How to negotiate the pendulum swing of gas prices this summer on the tuna grounds.
Fuel prices have been a nuisance, to put it lightly. But particularly to those who run offshore. Most often the tanks have to be filled on the water where gas has ranged from $5 to $6 a gallon. For those who can access fuel by trailer, the prices have still stayed fairly high, depending on location.
Even when the prices do finally stabilize, they’ll likely remain above $3 a gallon. Whoever thought that would sound like a relief? Until we start taking sailboats and kayaks offshore, we are totally dependent therefore we must fish wiser to stay in the game.
Captains need to learn the “sweet spot” for running at the most economical speeds. Consoles equipped with high-end gauges are great, but homework on the internet or social media proves valuable in this instance. For example, someone wanting to find out what RPMs on a 31-foot Contender with twin Suzuki’s will want to check the Facebook group pages for both Contender and Suzuki. Searching for this topic is easy; if the answers don’t appear, then simply asking group and you’ll get a variety of often informed responses.
I like to fill up right before a trip, go fishing and then fill up again. Then I calculate my boating mileage and do the math. Doing this all the time informs me of my boat’s fuel performance in each situation. Those scenarios include more anglers and gear onboard all the way to lumbering out in rough seas at a lousy RPM. Heading precisely to the chosen GPS coordinates is important because deviation adds unnecessary mileage. Autopilot can help!
Weight contributes to lesser efficiency. I have a friend who likes to bring every bucktail or jig he owns and enough Gulp for a year on fluke trips. His brothers and I have basically had to say, “Look, you are bringing the weight of another man on the boat; you can’t do that.” The same goes for any species including big game. Participants are best to travel with what they need and not over-pack. If the captain has a huge live well and is not using live bait, then they should close the valve and avoid the 8.5 pound per gallon that saltwater weighs. Captains looking to save can include an extra person or two on their trips in order to divide costs more efficiently. Furthermore, skippers with good trailers under their sleek center consoles can pull their boat for a fill-up. Is it a hassle? Yes. But hundreds of dollars get saved.
The other day I broke my own rules. I went to the mid-range grounds for bluefin tuna on a solo operation. The “can’t miss” fishing that existed the day before diminished to a next-to-nothing event overnight. The ghosts lived up to their rep, as I didn’t witness a hook-up over the first four hours. I didn’t have a mid-week intel network up and running that day so any moves I was going to make was going to be on my own. And I was, in fact, on my own in that sense. I decided to make a 20-mile move and try an area I surmised would have fish; it was move that would also create a longer trek home. To my chagrin, there was very little life and no tuna.
With fuel prices high, big moves with little or no intel aren’t always the wisest on the wallet. Had I several guys to divide costs, then prospecting is far more responsible. Then of course there’s the weather piece. If a trip is a borderline go due to offshore weather being rough or possessing the element of a possible turn-around mid-ride out, perhaps it should be a pass. Several factors play into this. For those who don’t get to go offshore very often, let her rip and see if it can work. But when consider personal budget means, t prudence is important. Instead of loading up the chunks for the Hudson Canyon, consider an inshore bluefin trip; if it’s bust instead of boom, it’s not bust on the bank account. And there’s nothing wrong with fluke or stripers if the tuna, tile or mahi trip is a sketchy proposition.
We are all invested in the crude oil market how I see it. Backing up to my earlier statement, captains that watch the markets go up and down can decide if they should fill sooner versus later. If it were forecast to go up, I’d hustle to get there before prices spike. We all have to fish and boat smarter than ever so we can enjoy what we love.
