by Capt. Cefus McRae
I enjoy all types of fishing. Offshore, inshore, lakes, mountain streams, even neighborhood ponds; they all represent the opportunity to spend a fun day on the water and each one comes with different scenery and fish to catch. As much fun as it is to have a fish on the other end of your line, when you’re fishing solo, there’s no one there to share the excitement with. Having a buddy fishing with you makes the experience a lot more fun, and it helps pass the time in between fish. Many days, my fishing buddy is Buck, The Wonder Dog. And while he has a little difficulty tying knots (due to no opposing thumb), his companionship and antics when a drag starts singing earn him a spot on the Wide Open II every time.
There are a multitude of good reasons to bring a buddy along. Some things are simply easier when you have two people; like launching/loading your boat, hitching the trailer, landing a fish, carrying the cooler full of fish to the cleaning table, and washing the boat down at the end of the day.
However the top reason on my list would be safety. When things go wrong on the water, they are typically exponentially worse than if the same thing had happened on dry land. If your truck breaks down, you can wait on the side of the road for AAA to show up. But when you’re dealing with boating gremlins in a choppy ocean, having a buddy around can help resolve an issue before it becomes a major problem.
Having a buddy on board when you’re fishing brings some other benefits as well. If you’re fishing in unfamiliar waters, or the bite is a little ‘off’, then you can both fish different kinds of bait until you find what interests the fish and then switch to the same bait. You can also cover more water with two people fishing. And if you’re planning to do some trolling, one person can man the helm while the other sets the trolling spread.
From an economic perspective, fishing has become a little more expensive these days. The cost of fuel for both the boat and the tow vehicle has more than doubled in the past 10 years. And sometimes you have to make long runs from the boat ramp to get where the fish are. Burning ten to fifteen gallons of gas per hour adds up when you have to travel 20 miles offshore or run 15 miles up the lake. There’s a buddy benefit here too. I’ve got a lot of fishing pals who don’t own a boat, and they are happy to pitch in for fuel, ice, bait, lunch, etc. So now the total expense for a day’s fishing is spread out over several people.
There are also some redeeming benefits, socially, with a buddy on board. As I mentioned, Buck, The Wonder Dog is a great companion…but he’s heard all my jokes…and I’ve heard all of his too. If you have kids, this is an excellent way to get in some quality bonding time, and teach them things they cannot get from playing video games or walking the corridors of the shopping mall. My kids have been fishing since they could walk, and I firmly believe their lives have been enriched through our on-the-water experiences together. I know mine has.
My grandfather got me hooked on this sport we call fishing at a very early age. Those trips are some of my most favorite memories. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to put aside some of the simple things that teach us the wonders of Mother Nature, and bring us closer together. That’s a shame. I would suggest a simple remedy… Hook up the boat, load up your gear, and call a buddy to go fishing.
Tight lines and calm seas.
Capt. Cefus McRae – Nuts & Bolts of Fishing