Bob Smith
bob@bassinbobs.com
Pensacola
Blue
Angels
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"BOBS LOCAL RIVER REPORTS"
Local Reports and Fishing Articles
I Need a Bigger *##*! Boat”!
You picked up your fishing partner, arrived at the ramp and launched the boat. While your partner is parking the truck you move around in the dark, readying everything for the day.
While arranging the rods, tackle boxes, coolers, and miscellaneous gear you suddenly hear one of a fisherman's most distressing sounds: a crisp, expensive sounding, snap! The first thought that comes to mind is “who's rod was it?”. Then, “how expensive is this going to be”? Then a third thought, which is usually said out loud and with disgust, “ I need a bigger *##*! boat”!
What can you do? You have to bring everything you own with you, Right? You have to be ready for anything . So you load the small boat with your three tackle boxes, your partners two, about eight rods, a landing net, measuring board, coolers, and all the Coast Guard required equipment. A quick glance inside the boat shows that the local department store's tackle department has nothing on you!
This is a situation that we find ourselves in quite often. Some go for the most expensive solution, a bigger boat, only to find out that there still doesn't seem to be enough room! Others, not wanting, or having the financial ability to buy, a bigger boat go the other route: trimming the amount of stuff they take along.
When fishermen use the word cull, they usually mean swapping out a smaller fish for a bigger one. But, culling your gear is an ideal way to reduce clutter in the boat.
I've been there before. And, while I did buy a bigger boat it was not primarily for this reason. But, I learned in the beginning, after a few one piece rods had suddenly became two piece ones, to reduce what I carried. Culling your gear does not reduce your chances of catching fish. How many times do you use everything you bring. How often do you use half? How often have you done fine with what you had tied on in the morning and never opened your tackle box? With some homework you can cull your tackle way down and never reduce your chances for success.
The first step in getting your gear together is fairly simple. Lay out all of your gear, now don't cheat, all your gear. A quick glance should show a lot of baits that can be pulled out right away. We all have them. Baits which we bought with such high hopes that never made it to the water. We can also remove baits with a years worth of rust on the hooks. You know better than anyone what you use: take out the ones that fall on the don't use list.
Now, if you're like me, you should have about half what you started with. So, instead of two tackle boxes you'll only need one. By considering the season you should be able to trim your tackle even further. Fishing rods are another story. There are so many different types that to say a single rod will work would be wrong. But, do we really have to take one of each kind? A lot of times we take five rods, and in the course of the day only use one or two. So, if you normally carry eight, cut back to six and you gain the space of two rods. If your boat has a rod locker stick them in there.
Accessories tend to gather quickly. You have bug spray, measuring boards, a cooler etc..., then your partner comes aboard with the same stuff. Get together and work out who is going to bring what . You'll avoid having double items and gain a little more space.
A little planning can go a long way when it comes to trimming what you carry aboard. Loading will take less time, you'll waste less time on the water digging through tackle, have to climb over less stuff, and you'll spend less time unloading when the day is over.
With a little homework, some sacrificing, and a bunch of determination, you can take a major step out of the storage space dilemma.
Good luck.
Bob
