Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Choosing The Right Deep Sea Fishing Charter For You

There are a lot of factors to take into consideration
when picking out a deep sea charter. You do not only
have to look for one that is professional and
reputable, but you also have to find one that can meet
your personal needs. Thus, before you go out to sea,
you have to decide on exactly what it is that you
really want from the trip.

What Kind Of Experience?

Your main concern must be to decide on the type of
experience that you want to get. Is it wreck and reef
fishing that you want? How about inshore fishing?
Probably you’re interested in getting a charter which
specializes on targeting specific types of specie,
like billfish, tarpon, etc.? Factors like these would
definitely depend on what place in the world you’ll be
fishing in. For instance, if you’ll be fishing from
the Gulf of Mexico, you would have different options
if you’ll be looking for a deep sea charter in
Northern California.

What Kind Of Level?

Second, you should decide on the level that you want
to fish in. There’s a big difference between charters
catering to novice fishermen than those designed for
experienced ones. Nevertheless, the great thing about
charter boat’s abundance is that they have one for any
kind of level.

Some specialize on catering to beginners and families,
while some specialize in bringing more experienced
anglers out to sea. A lot of charter services can
actually offer you several options. Most likely,
charter boat captains would offer trolling options,
which is especially for novice anglers, families, and
even kids. For instance, a lot of charter boats
situated in Southern Florida can take their patrons
trolling during spring and fall months, in which they
are given the opportunity to have 6 hours hunting some
redfish, dolphin, etc.

However, high speed trolling would be a great choice
if you’re an experienced one that lack some of the
equipments to have your own expedition. This is best
done around summer months, which is when conditions
are best set to catch bigger game fish, like bull
dolphin, sailfish and yahoo.

Ask! Probably the best advice when looking for a
charter would be directly asking the captain exactly
what it is that they offer, and can offer. You would
definitely don't want to be wasting money and time on
an adventure that is not really tailored for your
needs. A lot of charter services are actually up front
regarding the different choices of service that they
can offer. Thus, you have the ability to determine
what type of charter would be the best for you!

Money Matters After deciding on the type of experience
you would want, now it’s time to settle on how much
you’re willing to pay for the trip. In general,
smaller boats that have the capacity of 2-4 people
have a typical price of $200-$400. If you want to get
a bigger boat for a whole day trip, prices usually
play around $900-$1,200. Additionally, factors like
the charter’s reputation play a role on how much they
charge.

Playing It Safe

Although most charters are headed by quality,
experienced individuals, there are some occasional
shady characters that might try to sell their services
to you. If this is the case, you should try checking
their reputation by asking people around the area and
getting some recommendations from the locals.

Doing this could mean having visits in the local
marinas and bait shops. Basically, you should visit
the docks. Another choice would be asking the hotel
that you're staying in. Such hotels usually have
charter services that they usually use and can
recommend to you.

Lastly, you can directly interview your potential
charter captains. This would help you see what kind of
person you’ll be spending the trip with. Most of the
time, this method is the one that shows whether the
charter service is reputable or not.

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