How Florida tournament captains use towers to find fish and mobilize team strategies.
Small tower on this outboard boat offers a good vantage point for spotting fish and communicating with fellow anglers below.
From perches well above deck level, captains can see farther over the ocean, increasing the odds they will spot signs of fish, such as free-jumping sailfish or schools of flying fish bursting from the surface to escape predators.
Equally important is a greater ability to see into the water. This affords the captain a few critical seconds to alert anglers and position the boat after spotting approaching fish.
“You can see sailfish swimming, and you can get the boat to them without running over them,” said Capt. Ray Rosher, a Miami captain well-known in South Florida’s winter sailfish tournament circuit.
The tower on Rosher’s custom 43-foot Miss Britt II puts him about 25 feet above the waterline, a perch Rosher refers to as his “office.” Towers on larger boats may reach to 40 feet or more above the waterline.
Tower helm on this Miami sportfisher puts the captain 25 feet above the waterline, extending the view to the horizon and deep into the water.
But towers don’t have to rise seemingly into the clouds to be effective. Simple platforms and elevated helm positions over the T-tops of center consoles offer distinct advantages over deck-level fishing.
During the 2014 West Palm Beach Fishing Club Silver Sailfish Derby, Capt. Chip Sheehan spent most…
