Some of the earliest deep sea fishing expeditions began 42,000 years ago. These ancient fishermen used fish hooks made of shell to target their prey: tuna.
For centuries, fishing on the open water has helped people feed their families, and sparked the imagination of countless artists. Today, a deep sea fishing charter is a more common way to experience the world of deep sea fishing. These experiences allow even non-professionals to give the thrill of deep sea fishing a try.
However, if you’ve never been on a chartered fishing boat, the experience can be intimidating. Wondering what to expect, and how to prepare? Your answers are all right here — keep reading for more!
Preparing for a Deep Sea Charter Trip
First, you’ll want to go into the experience ready for whatever will come. Here are the top ways to get prepared before you head out on your deep sea charter trip.
1. Wear Layers
No matter how nice the day looks, things can quickly get cold when you’re out on the deep sea. Wearing plenty of warm, waterproof layers will ensure that you stay comfortable the whole time.
The more adjustable your layers, the better. For example, look for shirts with sleeves that roll up, or pants with lower legs that detach to turn into shorts. Make sure you have head protection in case of rain!
Sunglasses and other sun protection are useful, too. The sun reflecting off the waves can be powerful, even if it doesn’t look like it.
2. Get Plenty of Sleep
Your fishing expedition will probably start very early in the morning. Most fishermen start the day before the sun comes up. If you sleep in, you’ll miss out on the first few catches, which can be the best of the day.
3. Get Physically Prepped
Even though you’re not doing it full-time, deep-sea fishing is still physically taxing. If you can, get in some extra workout time so you can be prepared before you go.
You should also eat well, take vitamins, and start getting hydrated a few days before your trip. If you go into it in good shape, you’ll have a better time overall.
How to Deep Sea Fish
How does deep sea fishing really work? While the experts on your boat should show you the ropes, you’ll have more fun if you know a little bit of what to expect.
The equipment and bait you use will depend on what you’re fishing for. However, most deep sea fish species are huge, so expect to be working with the “big guns” of fishing. There are no thin lines baited with worms here!
The rod you use might be made of graphite, which is light but incredibly strong. You may use lures or live bait, such as mackerel. Common deep sea fishing methods include chumming and trolling.
Chumming is when you use baited lines to lure multiple fish at a time. Trolling means you’ll drag the line through the water to attract the fish’s attention.
Your First Time Deep Sea Fishing Guide
Now that you’re on the boat, how will things go? Here’s your guide to what to do and what to expect for your first deep sea fishing charter trip.
1. Ask Lots of Questions
You’re working with people who know the ropes, while you’re a beginner. You will have questions, so don’t be afraid to ask!
Sometimes, you’ll run into a challenge you can’t seem to figure out. This is a great time to ask for help. If you can’t figure out how to hook your bait, cast your line, or do some other important task, ask the pros.
2. Meet New Creatures
The deep sea is full of interesting creatures that you might accidentally catch in your quest for fish. This is a good time to leave any squeamishness behind and get excited about nature.
The deep sea has everything from starfish to sharks. You might even see creatures you’ve never heard of before. It’s all part of the fun.
3. Enjoy Hangout Time
Deep sea fishing isn’t all action. In fact, there might be more downtime than you expected.
Many fish get caught only at specific times of the day. This leaves you with many slowdowns where the fish aren’t biting, or maybe you’re not even trying to catch them.
However, this downtime is a good thing! It lets you get to know your fishing buddies, learn more about deep sea fishing, and share adventure stories (or just listen).
4. Learn Fishing Techniques
You’ll get coaching and guidance from the professionals on your ship, so don’t worry about how much you don’t know. The things you learn on your first trip can easily be applied to the next one!
5. See Amazing Sights
From the open water to the creatures inside it, the visuals of a deep sea fishing charter trip can really be stunning. You might want to bring a waterproof camera to capture photos or videos of the moment.
Of course, when you’re caught up in the action of catching fish, there will be no time to stop and take photos. But a GoPro or similar device will help you capture the moments without thinking about it.
6. Eat What You Catch
One of the best things about these trips is the fare you get to eat. Fresh-caught fish may very well be on the menu — but it might not be cooked.
You can ask the crew to carve you a piece of sashimi as they prep your catch. It doesn’t get any fresher than that!
Ready to Book Your Deep Sea Fishing Charter Trip?
With just a little prep work and an adventurous spirit, you’ll be ready for an amazing trip. Deep sea fishing charter experiences offer hands-on fun like nothing else.
As you can see, there’s nothing to be intimidated by. You’ll learn everything you need on the boat. Book your trip here to get started!
Thanks for pointing out that there are multiple fishing techniques to learn when going on a deep sea fishing charter. I’m interested in going fishing soon because I haven’t had time to have an outdoor activity far from the city in a long while. I think that this change of pace will help a lot in dealing with my work-related stress building up.
I like that you mentioned that learning new fishing techniques is one of the things I could expect when going to an offshore fishing trip. I’d like to take my husband to one someday because it’s been a long while since we were able to go on a trip out of town. Maybe going fishing is something relaxing that we could do for some quality time.
The fact that going boat fishing can also double as sightseeing really excites me. It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to experience the great outdoors, so I wanted to take this upcoming vacation period as a chance to do that. I’ll definitely look for any boat rentals that can help me out with experiencing something like this for the first time.
The other day, my cousin mentioned it’d be fun to go on a fishing trip with his dad and my dad. I liked that you explained what we’d expect from a deep-sea fishing trip, and I think my cousin will do too. We’ll definitely ask lots of questions when meeting with our fishing tour guides.
It’s great that you talked about how a deep-sea fishing charter is a more common way to experience the world of deep-sea fishing. My family loves to fish and we want to experience deep sea fishing. So for that, we are thinking of going on a charter trip this summer.