How To Prepare For A Sport Fishing Trip

For some people, there is nothing like spending a vacation on the water on a sport fishing trip. Some enjoy fishing in shallow waters on a lake for the day, while others like to spend their time deep sea fishing with the challenge of catching larger fish. Whatever type of fishing you enjoy, you need to prepare ahead of time to ensure your trip is a success.

How do you prepare for your sport fishing trip? Here are just a few things you need to do ahead of your trip.

Buy Your Fishing License Ahead Of The Trip

One of the first things you need to do before you book a trip is to buy your sport fishing license ahead of time. It's not difficult to do. In recent years, many states have made it quite easy to find the right license you need and buy it online. You also can still buy your sport fishing license in a local store or bait shop if you prefer.

It's always a good idea to buy your license before you book your charter because you will need to show the captain or boat owner that you have a license to fish the type of fish you are booking the charter for.

Organize And Pack Your Equipment

Once you have booked your sport fishing trip, you need to organize and pack your equipment. A few days before your trip, take out your fishing gear and organize it according to what you will need and what you might be able to leave behind. Also, make sure you take a first-aid kit with bandages, scissors, gauze, and painkillers in the event the boat doesn't have enough for everyone on board.

Make sure you have pliers and line cutters in case your line gets tangled and you need to cut it free. Have all your tackle and hooks organized, with extras easily accessible and organized. Bring extra poles and tackle as well. Make sure you have sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats appropriate to whatever weather you will encounter. Also, bring a cooler with ice to store your fish in to bring them home.

Bring Food And Drinks

While your goal might be to catch fish to have for dinner on the trip, you still should bring food and drinks to create meals in the event the fishing is slim. Even when there are lots of fish in the water to catch, sometimes circumstances happen during a sport fishing trip such as bad weather, which could result in you not catching as much as you think you will. You might also want to have a burger or chicken sandwich for lunch or dinner and bring any fish you caught home for dinner with your family later.

It's a good idea to pack a lunch and drinks just in case you don't catch anything or if you plan to be on the water overnight.