If you’ve never tried your hand at fishing before and you want to give it a go, charter fishing is a great option. There are so many amazing places around the world where you can charter a boat to go fishing, so why not add it to the itinerary on your next trip?
When you go charter fishing, you hire a boat and a guide and they will take you out to the best spots and help you get started. But even though you have a guide with you, it’s still important to plan and prepare before the trip if you want to get the most out of it. Here’s everything you need to know about taking your first charter fishing trip.
Communicate With The Guide
Before your trip, good communication with the guide is important because they need to know what your expectations of the trip are. Are you mainly interested in spending time on the water with a bit of fishing or are you dead set on catching the biggest fish you possibly can? Letting them know what you want out of the trip allows them to tailor it to you and give you the best possible experience. They will also give you a lot of good information about what you need to bring with you etc and whether the equipment will be supplied (in most cases, it is).
Practice Fishing Beforehand
The guide is there to help you and they have plenty of experience with beginners. However, you may spend a lot of time learning the ropes before you can do any actual fishing, so it might be a good idea to practice a little beforehand. Get hold of a cheap rod and reel (this list of the best spinning reel under 100 dollars is a good place to start) and see if there are any fishing spots in the local area. You don’t need to become an expert, but having a piece of basic knowledge about how to cast out and reel in means that you can get straight to it and not waste any time during your charter fishing trip.
Pack For Every Eventuality
When you are packing for the trip, don’t rely on the weather being great because it can get cold on the water, so make sure you pack plenty of warm clothes. However, you also need a good set of sunglasses and some high-SPF sunscreen to avoid burning. If you are prone to seasickness, pack some medication and anything else you normally use to tackle the problem. It’s better to be over-prepared than underprepared, so ask your guide what you should bring before the day of the trip.
On the day of the trip, write a checklist of everything you need so you don’t miss anything. Make sure that you leave early too because the guide will want to set off on time. Remember, somebody else is probably booked in after you so there is no time for delays.
As long as you stick to these simple rules, your first charter fishing trip will be an amazing experience.
