some great Bass, Weakfish, Bluefish action in this area which always draws a lot of attention. Just exercise the common sense you have mentioned here and you will be fine.

 

[pequa1]

Used to see a gorgeous girl fishing off a PWC in the Amity Cut and saw her pull up a fluke or two. That said, kayak, PWC or boat really depends on what you are fishing for and where and when you are fishing. I kayak fish a few dozen times a year, but only in my local back bay from May through September, and only targeting fluke, weaks and bluefish. I also am always home before lunchtime, often because the southerly wind has picked up by late morning and lessening my enjoyment of the outing. During those months I probably take the bay boat out a couple of times, but the last two years every filet was from the beach but mostly from the yak, none from the boat. In the fall I might use my bay boat a couple of times, but usually surfcast or deer hunt.
If you are already occasionally fishing from the kayak, you already know the real limitations, namely the distance you want to paddle. (I already have a bicycle, don't want pedals either.) My barebones yak is under 50 lbs, a personal requirement, and all those bells and whistles are not for me. I did install an anchor trolley and multiple rod and safety flag holders. I know my local waters (yes, from years on boats) their depth, etc., and rarely anchor, sometimes resorting to a drift sock strategically placed to allow a longer drift in the 5mph channels near me. Vertically jigging under one ounce and casting accurately for me is no different than when I am on my small boat. I would think a PWC would merely be a compromise between a yak and a boat, albeit with buying and smelling gasoline.

 

[Chinacat]

To add on to what Capt Mike said, as we all know, waters that look tranquil and peaceful can turn and get ugly and nasty quite quickly.
I got caught up in one of the more uncomfortable positions I've been in over the years in Peconic Bay in a spot the average person would never think could be that way.. We left Shinnecock thru the canal and headed east making a few drops looking for porgies. Weather was dead calm and we kept working our way further east and eventually was east of Jessup's near the South race of Shelter Island. The wind was progressively building from the SW. We got our fill of fish and started heading back west. Once we got west of Jessups we found the SW was honking more than we realized. When we got to the south race of Robins I was smack in a howling SW hitting rising tide and the waves were stacking up like being in a south shore inlet with SW on a falling tide. By time i realized I should have gone around the North Side and back down to the canal it was too late and I had to ride it out.
Very glad I had enuf boat under me to get out of it.

Personally i think fishing of a ski would be more of a novelty in the right conditions than a full time thing....

 

[Bassknuckles]

my 2 cents- I love kayak fishing, unfortunately, my back didn't. I would only last 3 hours in the kayak and be in pain for 2 days afterward and I tried both a paddle and peddle. I have also tried jetski fishing in Florida it was fun, however I felt more unsteady in the jetski then the kayak when drifting probably due to sitting higher up in the water. My back still hurt after the jetski fishing but not for to long. The guy I went out jetski fishing who fishes a lot off the jetski said he has knee issues from the jetski from jumping wakes etc. I would defiantly try it out first to make sure you feel comfortable sitting on a jetski drifting with boat wakes hitting you. Also safety wise make sure you can climb back on the jetski by yourself.