 FISHING SPORTFISHERS: PART 1 — It’s another world — by Erwin Bursik and Luke Bassett
ANY ardent ski-boater walking around a marina is bound to stop and drool at the transom of one of the many sportfishers moored there. The sight of these awesome craft with outriggers erect and a full array of big game rods mounted for action in the gunnel rod holders and fighting chair always gets one’s heart a-racing. Then there’s the throb of big diesel engines idling, awaiting departure to exotic fishing grounds...
Indeed, the sights and sounds of big sportfishers never cease to stir the green monster of envy in any offshore angler who loves fishing the deep.
Climbing aboard one of these mighty machines is an almost surreal experience. Not only does it fulfil a latent desire in most of us, but it also introduces the ski-boater to an entirely new world of boating. Following many years of fishing from and, indeed, skippering many of these craft, this upgrade from an outboard powered ski-boat to a sportfisher never fails to stir my emotions, emphasising just how fortunate I have been to be exposed to this style of fishing.
The men who own these craft, the men who captain them and the men who work their decks need to be admired and respected. They have achieved a great deal to be able to own, skipper or crew a craft of this nature — be it a 28ft sportfisher or one of the bigger 40-60ft craft that are often seen in our waters these days.
Owning one is something most of us may never achieve, but skippering or crewing on one is certainly within the realms of possibility. However, it must be remembered that a sportfisher is not simply a jumped-up version of a ski-boat; in comparison to a ski-boat, it requires a completely new mindset to control and drive one of these craft. It’s not just a case of fill up the fuel tanks, make sure the bungs are in, fire up the engines to be sure they start, and then launch it into the sea — be it into the surf, from a slipway or moorings. There’s a great deal more to it than that.
Read the full story in the January/February 2010 issue of SKI-BOAT.
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