by Art Young

Created on: February 09, 2011   Last Updated: February 11, 2011

Jimmy Buffett, the mayor of Margaritaville, is famous for his astute observation that “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.” This same logic works for fish. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, regardless of whether it’s summer or winter, they’re biting somewhere. All it takes is a way to find them and for this, you might need to charter a boat.

Since most people don’t charter boats every day, some tips on this subject might be in order. As with just about anything, when handing over cold, hard cash to the captain of a fishing boat, it’s a good idea to follow some protocols.

Plan Your Trip

If possible, book a fishing charter boat at least two weeks in advance.  During popular fishing seasons and even in the off-season, quality charter fishing boats are often booked in advance.

Sometimes a boat will be available at the last minute due to a customer cancellation but why bet the trip on being lucky? It’s a good idea to start researching well in advance and to contact at least three charter boats before making a choice.

As fishing site earthsports.com notes “Don’t choose according to price or availability. Cheapest is almost certainly not best; find out what the going rate is, and expect to pay at the higher end of the scale for an experienced, top-notch captain and boat. The site also suggests that an angler should not be put off if the chosen captain is not available on the day that’s the first pick, especially if it’s a weekend. “Good charters are usually booked well in advance – in fact, if he’s available on lots of Saturdays and Sundays, you should be suspicious.”

Check Out the Boat and Captain Before Chartering

The most accurate way to get a reliable read on a charter boat is to ask around among friends who fish the area being considered. A glowing recommendation about the captain and crew on the charter company’s website is far from objective. Even the people at the marina may not be the best folks to get a recommendation from because they likely have a personal and perhaps financial relationship with each captain and crew.

Fishing guides and boating websites suggest that it’s a good idea to check out a captain’s credentials. earthsports.com notes: “It’s amazing how many un-licensed people try to play captain. And in other cases, you’ll find a captain who has his Coast Guard certification, but didn’t bother to get a state

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