Whether you plan for a day of
recreational fishing fun or fishing trip supplies that
means several days at sea, preparation can mean the
difference between a pleasant, successful fishing trip
supplies and a dismal failure … whether or not
the fish are biting.
Start and end with a clean
vessel and enough fishing trip supplies.There is little
more satisfying for a boater than welcoming friends
aboard a neat, clean vessel. Guests also feel safe and
at ease when they board boat that is well maintained, a
fishing trip checklist helps.
There are lots of products out
there that can help you spiff up your vessel. Heller
Glanz offers every product you will need to prepare
your boat for a day at sea or a season of fishing
fun.
At the fishing trip supplies's
end, also give your boat a quick washdown to remove
traces of fishing slime and make the next fishing trip
more pleasurable.
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Check updated marine weather
forecasts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Associatio warns of
dangerous weather conditions through major
organizations such as the National Weather Service, the
National Ocean Service and the National Marine
Fisheries Service. Information is updated every 1- to
3-hours and the broadcasts are repeated continuously.
If a weather emergency or danger presents itself,
special alerts and warning information is
broadcast.
Your fishing
trip checklist should include NOAA weather
reports can be found on one of several VHF high-band FM
frequencies between 162.400 and 162.550 megahertz (MHz)
... specifically, Wx-1 162.55, Wx-2 162.4, Wx-3
162.475.
- Make sure your radio is in
good working order and that it meets Coast Guard
regulations. For example, according to the US Coast
Guard, "the power output of your radio must not be
more than 25 watts.
- You must also be able to
lower the power of your radio to one watt or
less.
- Your radio must be able to
transmit on 156.8 MHz (Channel 16), 156.3 MHz
(Channel 6) and at least one other
channel.
- Your radio must be type
accepted or certified by the FCC. You can tell a type
accepted radio by the FCC ID label on the
radio.
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Radio
Channels and Use
Marine VHF channels are divided
into categories that are determined by the type of
messages broadcast. The most commonly used channels
include:
- Marine
VHF Channel 16 - DISTRESS SAFETY AND CALLING -
To get the attention of another station (calling) or
in emergencies (distress and safety).
- Marine
VHF Channel 6 - INTERSHIP SAFETY - For
ship-to-ship safety messages and for search and
rescue messages and ships and aircraft of the Coast
Guard.
- Marine
VHF Channel s 96, 68, 69, 71, 72, 78, 794,
804, 677 - NONCOMMERCIAL - Messages must be about the
needs of the ship. Usually, messages concern fishing
reports, rendezvous information, and repair and
berthing information. (Use Marine VHF Channel 67 and 72 only for
ship-to-ship messages.)
- Marine VHF Channel
13 and 67 - NAVIGATIONAL - (Also
known as the bridge-to-bridge channel.) Messages must
be about navigation with other ships. Messages must
be short. Power output must not be more than 1 watt.
This is also the main working channel at most locks
and drawbridges.
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- Inspect life jackets and personal
flotation devices (PFDs). Stock at lease one for each
passenger aboard.
- File a float plan with someone
ashore. Providing emergency personnel with an
itinerary can dramatically increase the chances of
being found trouble on the water.
- Check flares to make sure
they are in working order.
- Check the bilge and test the
pump. If the bilge needs cleaning, consider one of
the premium brand cleaners available. (Heller Glanz
also carries an excellent bilge cleaner.)
- Fill the fuel tank and bring spare
fuel in safe containers. (Return to
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- Stock up on liquids (other
than alcohol) to avoid dehydration.
- In addition to the food and
drink planned for the outing, bring extra water and
easily stored foodstuffs such as crackers or energy
bars.
- Stow fishing knives and
other sharp objects in a secure area to avoid
accidents.
- Don't forget the sunscreen and
insect repellent. Sunburn and insect bites can ruin a
fishing fishing trip supplies within hours of launch.
One particularly impressive brand of insect repellent is
a new product called GreenHead Fly & Insect
Repellent. The relent contains the highest
concentration of DEET allowable by law and its
formula mimics that used by the United States
military. Greenhead is also the relent of choice for
the Atlantic City Lifeguard Patrol and other
lifeguard groups.
- Encourage your guests to
wear hats or other head coverings to prevent
sunstroke.
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- Check saltwater fishing license
regulations for the areas where you plan to fish. If
heading for fresh water, be sure that you and your
passengers have appropriate licenses for that state.
Saltwater fishing license requirements differ by
state. For example, states such as Florida and
Alabama, require fsaltwater fishing license for
saltwater and freshwater. In fact, anglers must
possess both saltwater fishing license or a "combo
license" even if they fish in estuaries where fresh
and saltwater commingle. Other states do not require
a saltwater fishing license.