Some useful information

COSTS

The cost of booking a boat varies according to the type of fishing you do. Sixty miles out to sea takes a lot of time and diesel and will obviously cost more for the day. It may also depend on the hours you book, if the skipper supplies bait & tackle, this may well be an added expense. This will be ordered on your behalf and have to be paid for even if the trip is cancelled. On some trips you can catch your bait (usually mackerel) on the way out, but remember this takes up some of your fishing time. Generally a day's ground fishing will cost less, depending on which part of the country you want to fish from. Midweek trips may also be slightly cheaper.

PHONING

1. Phone the skipper to find out the details, such as the price, length of trip, number of anglers, species caught, deposit required etc.

2. Discuss these topics with your friends and decide on the date you wish to fish and collect deposits from the other anglers.

3. Phone the skipper, confirm the date is still available and that the tide is suitable for the type of fishing you wish to do, and send off the deposit.

WHEN TO PHONE

 Don't phone him at closing time, after you've had a skin full, he will not be impressed. Likewise, do not phone him at six in the morning if he is up and gone, his partner may not be impressed. Be sensible about the timing. The skipper may inform you that you must call the evening before the trip, after they have had time to see the weather reports. Usually about 7.30pm is acceptable, but ask the skipper beforehand when you have booked the trip.

CANCELLATIONS

Trips usually only get cancelled due to bad weather, breakdown or illness and only by the skipper! Remember, what is a days fun to you is the skippers livelihood. If the skipper has to cancel due to bad weather, don't have a go at him, he does not want to cancel, he is losing money. If the trip is cancelled the skipper will do his best to book another date for you as he does not want to lose your custom, but if a suitable date is not available, then any good skipper will refund your deposit. If you are the one canceling the trip, ask the skipper when you book the boat, how much notice he needs if you wish to cancel the trip, this should give him time to take another booking. 

TIDES

The right tide varies according to the sort of fishing you wish to do. If you want to fish over wrecks for conger, you need a small tide so you get longer periods of slack water, when it is easier to get the bait down to the bottom. If you want to fish the gullies in the sandbanks, you will want big tides so the sands dry right out at low water and all the fish move off onto the gullies.

INDIVIDUALS

Most skippers will take individuals on certain weekdays only, but look through the adverts or on this site and ring some skippers in the area you wish to fish. Quite often a party will be short of anglers and the skipper may be able to fit you in albeit at short notice. Don't forget that boat fishing is fun and it's the people you fish with that can make a day special.

TACKLE

When booking the boat, confirm with the skipper that hire tackle is available on the boat, if so, take what you have and the skipper will advice you on it's suitability and may hire you some if necessary. If for example you have some pollocking gear, you want to make sure that is the type of fishing you will be doing, as the target species changes from one area to another.

CLOTHING

In an ideal world, you would wear a flotation suit with a pair of waterproof boots. If this is not an option at the moment, then aim for plenty of layers to keep you warm, with a waterproof top layer which will also keep out the wind. It is important to wear a hat as most of the bodies heat is lost through the head, they also keep the sun off you. (Make sure the hat you wear will stay on as baseball caps can blow away). Do not cut back on warm clothing, even in the summer, it is always cooler at sea you can always take it off if you want.

THE SKIPPER

Remember that no matter how much you fish, it will still be a fraction of the hours a skipper spends at sea and he does it all in the same area. Listen to him or the crewman because this is their area of expertise. It could well be only fifty miles down the coast, but they will know what works here. And remember to watch what others do on the boat and how they a fairing. Never stop learning.

THE FISH

You can keep any fish as long as they are sizeable, but ask yourself how many fish you want to kill each month; if you fish to fill the freezer, then go to the supermarket, it will save you money. Angling is for sport, there is nothing wrong with taking a fish home every now and then, but please be sensible about it.

NOVICES

Angling is gradually becoming more like other sports and there are now plenty of qualified angling coaches around the country. Many skippers are happy to help you in the right direction on how to catch fish and what methods / tackle & bait to use.