This Week's Report
by Mark Sampson

By Mark Sampson
3/29/08

As I mentioned last week, very few saltwater anglers will be immune from feeling the effects of the suite of new fishery regulations set to take effect this season, tautog, tuna, sharks, flounder - heck, even those who like to do a little crabbing now and again will be doing so under new rules this year! Which kind of makes me wonder what's next? Perhaps a size limit on sandfleas? The new regulations will certainly mean that recreational fishermen will be bringing home less fish this season, and while I'm firm believer that catch limits have little to do with angler participation in the sport or the enjoyment they derive from it, I know too that bellyaching about government regulations is as much a tradition for fisherman as learning to hook a bloodworm without having the thing squirt blood in your eye or bite your finger.

As much as the new laws may affect fishermen's efforts, there's another bug in the closet this year that's surly going to hamper anglers more so than the new size or creel limits ever will. I don't have to tell anyone that the cost of fuel is higher than it's ever been and that it's supposed to jump even more by the time we get to the summer. Unfortunately, boaters have come to know that whatever price they pay for gas while driving to their local marina is still going to be a "good deal" compared to what they'll pay when they pull their boat up to the fuel dock. While diesel fuel prices are sometimes a little more moderate, marine gas prices almost always teeter somewhere between "high" and downright "ridiculous!"

When you think about it, this lopsided pricing doesn't follow suit with the way most products are marketed. Usually when you buy more of something you qualify for some sort of "volume discount," so why is it that boaters who so often purchase 100 gallons or more of fuel at a time must pay more per gallon than those who fill their cars with only 10-20 gallons at a crack? I guess they figure that anyone who can afford a boat can afford to pay whatever price is on the pump. And I'll agree that, at least in the past, there's been some truth to that as a lot of anglers have been willing to pay whatever was necessary to get out on the water and catch a fish. But of course everyone has a financial limit, and when prices go beyond that threshold, no matter how much they want to do something (like go fishing) if the price tag exceeds what's in their wallet they'll either have to forgo the experience or find a way to make it affordable.

Despite the ever-increasing fuel prices over the past few years it would seem that, at least around these parts, a lot of anglers have been able to absorb the extra expense and not change their fishing practices too much. But with fuel prices likely to be more than $4 a gallon this summer I think that this will be the first time ever that large numbers of fishermen will decide that they can no longer afford to pursue their sport in the same fashion they traditionally have. This is going to be a transition season for fishermen and it's going to all about saving fuel.

Naturally those who burn the most fuel will be the one's who will have to make the most dramatic changes, and when it comes to burning fuel, no one does it as well as our offshore sportfishing fleet. Watching the big 35-65 footers blast out of the inlet each morning is surly a sight to behold, knowing that many of them will return at the end of the day 300-500 gallons lighter on fuel is equally as extraordinary! But regardless of what size boat they fish from, there are numerous ways anglers can save on fuel (and dollars) without necessarily compromising the fun of their fishing experience.

Don't fish alone: One of the easiest ways to save a few bucks is to bring along another fisherman or two that will split the cost of fuel. Not only will this help defray the out of pocket expense for each angler, but if one or more of those passengers would have fished from their own boat that day, the move will actually end up conserving fuel that would otherwise burned by the other boat.

Know where to go: Fishermen always make out best when they have a clear understanding of where they're going to fish before they leave the dock. Whenever possible anglers should do their research by finding out from other fishermen and tackle shop personnel where the fish are hanging out rather than running all over the ocean hoping to find a lucky spot. Just because the fish were biting in one place last weekend certainly doesn't mean they're still there now. A few questions at the dock can lead to huge savings in time and fuel on the water.

Fish as close to home as possible: For some reason offshore anglers always have, and I guess always will, go by the premise that the farther out they go - the more and bigger fish they'll catch. Having been in the charter business for a few decades now I've come to know the financial importance of not running 20-miles to catch the same fish I can catch 15-miles out. It doesn't make sense to run 60-miles to hook tuna in an offshore canyon when the same fish are 40-miles out on the Hotdog, but anglers do it all the time. I would hope that the high fuel prices will force some common sense into fishermen, but I've go a feeling again this year there's still going to be a lot of folks running past fish to get to fish.

Consider overnight trips: Offshore angers who fish two or more days in a row can sometimes save a lot of fuel running back and forth if they just stay out and fish right on through to the next day. Of course safely staying out overnight on the ocean requires the right boat, equipment, and an experienced crew, but if all the prerequisites are met such a trip can cut the fuel consumption for a two-day trip in half.

Choose your fishing days wisely: I'll be the first to agree that even when the fish aren't biting, the true joy of fishing is the opportunity to get out on the water and at least go through the motions. But with the cost of fuel becoming such a factor, anglers are going to have to decide if benefits of firing up their boat on any given day will be worth the expense of doing so, or will it be better to wait for a more opportune time when they can maximize the enjoyment from their time on the water.