Express Fisheries
2013-07-18 12:10:30
Hey everybody...
I've been lurking in this forum off and on for a few years.
When I was fishing in alaska years ago I saw some really cool lightweight stabilizers (paravanes, fish, flopper stoppers, whatever you call them in your neck of the woods) made out of plywood on the bottom with a stainless or aluminum vertical fin. I'm looking for a set for my small (30') oyster boat down here in Texas but I can't find anyone that sells them.
Does anybody know of a marine supply in the lower 48 that has these?
Abundance
2013-07-18 16:38:56
I think that the appeal of the plywood stabilizers is that you can make them yourself for far less money than is involved in buying a metal set. I have never seen them for sale, now that I try to think about it. They are much lighter than metal ones, and have just as much up/down resistance. I have never built a set myself, so there is little I can help you with there. I wouldn't think that it would be too hard to do, if you had some metal ones to copy from. I know for the front weight, they cut a cannonball lead in half and bolt the two half's together with the plywood sandwiched in between. I've seen those ends fall right off when the plywood gets old, so a guy would want to replace them reasonably often. I might be able to scrounge up some pictures of plywood stabie setups, if you think it would help. It is still the main part of the summer fishing season so replies might be minimal for a while yet, but there might be others on a break like me. By the way, how does a Texas oysterman get to be on a Pacific trollers website? I like it, but I think you have some interesting stories that we would like to hear. Whats the fishing industry like down there?
Express Fisheries
2013-07-18 19:31:16
Thanks for the reply Abundance. I thought about trying to build my own. I would love to make an aluminum set, but I know a few people down here have tried making their own with limited success. From what I understand the geometry has to be pretty much spot on. I've always ran the galvanized steel ones on larger boats but our local marine stores don't stock them anymore. (I'm sure they could order them if I asked) Even the 17" baby ones are 200 bucks each now.....
If someone could get me some good detailed pictures and measurements after the troll season winds down that would be awesome.
As for how I found my way to the site..... I don't fish full time anymore. I just manage my boat now and make a trip now and then for old times sake. I'm a captain on a 300 foot OSV (offshore supply vessel) now because I have a regular rotation that guarantees me scheduled time at home, and a guaranteed paycheck. I used to fish a lot in Alaska when I was a full time fisherman. I never trolled though. I just enjoy keeping up with all sectors of the industry while I'm out here on the supply boat. Also, what yall do is such an art (at least to this outsider) and yall are really into it for the love of the game so to speak.
Yeah, lots of interesting stories.... The industry down here is much different than up there. We are much more marginalized.... Villanized by the sport fishermen and CCA........ It's a lot tougher to make a living at it.
Abundance
2013-07-19 15:48:58
Looks good. They supply all of the pieces, you assemble. I think that the stabie pictured above must have come from them.
Siskiyous
2013-07-21 15:03:50
They take a pretty good strain. It would take a serious aluminum thickness to not bend. Plywood is the strongest solution for the weight.
A half weight on the bottom is all you need. One weight cut in half makes both floppers.
mswkickdrum
2013-07-31 17:09:29
Those are spanos, same as I have. They were made by mr spano in westport. He was a troller and perfected the design over many years of use. since he has passed away there's a new guy that took over all of his production, I guess he made some other stuff too besides just the stabilizers. I will get a name and number for that guy from one of the Westport guys and post it here. I heard he now makes a version with the wing made of UHMW. luckily they are some of the few things my boat actually came with I guess they're too heavy for a drug addict to carry off or the rusty chain was too difficult to unlatch. I was told by many old fisherman though that those are the stabilizers I needed to make sure I had, and not to use the old metal ones with the torpedo nose. it could be an old wives tale but I have heard that the torpedo nose models have been known to bust planks. something about where if they break free of the water they swing towards the boat and puncture the hull. not sure of what to make of that, there's a scene in the perfect storm where they show one coming through the wheelhouse window, make of it what you want.
my boat is about 45 feet and I troll for tuna at about six and a half knots. my poles are set for salmon trolling so their lower than 45 degrees which is where a lot of tuna guys have their poles. I have about 25 feet of chain from the water line down to the stabilizer, I have them attached in the center of the three holes on top of the fin. mine are painted silver so I can see them under the water, and when I'm running there just about to the stern of my boat. I have not tried attaching them in the first or the third hole to see what the difference is. like most of the older boats mine is long and narrow and it is a holy roller, however I can buck into anything and not have any problem or have a rough ride. if it is rough or rolly at all I run with the stabilizers as they make a considerable difference. they are a considerable amount of drag though. at the same throttle setting they reduce my boat speed by a whole knot.
MSW
warrentug
2013-08-02 17:40:53
Englund Marine in Oregon sells them, just got a pair of 21" ones yesterday for $250.00 Hope this helps.
lone eagle
2013-08-04 03:17:27
I recently bought a 40' double ender and the floppers were already onboard, with the shackle in the leading hole the rig seems well balanced and doesn't hang far back whilst trolling. I haven't yet measured the length of the chain but 25' sounds like a lot of pulling at the end of the day. I was advised to keep them so they couldn't hit the prop and I really like that idea. mswkickdrum- always good to get that kind of information
Abundance
2013-08-04 18:00:26
Those torpedoe stabies will indeed mess your boat up from stories that I have heard, but the weather has to be nearly perfect storm level bad. When I saw that scene in the movie, (which was also in the nonfiction book that I highly recommend), I was jolted by the memory of my Dads similar story of taking his troller to the Bering Sea halibut fishing. In 30 foot seas, his staby out popped out of the water, stopped over top of the boat, and dive bombed the deck, going halfway through the doghouse. They had to cut it out. I've also heard bashing holes in the side of the boat. I once had one dodge to the side and tangle in my rudder in heavy seas. I don't know if other kinds of stabies would have been better in weather that bad, but I is something to think about.