How to Prepare for a Deep-Sea Fishing Trip

You’re in Hawaii, Florida, or Costa Rica, or any sea-side town and you are considering going out on a 6-to-10-hour deep-sea fishing trip. This can be a great way to spend a day, or it can be an unmitigated expensive disaster. Below are my top tips for having a great deep-sea experience.

1. Talk to Locals

Here’s the thing I’ve found about deep-sea fishing charters, half the crews aren’t worth the boat they ride in. How do you discern between the pros and the schmoes? Local people. Walk into two bait shops and ask who you should go out with, often you will hear the same answer. They will also probably tell you a few to avoid. Personally, look for are crews that use live bait. I’ve found over the years that crews that use live bait are typically up the night before or early in the morning catching them and have a level of dedication to their craft that makes a real difference.

2. Gravol / Bonine

The worst thing that can happen on these trips is you get seasick. Sea sickness turns a fun day on the water into a nightmare. To avoid putting myself in this situation I always take Bonine or Gravol tablets when I go on any deep-sea trip. I take one tablet before I go to sleep the night before and one tablet when I wake up before I go out. This has always helped me stay neutral even in big swells. I also keep a few on hand throughout the trip in case I do start to feel a little queasy. How susceptible you are to sea sickness is personal, but I’ve never been sick on a deep-sea trip, and I attribute this part of my prep to be the reason why.

*Please consult your doctor before taking any medication, I am not a medical professional*

3. Go to bed early

On most trips you will be leaving the harbour at 7am latest. In places like Hawaii, they leave at 4:00am! Going to bed too late will start the whole day off on the wrong foot and if you are prone to sea sickness already having a little bit of brain fog will not help. If you are going to a place like Hawaii and must adjust to a large time change, I would suggest booking your deep-sea trip for the first couple days you are there. then you can use your natural clock to go to bed and wake up early with ease. For east-coasters going out west 4:00am in Hawaii is 10:00am in New York now the early wake-up doesn’t seem so bad!

4. Bring snacks

You are going to be out at sea for 6-to-12-hours. You are going to get hungry. Bring easy to eat food, like sandwiches, granola bars and maybe a little fruit. Be sure to have your food in a cooler with ice packs to keep it fresh during the day. Keep your meals relatively plan & light, you want easy eating food on the boat, this is a meal for sustenance not flavour.

5. Listen to the Crew

So now you’ve taken your Bonine, got a good night sleep, packed a lunch, and are hoping on your locally recommended charter, what’s left? Listen to the crew. You’re in a dangerous environment with sharp hooks and powerful swells trying to catch big strong fish. The crew are there to help you and keep you safe, listen to their instruction. They are the experts and a few tips and tricks from them can really add to your experience. Fishing is their lively-hood, and these fish are big ticket items for them to sell to restaurants so do your best to listen to their instruction when it comes to catching and reeling in these fish. Your stomach will thank you later when you get your share of the haul for dinner.

6. Have Fun

Deep-sea fishing is a rare experience that should be embraced when you are out there. Enjoy the experience of being out in the open ocean and the beauty around you. Watch the sunrise over the water and get ready to fight some worthy opponents. If things go well, you’ll also be getting a workout while you’re on board!