Posts tagged Charter
Chesapeake Bay Saltwater Techniques – Charter Boats, Fishing Piers and More
Mar 18th
Anglers fishing in the Chesapeake Bay might choose to fish from charter boats, piers, inlets, bridges, or along the shoreline. The wide variety of saltwater fishing locations throughout the bay allows anglers of any age, sex or physical condition a chance to enjoy the sport.
Charter boats are popular options in most saltwater fishing areas. A good local charter boat will provide anglers with a safe, enjoyable experience. Charter boats are typically larger than private boats and can usually accommodate 6 or more anglers. Most Chesapeake Bay fishing charter boats are available from early spring thru December.
Especially popular with Chesapeake Bay anglers are fishing charter trips for striped bass, also known as rockfish. These fish can be very large and are often found in large schools. Once the striped bass season closes in the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach fishing charter boats are able to continue fishing in the nearby coastal waters.
Pier fishing is very popular in parts of the bay. Beginners will feel very much at ease and many piers have a family atmosphere and lots of people willing to help each other learn. Pier fishing tackle is inexpensive and simple to use. Common items to bring on a pier trip might include a cooler, ice, drinks, snacks, sunblock, insect repellent, knife, bait, rags, pliers, rod and reels, tackle, and a camera. It’s a good idea to use a pier fishing cart to transport all this gear onto the pier.
Calling ahead to commercial piers is one way to find out where fish are biting. Anglers can also check regional websites for pier fishing reports and tips. Several Virginia fishing piers are found in the lower Chesapeake Bay, many in the Hampton Roads area.
Shoreline fishing can be very productive in the Chesapeake Bay. Depending on the season, location and species targeted, anglers may fish with one or several types of cut baits, live baits or with artificial lures. Anglers use light rods and spinning or conventional reels and often carry sand spikes to hold the rods and a cooler on wheels called a fishing buggy. Chesapeake anglers fishing from the shoreline catch rockfish, croaker, white perch, spot, trout, drum fish, catfish and other species.
Some anglers catching their own live baits for fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Popular bait catching equipment includes cast nets, sabiki rigs, seines, dip nets, minnow and fish traps and umbrella nets. These options allow anglers to catch live bait such as shrimp, crabs, squid, silversides, glass minnows, mummichugs, spot, pinfish, pigfish, ballyhoo, herring, shad, eels and other small fish suitable a live baits or to store or use immediately as fresh baits.
The author writes for outdoor websites including Virginia Beach Virginia, Hampton Roads Virginia and Chesapeake Bay Charter Boats.
Source:ArticlesBase
How to Choose a Fishing Charter – for Lake Erie or Anywhere Else
Feb 21st
Is lining up a charted fishing trip as simple as picking the phone number of a captain listed in the ad section of a fishing magazine? Short answer – maybe.
Lake Erie, for example, has such a diverse selection of fish that many charter services focus only on one or two species. Book with a salmon guide when you want to troll for some walleye and you could short-circuit your trip even before launch. The majority of guides and captains are dedicated business people intent on providing their sports (’sport’ is the term for fishermen who hire a service to take them fishing) the best time on the water they’ve ever had. But what it means to have a great time fishing can mean different things to different folks.
Help yourself and your Lake Erie charter captain by doing a bit of investigating:
What Type of Fish do You Want to Catch?
If you want big Lake Erie walleyes, say so; if you’d like king salmon, say so and do it more than once. Be sure to politely grill the guide or captain on what fish they spend the bulk of their time angling for. When business is slow a guide service may say, yes, they do fish for walleye, even though they focus on bass. Hey, most everyone on Lake Erie fishes for walleye at some point and the charter captain in question may be very good at catching walleye, but a conscientious guide will always be up front with you about their expertise.
What Fishing Method Do You Want to Use?
A fishermen who likes to drift deep baits for Lake Erie walleye could be miserable spending his day on the water listening to the drone of outboards trolling lures for walleye. Again, asking questions about how a charter service fishes is critical. Try to be as specific as possible when describing what kind of fishing you’d like to do. Both you and the charter captain could end up frustrated if you keep asking to shut down and drift when he’s more confident covering more water by trolling. Same as everywhere else, the best Lake Erie guides and charters are flexible and try to adapt quickly to the desires of their clients.
But don’t forget that catching lots of fish is most often the bottom line by whcih charter services are judged. If you tell your friends what a great guy Captain X was but that you didn’t catch many fish, the captain knows most anglers hearing this story will look for someone else who puts fish in the boat. Word of mouth, after all, is the number one means of advertising and referrals for the vast majority of charters.
How Much Will it Cost?
Be sure to explain how many people will be going on the charter and how long you’d like to fish. Most captains and guides book half day or full day trips and price accordingly. Don’t bite off more than you can chew – unless you fish many days a year and are used to being out in the elements in a rocking boat for hours on end, you should consider a half day charter, which usually last 3-5 hours. The trip may be over too soon but you leave feeling charged up and not worn out by a long day on the water.
Though charter trips often run more than $200/angler, sports should expect to tip your Lake Erie charter captain a minimum of $30 (mates a little less) to express your appreciation of how hard he or she worked to make your trip a success. Notice I didn’t say you should tip because you caught lots of fish – the tip is for recognition of your guide’s effort, attention to details, flexibility, and safe boatmanship. A bad guide may not deserve a tip and if that is how you feel, then politely explain why and be on your way. And if you can’t afford a tip, that’s just the way things are; but keep in mind a handshake and smile won’t keep the captain’s family warm in winter when the lake is iced over.
Other Important Factors to Consider
What kind of food and beverages, if any, will the charter service provide? Do you need to bring your own rain gear, sunscreen, or motion sickness pills? Be sure to bring your own camera to record the good times. Does the boat have a private head (bathroom)? What is the departure time exactly? Be ready to go, it’s your own time and money you’ll be wasting by arriving late.
While no Lake Erie charter captain likes people getting drunk onboard, some don’t mind sports having a beer or two; some forbid alcohol of any kind, so ask in advance if you like cracking a cold one after landing a big walleye.
And be certain to find out in advance what the guide’s cancellation policy is. There are only so many days of fishing season and each one is very important to charter services so don’t leave them hanging by backing out at the last second because you don’t feel like going anymore. It’s bad manners and you might not get your money back. On the other hand, places like Lake Erie can get pretty nasty in foul weather and no guide or captain should demand their sports endure unpleasant conditions just to make a buck.
For most people, hiring a charter captain to lead you to a trophy walleye, salmon, bass, or steelhead is a rare treat. Following the steps outlined above will go a long way toward making your Lake Erie walleye charter, or any fishing charter, the trip of lifetime.
Paul and Ken have a combined 60 plus years of fishing experience at many of the top spots around the US and the world. Goto Fishing Tips for more of our tips on how to catch more fish and have fun doing it.
Source:ArticlesBase
Going On A Bass Fishing Charter
Feb 14th
Bass fishing charters are now in, because definitely bass fishing is really rocking our boats with a flowing number of patrons already. It has been the talk of the town since it was introduced in the late 1700s and has reached its level of popularity to the extent that even young kids are enthralled to join such an activity.
Bass fishing may be fun and enjoyable while you’re your sitting beside the lake as you spend your spare time with your family and friends but if you want you may plan a charter for all of them and experience the thrill and excitement of watching a school of bass fish run after your baits.
Below is a list of the things that you should be reminded of when you plan to have a charter. See for yourself.
• You must have a fishing license so that you will be authorized to take or possess either saltwater or freshwater fish and have a chance to participate fishing games but you should be mindful that we are consistent with the state and federal regulations. Securing a fishing license also contribute in ensuring the future of fishing in the state where we have the activity.
• It is also advisable that we wear a soft soled shoe for our comfort. Boots, especially those that are intended for work, are big NO-NOs.
• Bring with you seasickness pills if you that it is needed. It is important that you pack up enough of it for the whole trip. You should make it sure that you are physically fit before going into a charter for you to enjoy every minute.
• Being on a charter means being exposed to the sun so you should not forget to have your sunglasses with you for protection.
• Coolers should also go with the trip. This is intended for the fishes that are going to get caught. It is one of the vital things that we should not fail to remember for the reason that it would help retain the freshness of the fish. You do not want to have a spoiled-looking fish right?
• Check the weather forecast of the day. You would surely want to go out if the sun is up right? But you should always bring with you rain gear for special purposes. You should always expect for a sudden change of condition.
Well, what else should you bring?
Food, of course. You will be out there in the middle of the sea or lake so you better bring enough food and beverage for all of you because, for sure, you do not want to eat raw fish or gulp the salty water when you get hungry and thirsty, right?
To add up, have your camera, video cam or the like so you will have something that would remind you of your trip anytime you want. Be sure that you have all of these things to have a really pleasurable trip while you are in the fly fishing charter.
There are a lot of bass fishing guides that could offer you great charters. You may check their websites for information or you may also ask some friends of where’s best, if they are also into bass fishing. Find a charter now and go with bass fishing, it is one way of comforting yourself and have precious time with your loved ones.
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Source:ArticlesBase