Cryptic crossword clue
Boatman might try this to catch girl: “Want to get excited?” 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word TRAWLING

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Boatman might try this to catch" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case boatman might try this to catch = trawling.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does TRAWLING mean?

TRAWLING verb
  1. To take (fish or other marine animals) with a trawl.
  2. To fish from a slow-moving boat.
  3. To make an exhaustive search for something within a defined area.
TRAWLING noun
  1. A commercial fishing technique in which a net is dragged by a moving boat.
  2. A laborious search.

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