Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
A while back, I got an inquiry from a fellow about my policy for days when we catch our limit of fish. He wanted to know if the charter trip is considered "over" and we return to the dock if we catch our limit of fish. Seems he recently had a trip with another captain and in less than an hour they had caught their limit and were headed back home. Apparently it all happened so quickly that the group was kind of at a loss for words when the captain informed them that the trip was over just when they were thinking that the fun was only getting started.
But instead of reveling at the notion that they would be weighing their catch back at the marina by mid-morning (as the captain seemed to be) the group was dumbfounded and left wondering if this is the way it is on all charter boats or if maybe they were being taken advantage of. They thought they had booked a 12-hour trip, but in less than four hours they were standing around the dock watching the fish cleaner cut their fish and wondering what they would be doing for the rest of their day.
The guy didn't wish to name-names anymore than I cared to know who he had been fishing with, suffice to say that his group went home feeling as though they had been short-changed on their charter. They wanted to go "fishing" that day not just "get a fish" and race home. Of course, there's two sides to every story and I'm sure that Captain "Whoever" had his reasons for doing what he did. I suppose also that the fellow knows what he's doing and his charter bookings are so good that he's fishing every day and can, therefore, afford to lose a client or two - he did that day.
Of course, I guess it's worth pointing out that if the guy who did the booking had taken the time to converse with the captain beforehand he might have known what kind of a guy was going to be guiding his group that day and what some of his policies were. As I've mentioned before, the best recommendation I can give to someone who wants to book a fishing trip is to TALK to the captain before making a commitment to fish with him. I'll be the first to admit that there are some real goobers in our business, fortunately they're few and far between, but getting hooked-up with one of them for a charter that might cost the same as a home mortgage payment is not likely to end up being money well spent.
Though not always practical or even possible, a better option than calling is stopping down to their boat and talking to a captain in person. It might be it true that "you can't judge a book by its cover," but chatting with the captain face to face and seeing firsthand how they keep themselves and their boat will speak volumes about what kind of operation they run. Are they the neat, clean, well mannered type you wouldn't be afraid to have your wife and children aboard with, or are they more the rough, foul-mouthed type that might be best limited to when you're fishing with "the guys?" While scoping out the captain folks might also have a chance to meet the first mate and see what he's all about. Remember, on some trips anglers will have a lot more interaction with the mate than the captain. If he's not the kind of guy they'd want to spend a day on the water with, they might want to keep looking!
On my website I recommend that new clients first call me to discuss charter details. But I guess it's just a sign of the times that these days everyone wants to do everything over the internet and I book a lot of charters with folks whom I do nothing but trade a few emails with before our initial trip. As bad as email correspondence is, it's even worse when someone books a "boat" that they like through a dock office and has no contact with the captain at all until they step aboard for their trip. Anglers must keep in mind that a big flashy boat does not guarantee that the captain and crew are "their kind of people" or will fish with the same goals or ethics that they wish to pursue. No matter what, ya gotta talk to the captain first!
By the way, in case anyone wants to know how I answered the question by the fellow asking about our policy of what we do if we catch our limit of fish, I told him that when someone books my boat (or most other local charter boats) for a "day of fishing" they get "a day of fishing." If we're lucky enough to catch a limit early we'll either spend the remainder of the day in catch-and-release mode or shift gears and do some other kind of fishing. Sure, I always welcome the opportunity to come home early, but the way I see it, if it's fair for me to say that the trip ends once we reach our limit, then it should also be fair for my clients to request that if by the end of the day we haven't caught our limit - that we keep fishing until we do. And if I let that happen I'd end up missing way too many dinners at home!
(Editor’s note: You will find a “Charter Boat Directory” feature on www.coastalfisherman.net.
This feature includes enhanced information about particular charter boats, along with a video tour of the boat and a video interview with the captain. It’s a good, informative feature to help you book your charter.)
Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and Captain of the charter boat “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
