For the professional fleet, winter is not the off-season. In the Cantabrian Sea, the mackerel season starts in late winter, and in the North Atlantic the cold months coincide with some of the most important campaigns of the year, such as cod fishing in Norwegian waters. But winter is also when the sea tests crews and gear the hardest.
Back-to-back storms, groundswell, stronger currents and fewer daylight hours leave much less room for error. That is why the preparation done in port before the season makes the difference on every trip.
Fewer days at sea, more pressure on every trip
In winter, the windows of good weather get shorter. When the forecast gives you a break, you have to make the most of it, and that means heading out with gear that is ready, checked and suited to the conditions you will face.
A gear failure in midsummer is a setback. In winter, with only a few fishing days available, it can mean losing an entire trip. That is why it matters to start the season with your gear checked and enough spares on board.
Stronger currents, tougher demands on gear
Winter storms and spring tides increase the strength of the current, and the effect on the gear is not proportional: when the current doubles, the drag on the line increases roughly fourfold.
In practice, this means the weight that works in autumn may fall short in January. In bottom longlining, an underweighted mainline drifts and stops fishing on the intended ground. In net fishing, the footrope loses tension and the net lies over. In trawling, the gear loses contact with the seabed or touches it unevenly.
Checking the sizing of your fishing weights before winter, and adjusting it to depth and current, helps prevent drift, snagging and gear loss.
Lost gear: a problem that gets worse in winter
In rough seas, the risk of losing gear increases. Lines that part, nets snagged on the seabed or gear that cannot be recovered because of a sudden change in the weather are common in the hardest months.
Beyond the financial loss, abandoned gear can keep fishing for a long time, which is known as ghost fishing. And if that gear carries lead weights, the metal stays on the seabed.
Reducing losses starts with good maintenance and correctly sized weights. And choosing lead-free fishing weights reduces the impact of whatever, despite every effort, cannot be recovered.
Salt, damp and gear working at its limit
Winter also speeds up wear. Gear spends more time wet, operations are carried out in heavy seas and equipment takes harder knocks and greater strain during hauling.
Before the season, it is worth checking:
- Lines and ropes, looking for chafing, weakened knots or fatigued sections.
- Swivels, shackles and connections, which concentrate loads and are often the weak point of the whole rig.
- Fishing weights, making sure they keep their shape and attachment system, and show no corrosion that could affect their performance.
Materials that resist saltwater corrosion, such as recycled zinc alloy, help gear keep performing for more trips, which is especially valuable when conditions are demanding.
Safety on deck comes first
With cold, wet decks and heavy rolling, every operation carries more risk. Well-organised gear, with weights properly stowed and easy to handle, cuts time and unnecessary movement on deck.
Working with weights suited to the conditions also helps: not so light that you have to reset the gear, and not so heavy that they make handling harder and add load on the crew and the hauling equipment.
Preparing for winter in port
The winter season is largely won before casting off. Checking your gear, adjusting weights to the expected currents, carrying enough spares and recording how the gear performs on each trip all help you face the toughest months with fewer surprises.
Because in winter, more than ever, performance and care for the sea go hand in hand: gear that is not lost is gear that leaves no trace on the seabed.
About GreenCastSea
GreenCastSea is a Basque Country company that manufactures lead-free fishing weights from 100% recycled zinc alloy, designed for industrial and professional fishing. Its Itsaspe range includes solutions for bottom longlining (SARE), net fishing (HARI) and trawling (SOKA), built to perform at sea with a lower environmental impact.