In case you have a few dozens of deep-sea fishing expeditions behind you, you probably have a checklist of your own. However, if you happen to be at the beginning of this road, and you’ve only been out at sea for a couple of times, you might find the following checklist useful.
So, if you’re heading out for a deep-sea fishing trip, don’t forget:
Essentials
1. A change of dry clothes.
2. Long-sleeved shirt, or a light jacket, to protect yourself from prolonged sun exposure or in case it gets cold.
3. Rubber-soled shoes.
4. Gloves – handling certain fish bare-handed may be hazardous.
5. Baseball cap.
6. Polarized sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV light and glitter.
7. Sunblock.
8. Sea-sickness pills, just in case (Cinnarizine is one of the over-the-counter medications for motion sickness).
9. Food and drinks. Now depending on how long you’re going to be out, food choices may vary. If it’s just one day excursion, a few sandwiches will do, but if you’re going to be out for a couple of days, canned food along with the sandwiches can be a good idea. As for drinks, beer and bottled water are the best choices. Heavy boozing is not a good idea while out at sea, as someone just might end up falling overboard.
10. Credit card and some cash – ‘cos’ you never know. In case you’re renting a boat, and fishing gear, these are a must. Or, in case you’ve bought tickets for an organized fishing trip, don’t forget those tickets.
11. Video/photo camera.
Fishing gear
1. Deep-sea fishing rods and deep-sea fishing tackle.
2. Deep-sea fishing bait.
3. Bait rods and bait tackle – you just might find these very useful, in case you’re out of bait, or fish just refuse to touch the assortment of bait that you’ve bought from the store.
4. A wide range of lures and hooks.
5. Gaffs. One or a few, of various sizes, depending on what you’re planning to fish.
6. Rigging needles.
7. Fishfinder.
Other stuff
1. Coolers to keep food, drinks, fish and bait fresh.
2. Cable cutters.
3. Bolt cutters. In case, God forbid, someone gets stuck on a hook, a tool like this is a bliss.
4. Tarpaulin and/or rain suits.