Having a safe fishing trip does just rely on visiting a fishing gear shop and purchasing the right fishing gear from good tackle shops. When you go fishing, especially if it’s on a boat, safety should be one of the highest priorities for you if you want to be successful and not get injured in the process of catching a fish.
Consider all the things that you’ll be doing while on such a trip: standing around while casting the lure, moving around the boat, bending over to catch or take a fish onboard, all of these things require certain safety measures. Also there’s things like the challenging weather or the fishing gear itself.
Today, we’re going to share the main tips for having a safe fishing
Main tips you should follow for fishing safely
- Always wear a life jacket
- A tidy boat is a safe boat
- Keep fishing gear in respective boxes if not in use
- Never fish alone
Why wearing a life jacket is essential
Lifejackets nowadays are made in a way that they’re not only safe, but comfortable as well. There’s no shame or silliness in taking extra precautionary methods in wearing a jacket while going on a simple fishing trip.
Just take a lot at all the pro fishermen out there that get the biggest catches out there, even those guys make safety a very high priority and wear life jackets.
Why?
There’s always a chance for an accident. You could tumble overboard, have problems with your boat and end up in the water anyway. Basically, the only thing that can help you there is the jacket that you have on you.
When considering fishing gear to buy, always make sure you have a good and comfortable jacket with you, and of course, do wear it. If you have one that’s worn out over the years, there’s a big chance that it could fail you when a crisis strikes.
Keeping your boat tidy
You definitely don’t like your gear like hook or lines getting tangled up with each other and potentially hurting you. Supply lines for bait should also be but in a tidy place.
Finally, make sure that the net you’re using and sharp items like knives are put away when you’re not using them. All of this, to prevent any additional dangers.
Making sure you’re gear is kept safely
Hooks and lure should be kept in separate boxes as well. Hooking the fisher instead of the fish is quite a common occurrence and even though it may seem funny at first, it could lead to some serious accidents.
Be prepared by knowing atleast a couple of methods of safely removing the hook, just to be safe. Don’t forget safety glasses, or at least regular glasses to protect your eyes from any dangers.
Lastly, many fish have pretty sharp fins, so handle them with care to avoid injury.
Not fishing alone
Of course, though fishing with your mates is always fun, you won’t be doing it with them all the time. For this the same principle of wearing a life jacket applies, if you trip, or get into a fight with a stronger fish, you might find yourself in the water pretty soon, so wear it as a means of very basic protection.
If you’re on a motorboat, however, you may want to prepare an emergency switch off button if there’s a risk of accident and you can’t immediately reach for the key. Many new models have ladders that will help you climb back aboard in case an accident does indeed happen.
Extra equipment
Often, the best time for fishing is during pretty harsh conditions. So, it doesn’t hurt in preparing a few safety items to have with yourself, especially, when you’re going on a longer and more challenging fishing trip.
Items like a good flashlight, drinking water, cellphone, radio, map, or even an electronic device for SOS messages won’t make you look silly, but might be the difference makers between a serious tragedy and a successful rescue.
All in all
Today we’ve discussed the most basic fishing tips for doing it safely. You don’t need much preparation, but being aware of your environment and keeping a few things in mind can guarantee that you enjoy your favorite hobby in safety. Who knows, some of these things might even save your life.
