Fishing Methods
Fishing is as old as hunting and gathering. In fact, whereas livestock breeding has replaced hunting, and gathering has evolved into agriculture, fishing is still, in great part, the last endeavor undertaken to capture wild animals for food. Furthermore, the basic components of fishing i.e., lines, hooks, nets, and traps are still in common use. Over time, great improvements in fishing gear, vessels and fish finding electronics have been made, but the basic elements remain the same. People still must climb aboard a boat, sail away from home, find, capture, and transport their catch back to port, often with great peril and at risk of their lives.
First, fishing boats are functional and not all are created equal. Each one is designed and constructed based on their intended use. The depth of the water, the size of the fish they’re after, the length of their trips, weather, the size of the crew and what kind of fishing gear will be used all go hand in hand with design and functionality.
Types of Fishing
A common kind of trawler is the otter trawler. These trawlers have two otter boards called “doors” attached to either side of the net. These doors can weigh several hundred pounds and when towed behind the boat, flare out and keep the net open. The mouth of the net is typically 30 feet to 100+ feet, depending on the size of the vessel and the fishery.
