You’ve chosen your next vacation destination, booked your flights, and arranged a guided fishing trip. You’re ready for your next aquatic adventure. The headache is over…until you have to pack!
Packing is hands down one of the most stressful parts of traveling. That anxiety is amplified when you’re planning on going outdoors, where you might have to bring extra gear with you.
Where do you even begin?
To make this easier, here’s a list of what you should bring with you on your next guided fishing trip. Let’s get started.
Fishing Gear
First things first – let’s get the fishing gear out of the way.
The guide company likely provides everything. That’s why you pay for a guided trip – so you don’t have to lift a finger.
You can bring your own rods, reels, lures, and tackle. But its usually not be necessary. So ask your hired guide or charter before you lug all your tackle with you.
Depending on the state the fishing licenses are usually given by the charter as well. However, you should still ask. You might be able to save time and money by purchasing your own fishing license in advance.
Clothes
Now that the fishing gear is taken care of, the most essential items to cover are your clothes. To keep this section short, here are some rapid-fire tips about packing clothes:
- Choose shorts for tropical trips and pants for colder seasons.
- When it comes to pants, try to pick something with added pockets like AFTCO’s. These come in handy for sure.
- A light windbreaker can provide sun protection and keep you dry from the spray. Or I’d suggest buying one of Outdoors360’s high quality Obsessed Performance Series Long Sleeve Shirt. They provide UV protection as well as moisture wicking to keep you cool in hot and humid conditions.
- When possible, choose white or khaki clothes over dark blues or blacks. Lighter colors reflect the sun better and will help cool you off.
- Fishing gloves are an affordable accessory that can help prevent sunburn as well as improve your grip on the reel.
- For your feet, please don’t wear flip flops. They’ll likely they’ll slide off, and you’ll bust your butt. Instead, go for no-skid shoes like Sperry’s that’ll grip you to the deck.
Sun Protection
Now that you’ve got your clothes picked out, it’s time to protect yourself from the sun.
I highly recommend bringing your own sunscreen. You don’t know if your guide will provide sunscreen, and it’s always good to bring extra.
On top of that, bringing your own sunscreen lets you choose which brand and type of sunscreen you bring. Maybe you prefer zinc sunscreen, or perhaps you need 70+ SPF to protect your pale skin. Either way, bringing your own sunscreen will make sure you stay safe from powerful UV rays.
After that, remember that the best sun protection is the shade. Protect your head and face with some sun-blocking swag.
A big floppy hat (with a string so it won’t fly away!) will help cover you from the sun even when sunscreen wipes off. Regardless, you should always where some sort of hat.
Also, consider picking up a lightweight gaiter to cover your face. This might look goofy at first, but anything looks better than a bright red sunburn.
Medical Supplies
This is one category that a charter will not provide. Prescription medications are impossible for them to get, so make sure you bring anything prescribed that you’ll need.
Seasickness medication is also a great idea if you’re prone to nausea. This can be taken a few hours before departure to prevent sickness in advance.
If you’re fishing somewhere swampy like Louisiana, it might be worthwhile to bring some bug spray as well.
Water
It’s a scientific fact that you can literally never drink enough water. Okay, maybe don’t take that seriously, but it’s highly likely you’ll need to drink water on your trip.
Although most charters bring water for you, it can’t hurt to bring some water of your own. That way, everyone can stay a bit more hydrated while spending the day in the hot sun.
Electronics
Everyone today has smart phones for the most part, however if you are one of the few who don’t, make sure you bring a camera for photos with your fish!
If that’s the case, make sure you bring a charger. For international travel, come prepared with an electrical converter (depending on where you go).
You might also want to bring a portable battery pack for your phone. That’ll allow you to keep some juice in your phone no matter how much you use it during the day.
Cash
The final line item to bring is cash.
I know it’s the twenty-first century and you can book guides on Outdoors360’s marketplace with the click of a button, but no matter what year it is – cash is king for tipping.
This is super valuable when traveling internationally. The price of your trip might change, or maybe you want to tip the guide. Cash is an effortless way to pay for emergency expenses that come up.
That’s why I suggest picking up some cash before you head on your trip. You never know WHAT will happen, and a few Ben Franklins can undoubtedly pull you out of a bind.
Final Words
At the end of the day, you don’t have to bring that much stuff for guided fishing trips. That’s why you choose the luxury of a guide anyway, right?
Preparing for a guided fishing trip is easier than you think. Don’t overpack, wear the right clothes, pack your daypack with the essentials (sunscreen, hat, etc.), and of course…enjoy yourself.
Above all, talk to your guide when you’re booking the trip. They might have local recommendations based on the specific trip you’re taking that might’ve been overlooked here. It literally takes two seconds to ask, so you might as well. You’re paying them for advice, after all.
If you have yet to book your guided fishing trip, don’t forget you can search from 100’s of trips around the world on Outdoors360’s marketplace. You can even view their calendar availability and book and pay securely all in one easy to use location. Click here to check it out!
Now, pack the items I’ve listed here, and go have fun!
