How to Ensure You Take the Best Offshore Fishing Trip of Your Life

As I looked to the back of the boat, my son John’s arm muscles flexed into tight knots. “He’s a good one, Dad,” John told me excitedly, grinning as he strained against the rod. “If I can just bring him up off the bottom, I can get him in to the boat.” I watched all day as my friends and family caught several hundred pounds of fish in a 10-hour trip while fishing out of Orange Beach, Alabama.

After we arrived back at the dock, the deckhand cleaned the fish and put them in our cooler. I simply wrote one check and paid for the entire day’s fishing trip, including tipping the deckhand and the captain and paying for the drinks and food. I didn’t have any added charges or surprise fees, and I had no hassles.

In many sections of the country, when a captain quotes you a price for a day of offshore charter fishing, he may forget to mention:

the tip for the deckhand and the captain;
the cost of extra bait;
the cost to have the fish cleaned and put in Ziploc bags;
the cost of ice for your cooler to carry your fish home;
the cost of food and drinks for lunch; and
an added fuel cost to go further offshore than you’ve originally planned to find bigger fish.

To avoid getting caught in any awkward (and finance-intensive) situations in the future, follow these guidelines for your next offshore fishing trip.

Determine the type of trip you want

When selecting a captain and a boat, consider your preferences. Do you and the other anglers want to catch numbers of fish? Do you prefer to catch only big fish? Do you want to enjoy a luxurious ride rather than taking fish? Sometimes, you can get all the above with one captain, but not always. The look of the boat doesn’t always equate as to how successful you’ll be.

When you consider offshore fishing in a chartered boat, study the captain and look at his boat. By comparison shopping, you may discover a trip that fits your pocketbook better than another. Don’t forget that anglers can catch many varieties of fish offshore year-round.

Use this saltwater fishing trip planner checklist

This form will help you get the most fishing for your bucks and insure you pay no hidden charges. You can use or send this form to a captain or a booking agent when you inquire about chartering a boat for fishing. Then you’ll know exactly what a trip will cost, what you can expect to catch, and what you will pay.

1) I want to fish _________________ (date) and will have ___________ people in my party.
2) I want to fish:
3) I’ll have non-fishermen in my party.
- Yes ______ No ______ Cost for Non-fishermen _______________
4) I want to:
- (a) bottom fish _____ (snapper, grouper, amberjack, triggerfish, etc.)
- (b) troll ________ (king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, etc.)
- (c) cobia fish only ________
- (d) cobia and bottom fish combination ________
- (e) offshore bluewater fish ________ (marlin, sailfish, dolphin, tuna, wahoo, etc.)
- (f) inshore fish ________ (speckled trout, redfish, pompano, etc.)
5) I want my fish cleaned and bagged.
- Yes ________ No ________ Cost ______________
6) I prefer to have a package trip that includes the cost of:
- (a) chartering the boat;
- (b) filleting the fish and putting them in plastic bags;
- (c) tipping the deckhand(s) (usually 10 to 15 percent of the total cost of the trip);
- (d) tipping the captain, if he expects a tip.
  - Yes ________ No ________ Cost _____________
7) I want box lunches and drinks for the trip.
- Yes ________ No ________ Cost _____________
8) I prefer a private charter for six or more people.
- Yes ________ No ________
9) I prefer a multi-passenger boat for 10 to 40 anglers.
- Yes ________ No ________
10) I prefer to fish on an air-conditioned boat.
- Yes ________ No ________
11) I need shower facilities.
- Yes ________ No ________
12) I want you to help us find accommodations.
- Yes ________ No ________ Preferences ________________________________
13) I’ll have physically, mentally, medically, and/or emotionally handicapped angler(s) fishing with me who may need special attention and have enclosed a brief description.
- Yes ________ No ________
14) I need airport pickup and return.
- Yes ________ No _________ Cost ________
15) What amount of deposit do I need to send? ________________
16) When are the final fees due, and to whom do I make out the check?
17) Will I need special baits not covered in the overall price of the trip?
- Yes ________ No ________ Cost ________
18) Do you have references I can call?

To learn more information about fishing offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, go to John’s Amazon author page to see his available eBooks.

John E. Phillips

John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.

Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.

The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.

Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.

While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.

Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.

EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.

EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.

WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."