Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
It has been a busy charter fishing season and now that things are starting to slow down a bit I’ve had a little time to review my daily fishing logs and try to make sense of how it all went. Overall, fishing has been great, but flipping through the pages I did see a few days I’d rather not repeat. Some of those “bad” days were a result of slow action or poor conditions, but there were a few others that had more to do with what went on aboard the boat than what was or wasn’t swimming beneath it.
I’ve written before about what a charter captain can do to keep their clients happy and looking forward to coming back on future trips. But establishing and maintaining a good relationship between a captain and a client is not a one-sided affair. For everything to work over the long-run both parties must always be respectful of the others position, needs, personalities and sometimes even their quirks. There’s a lot a captain can do that will prompt a client not to book with him again, but there are just as many things an angler can do to give a captain second thoughts about writing a clients name down in his calendar book, or at the very least, make him shudder a little when he gets out of bed in the morning knowing who he’ll be fishing with that day. Now, at the tail end of a very busy charter season, and while this is all still fresh in my mind, I thought I’d impart a few suggestions for charter clients who wish to stay on the good side of their captain or fishing guide.
“Don’t talk your crew’s ears off.”
Getting along with others is a lot different on a boat than on land where if someone is annoying you it’s possible to just walk away from them. On a boat there is simply no place to go. When I’m at the helm, it’s not uncommon to have someone in the cabin standing right next to me flapping their jaw for the entire trip out and back. That’s OK if we’re both engaged in a two-way conversation, but when I’m trapped at the helm and one person is talking “to” me, not “with” me it can make for a long trip. I enjoy getting to know new clients and catching up with those whom I haven’t seen since last year, but I’ve also have to pay attention to what I’m doing, along with everything else that’s going on aboard the boat, and if someone is in my face yacking the whole time I might not be able to stay focused on what’s important.
“Don’t bring too much stuff.”
It’s sometimes amazing how much “stuff” people bring aboard a boat for a day or even just a half-day of fishing. There is no reason why two medium or one large cooler shouldn’t hold enough food and drinks to keep a group of six adults well nourished. Likewise, when it comes to personal items, anglers should limit what they bring to what they can fit into one “small” duffle bag. Every boat has limited storage space and if there is not a specific place to stow everything that’s brought on board, then some of it will likely have to be stacked on deck, or on a bunk, or somewhere that’s sure to be underfoot at some point in the day. Bringing extra food and drinks and other stuff “just in case” only helps to clutter up the boat and could make it difficult for passengers and crew function efficiently.
“Don’t bring inadequate tackle.”
Last week I watched a fellow board one of the bay fishing head boats with a surf rod. Anglers who choose to bring their own tackle should check with the captain or mate and make sure it’s appropriate for the kind of fishing that they will be doing. Improper tackle can interfere with other anglers, take up space on the boat, waste a lot of terminal tackle and result in lost fish. A captain works hard to put their clients on fish and it’s frustrating when opportunities to catch those fish are lost because someone insists on using inadequate tackle.
“Don’t exaggerate your fishing abilities.”
Over the years I’ve had way too many anglers come aboard and “talk-the-talk” but fail miserably when it comes time to perform with a rod in their hands. I’m guessing that they spend too much time watching fishing shows on TV and not enough time actually out on the water. As far as I’m concerned it’s perfectly OK that someone comes aboard with zero fishing skills as long as they are willing to listen and learn from our coaching along the way. Knowing ahead of time that someone aboard has limited skills, I can usually come up with a plan that will allow it all to work for them. But if someone spends the first part of the trip bragging about what a great angler they are and then flub it all up every time they have a chance to catch a fish, then they might as well save their words.
“Don’t insult your crew with offers of money for catching fish.”
I once had a fellow in Florida tell me right from the start that if I could help he and his wife each catch a tarpon that morning that there would be a big tip in it for me. I take comments like that as an insult because it suggests that unless I’m paid extra I won’t put forth 100% effort to catching fish. On the days that fishing is slow, a captain and crew will probably be working harder and certainly stressing a lot more than when fishing is good. Sure, we’re in this business to make money, but money cannot buy a fish onto a hook.
“Don’t try and negotiate the charter fee.”
Just a couple weeks ago I had a new client try to haggle down my charter fee. I know that in some areas charter fees are negotiable but that’s not really the case here in Ocean City and certainly not on my boat. Our prices are fair, firm and not padded so we can be talked down a little. If someone doesn’t think so, there are plenty of other boats available for them to choose from.
“Don’t drink too much.”
If you want to go fishing, get on a boat and go. If you want to drink all day, go to a bar and have at it. It really is that simple! Of all the things I’ve heard captains (including myself) complain about, the most common gripes revolve around clients that drink too much. Besides worrying about the passengers, the boat, the weather, the fish and everything else on our plate, the last thing we need to be concerned with are the actions of clients who have had too much to drink.
Every season we’ll have a few trips that just seem like they will never come to an end and all day we’re watching the clock, wishing it would move faster so we can call it quits and head for home. Fortunately those days are offset by many more where we’re having so much fun and enjoying the company of our clients so much that we can’t believe we’re getting paid to do what we do. The difference can often be attributed to the attitudes and personalities of the folks who come out with us. Clients who are polite, respectful and can carry on pleasant conversations can make a long day on the water a breeze, while just one or two obnoxious, in-your-face type people who don’t respect me, my mate or my boat can make even a short trip seem like eternity.
Captain Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
