- Don’t Crowd other Anglers. Leave ample room between you and fellow anglers either when boating. Fishing cheek-to-cheek usually results in damaged gear and creates a lot of unnecessary stress. There isn’t a rule of thumb because space depends on the water and the area. Some areas are known for their crowds, so ask yourself if that’s the kind of fishing you enjoy. And when you decide where to fish, leave room for your fellow fishermen. Wreck fishing for instance takes a long drift if fishing the deeper wrecks. If there are already one or two boats on the wreck you should probably wait until they leave to give that wreck a try or move on to another spot. Especially if there is a charter boat who have paying guests on board they should be given room to work and not crowded. If you are running a dive boat and there are already fisherman on the wreck it is probably best to move to another spot. I don’t have to tell you how frustrating it can be to have someone pull up on your spot and 50 feet away start deploying divers. And that goes both ways. Fisherman do not own the water and we all share these resources. Make sure you give divers their proper amount of space and always slow down and steer clear of divers and dive boats. There are rules and regulations to maintaining safe distances and it is best to adhere to these rules. In any event it is the captains responsibility to adhere to all laws and rules. Sometimes we don’t like it but there is a better time and place to address these issues when there are no lives at stake.
- Honor anglers who arrived before you. The early bird gets the worm and if someone set his alarm earlier than you and got to the honey hole first there is no reason to jump in front of him. Go someplace else, sit on the bank until he’s done, but respect the fact that he made a sacrifice that you did not. And for tomorrow, set your clock a bit earlier… This is one of my favorite rules and it should be adhered to by all anglers. Like I tell my clients “Its a great big ocean” there is plenty of room. In any event it is always best to avoid conflicts on the water and losing your cool in front of clients can be very detrimental. Cooler heads prevail and safety first.
- Boating Safety is the most important aspect. Whether you agree with me or not SAFETY is the most important aspect to boating. A great captain will always prioritize safety first. There are many boating safety and education aspects to this and the purpose of this article is not to list them all but to help you gain insight into proper etiquette. For a complete list please click the link above. For now I will only tell you that you should get very familiar with these rules and practice safe boating at all times.
- Don’t harvest a fish you aren’t going to eat or get mounted. This should not have to be said but it does. I’ve seen guys throwing bluefish up on the piers and just letting them lay in the sun for hours unattended. I’ve seen guys on boats load up the boat with a hundred dolphin / Mahi only to return to the docks and start wasting these fish or tossing them back in the water dead. Nothing will anger a professional fisherman more than watching people burn a resource for no reason. Please abide by your local rules and regulations regarding proper harvest limits and current regulations. If you need help with the rules you can download the app Fish Rules on your Iphone or android phone and help get yourself familiar with your local species and their specific regulations.
Thanks for checking in and don’t forget your annual outboard service. We have 10 Percent off promo on our website for Jupiter and Palm Beach Residents.
Captain Darren Diaz
Owner – JupiterMarineSales.com
954-673-7702