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 radio 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 on the boat radio, in your fishing trip checklist, 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 a float plan to emergency personnel
with an itinerary can dramatically increase the chances of being
found trouble on the water with a boat radio.
- 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 for a boat radio and fishing trip checklist. (Heller Glanz
also carries an excellent bilge cleaner.)
- Fill the fuel tank and
bring spare fuel in safe containers with a copy of your float plan.
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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 boat radio 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 and listen
to the boat radio while reading the fishing trip checklist to prevent
sunstroke.
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- Check freshwater 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. freshwater fishing license requirements differ by state.
For example, states such as Florida and Alabama, require ffreshwater fishing license for saltwater and freshwater. In fact, anglers must
possess both freshwater fishing license or a "combo license"
even if they fish in estuaries where freshwater fishing license and saltwater commingle.
Other states do not require a freshwater fishing license.