An innovative trawling strategy for transitioning from conventional bottom trawling to semi-pelagic trawling (elevating the otter board but allowing the trawl net to contact the seabed) was developed to mitigate the effects of seabed impact, and its dynamic performance was evaluated. Experiments were carried out using a 1/18 scale physical model of the otter trawl at a speed of 0.6 m/s, and the warp length was tuned in the range of 4–8 m under constant-speed control of the trawl winch for validating the numerical simulations. Numerical simulations were then conducted to investigate the effects of towing speed and winch speed on the dynamic loads of the otter trawl system and movement of the otter board, eventually develop a fuzzy or proportion-integration-differentiation (PID) controller for the trawl system. Numerical results showed the sharp increase of the warp tension and the overshoot of the otter board at the constant-speed control occurred, and the magnitudes of both raised as the towing speed and winch speed increased. The otter board spread was significantly reduced during the transition to semi-pelagic trawling at a low towing speed. The use of fuzzy and PID control successfully eliminated the overshoot and diminished the high warp tension. •Effects of towing and winch speeds on the dynamic performances of otter trawl were investigated as the trawl tows semi-pelagically.•Trawl winch reeling in warp faster, both the maximum warp tension and the otter board overshoot larger.•A reduction of otter-board spread from the bottom towards semi-pelagic trawl occurs when the towing speed is low.•Automated trawl winch could eliminate the otter board overshoot and diminish the high warp tension for the semi-pelagic trawl.