For many of us fishing maniacs, there is nothing like waking up early in the morning, feel the breeze of the first sun rays dashing through the forest line, as we quietly leave home, ready for another great day of fishing. Whether we own a boat, rent it, or just enjoy fishing close to the shoreline, there is something almost spiritual about fishing; it is indeed a passion.
A great number of people (including me) consider that fishing is another way to discover the vast, impressive American landscape, and there is nothing more exciting than just hitting the road or water for some, to find new adventures.
Like any other trip that is worthwhile, some planning is always needed, and can guarantee you enjoy your trip even more. Here are some essentials to be aware of:
Gather information – Do you remember how trips were planned about 20 years ago? We would look for guides, mail order them, and trust our fishing buddies on their recommendations. Then we would have to call and reserve a camping site, pray for good weather, and depending on how far we were travelling, buy as many maps as we could. Today, the internet has solved all that, we can probably get to know places we never knew existed, count on sincere customer reviews, actually look at pictures of our next camping site, and almost feel the lake or river we will actually be fishing on. So there is no excuse for not gathering enough information so you make a good decision on where to go. Some general factors may include distance and transportation costs, days of stay, weather conditions, time of the season, etc. However, the best thing internet helps us to do, is getting your license online, make sure you do this before you leave. Getting into more specifics, it is always important for you to investigate the lay of the lake/river you will put you boat on. Every body of water has its own secrets, vegetation, depth, and of course fish! If you are unsure of what awaits you, some people prefer jus to hire a fishing guide, which may alleviate most concerns.
Prepare your gear – It’s always useful to have your own personal checklist for what you want to take for your trip. Always begin checking basic safety items like a fire extinguisher, horn or whistle, life jackets, and throw cushion. Once you have that lets go through with the obvious stuff: Electronics, make sure your cell phone is well charged, check on the electronics from your boat too. Although it may seem obvious for all of us now, in fact we sometimes forget about food and drinks, and it’s never that smart to count on eating what we fish, since we don’t really know how the day will go. Other obvious things check your line, hooks, lures, rod and reels, weights, etc. You might also want to check some extras like batteries, fuses, and even spotlights. Some other “not so obvious” details you should always have in mind include anchors and rope, Bug juice, a cap, a coat and some gloves, a first aid kit, rain gear, toolbox, and sun block.
Finally, remember, fishing should be always fun, and with just some planning ahead, you’ll sure enjoy it a lot more, if you like to have fishing buddies, don’t forget to include them, give them a schedule, ask them to bring something and make sure you carpool, you’ll save some money!
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About The Author:
Larry Cotta is an insurance broker from N.J. and totally hooked on fishing, his passion for trout fishing has led him to discover North America’s greatest fishing towns for over a decade.
This post is sponsored by www.visitmscoast.org, a regional tourism partnership for the Mississippi Gulf coastline, which offers great deals on fishing vacation packages and fishing charters, especially for trout fishing and redfish.
So much truth to this post! Thank you for the reminders. I often include fishing buddies in my journeys out... And gathering information is an inportant part to a successful trip. Preparing the gear in an orderly fashion can prevent stressful situations...that I know first hand! Ha.
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