Check List to Pack for Your Boating or Fishing Trip

Preparing for your fishing trip starts with packing. Unless you have everything you need you won’t be able to enjoy a pleasurable experience. Since it is important to travel light while on  a boating trip, you have to make sure you focus on packing the essentials. Here is a checklist that can help you make your fishing trip a huge success:

Clothing

Clothes are the most important things you need to carry if going on a fishing trip. Make sure the outfit you are wearing keeps you safe and comfortable. If the climate is too cold you may need some high-quality outerwear with some layering options. Waterproof clothing and extra pairs of socks and underwear are a must. If it is too warm, you may want to pack some sun-protective clothing that keeps you cool. Long-sleeved synthetic shirts are the best since they are lightweight and provide plenty of ventilation to keep you cool. Pair them up with rugged synthetic pants if you want your clothes to dry quickly once you are out of water. Don’t forget to cover your face with a UV Buff or Bandanna.

Personal Items

Apart from the right clothing you will also need some personal items that will keep you comfortable throughout your trip. Make a checklist of the following items and tick them up one by one to make sure you have everything you need:

Medications: Regular medications that you may be taking and their prescriptions. Make sure you put them in your carry-on that will be with you at all times.

Shampoo, body wash, mouthwash etc.: If you find it expensive to buy ”travel size” containers of these, purchase a few clear bottles and fill them up beforehand. Make sure they last till the end of your trip.

Sunscreen: You will always need sunscreen whatever the weather might be like. While fishing your skin will be exposed to the harmful UV rays for hours together. Applying sun screen will keep it from burning.

Insect repellent: An insect repellant is a must while on a fishing trip to keep the bugs from ruining your trip. You can use it sparingly.

Small first aid kit: An emergency first aid kits that can help you treat insect bites, headaches, cuts and scrapes should be good enough to carry while on a fishing trip. It should include a few bandages, gauze, alcohol swabs, medical tape, antibiotic ointment, antihistamines, and pain relievers.

Waders and boots: These are essentials for a fishing trip if you are going to wade in water. Look for an inexpensive set that is lightweight and can be packed away easily.

Fishing gear

You will need rods and reels, line and leader, lures, flies, and terminal tackle to make your fishing trip a success. You need to purchase a fishing gear kit before leaving. If you get lucky and catch some fish, you might still find it difficult to remove the hook from the fish’s mouth. If the fish is small a hemostat should work well. If not, you might need to use a needle-nose plier. Also carry a waterproof or dry box to keep your phone, wallet, and keys safe. Have a huge waterproof duffel bag with you, to put your clothing in, once they are used up.

There are licensing requirements and regulations that you have to comply by, if you are going fishing in the U.S. These can vary from state to state. It is always better to check these out before packing for a fishing trip.

It can be great fun to prepare for your first fishing trip. You can find anything that you might need and order them online. You can even find the best handheld marine radio and maybe a small portable camera. Whether you end up catching fish or not, you can make your experience memorable.