World Class Fishing

Choosing a Fishing Charter

Choosing a fishing charter in Orleans County, NY
Several hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on a fishing charter with someone you hardly know. The charter captain can show you pictures and talk a good talk at a sports show or have a great looking website, but how do you know what they can really do? The answer is simple, do your homework ahead of time and be prepared to ask many questions. One thing to keep in mind when making your list of wants and questions is what a charter really is.

A charter is an agreement between you, the customer, and the Charter Captain. You need to be exact in what your expectations are and the Charter Captain needs to be honest and let you know if he can fulfill those expectations.

At first you might not think about it but one of the main concerns is the safety of the trip. Safety issues can usually be satisfied with the answers to a few questions. Are you a Coast Guard licensed Captain? What safety equipment is your vessel equipped with? Does the crew know the proper safety procedures? The answer to those three questions should go a long way to putting your safety concerns to rest.

Fishing in Lake OntarioThe next issue is what type of fishing you would like to do. Don’t ask a captain who fishes exclusively for trout and salmon to take you perch fishing. The next question then becomes, what type of fishing are you geared for? The Captain may have the versatility to do several types of fishing but don’t assume. This goes back to the issue of letting the Captain know exactly what your expectations are.

The next issue to address is that of participation in the trip. Letting the Captain know ahead of time just how much your group would like to participate in the events of the day allows each of you to have a better understanding of how the interaction will be. It also allows the Captain to express any concerns over your participation and you to let him know what experience you have.

The biggest and probably the most important question is that of personalities. The length of a charter can be an eternity if you are with someone whose personality clashes with yours. You are
trying to make a decision based on a few minutes of conversation over the telephone or in a face-to-face meeting at a sports show. Most charter captains are going through the same decision-making process that you are in that they want you to have a great trip and they want to enjoy the time spent with their customers.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for references if you would feel more comfortable and it would help you make your decision. Most Captains have a list of people that have agreed to be on their reference list. Also, don’t be afraid to talk with several different charter captains before making your final decision. Charter captains want repeat customers and the only way to keep people coming back year after year is to be open and honest with each other.

Good fishing!

Click here for a complete list of charter captains.