The Traveling Angler

by Captain Corby Dolar

Every angler has a wish deep in their redfish heart to take to the road and fish new waters.

So, there will come a time in your angling life that you are bound to hear the distant call of an exotic port. It may be a snow-white sand flat covered with crystal clear water on the island of Andros Bahamas. Or, it may just be a small, secluded lake across the state line that is famous for over- eager largemouth bass. It does not matter because they all have one thing in common. You have to get there.

I can remember one trip in particular where a small group of us had traveled to the tiny island of Staniel Cay, Bahamas to catch bonefish. One of the group had bought a new fly reel for the trip and neglected to bring a spare, thinking that since the one he had was new, he would have no problem getting through the week with it. Wrong!

The first day out he had a screw break inside of his “unbreakable” reel and he was left high and dry without a replacement. A little foresight would have saved his week. (Oh, by the way, we did lend him one of our spares, but not before submitting him to ruthless embarrassment.)

But let us start at the beginning. If you want a happy angling adventure, do your research first. Make sure you are planning your trip at an opportune time. Make sure the tides will be favorable and that there are no weather fronts on the horizon. Also make sure that what you are going after is in season if you are planning on keeping any of your catch.

So, on to the preparations. How do you transport your fishing rods? Now I know this seems like a stupid question, but what would happen if you traveled 500 miles away from home and had all of your rods get broken somehow? There are a lot of rod storage cases on the market today but they can be quite costly. I prefer to go a much more inexpensive route.

I suggest that you go down to your neighborhood hardware store and get a piece of schedule 40 PVC pipe in 3 or 4 inch diameter. Cut it just long enough to hold the longest rod that you will be taking. Glue a solid PVC cap on one end. Then, glue a screw-on cap assembly on the other end. This unit will be almost indestructible.

If you are going to be flying, I would suggest drilling several 1-inch holes down the length of the tube to allow airport security to see into it without having to open it. It will also allow the pressure inside to equalize during the flight. Don’t forget to tape down the cap so it will not accidentally come loose during the trip. It is also a good idea to write on the outside of the tube with an indelible marker. I always put name, address, home phone number, as well as the words “fishing rods/ fragile” Overkill? Perhaps but why leave anything to chance? And in the not-so-rare case that you make it to your destination but your rods end up in Hackensack, N.J. they will at least make it back to your home safe.

Have you ever wondered what happens to that sock that disappears in your dryer? Or better yet. What to do with the one that is left after you have waited for six months hoping that the mate will show up? Take that odd sock and slip it over a reel so it does not get scratched or broken during the trip. It will also make a good sunglass case. (If you can stand the strange looks you may get when you pull it out of your bag on the boat.)

Another question people ask is how do you take along spools of leader and extra line for your reels so they do not come unraveled along the way, or even on the water? This is a simple fix. Get some of those foam coolie cups that you use on your soda cans to keep them cold. These will hold a 1/4 pound spool of monofilament along with a small spool of leader material such as Mason’s brand. Feed the tag end of the mono spool into the coolie cup and out of the hole in the bottom. Then just slide the spool down inside the cup. Now place the spool of leader in the cup and let the tag end hang out of the opening on its side. Now, your leader not come unraveled and you will be able to dispense line for rigging your lures in even the windiest conditions. You may also want to consider getting an extra spool for your reel to take along. This way if you burn out a drag, or get all of your line dumped off by a really hot fish you can simply pop on a new spool and you are back in business.

If you are going to be hiring a guide on your trip take along some extras just in case. While most all captains in the U.S. keep their tackle boxes well stocked on terminal tackle, (i.e. hooks, sinkers, swivels, leader etc.) charter boats in other countries sometimes do not have easy access to the things we take for granted.

So I always carry a couple of those inexpensive plastic boxes filled with the necessities I may need while on the water. Then, at the end of the trip, I will leave them with the crew. This not only assures you a good trip but will always ensure that you are welcomed back to fish again with them. On one fishing trip in Mexico, the mate was so grateful that he invited me along the following morning as his guest for a snook fishing trip.

Now how about those things that keep you comfortable? I am talking about sunscreen, bug repellent, and even an extra pair of sunglasses. Put the extras in a zip lock bag so if one of the tops comes loose, your clothes will not be ruined. Also do not forget to bring along any prescriptions you may be taking as well as medications for common sickness you may come down with while away from home.

As for your tackle. Again most charter boats will be well stocked but I have never minded a customer bringing along some of his favorite lures to use. I have learned that if they are more comfortable throwing something familiar they will probably catch more fish. But please keep it simple. There is no need to lug along a hundred pounds of lures if two or three will do the job. Try to pick a couple that will cover a wide range of fishing situations, and leave it at that.

If you are taking your own boat, make sure that both the boat and the trailer are in tiptop shape. Grease the hubs on your trailer, change the lower unit oil, and even change the water pump if there is any doubt as to its condition. Why spend the better part of your vacation waiting for your boat to come out of the shop at a place you have never heard of before? Also take along a spare trailer hub as well as a good spare. Try finding a new one if you blow a bearing out in the middle of the night on some lonely road.

Next study the area you are about to fish before you get there. Get yourself some good charts or go on line and look up aerial photographs so by the time you get there you will feel as if it is a return trip. A great place on line to find the aerials is Terraserver. Just click on the area you want and study it closely.

I know a lot of this sounds like elementary common sense, but it never seems to fail. Murphy’s Law ALWAYS hits hardest on a fishing trip. So why leave anything to chance?

Remember this is your trip of a lifetime. Make sure the memories are all good ones.

Return to HOME Return to CASTING DECK