Why Preparation Matters

The reason preparation matters when it comes to fishing is that, unlike being on the road, once you're on the water, you're often on your own.

If you're heading into spots where most people don't fish, you might not see another boat for hours. That's why I like knowing the boat, safety gear and fishing gear are ready before I leave the ramp.

 

What I like to check before leaving home

I like to check the boat the day before a trip. The first thing I check is the batteries to make sure they're charged. If the batteries do need charging, I've still got a full day to sort them out.

Next, I'll start the motor and make sure it starts and runs without any issues. There's nothing worse than finding a problem when you're already at the ramp.

I'll also check that all my safety gear is where it should be. Most of it stays in the boat, so it's mainly about making sure everything is there and ready to go.

The last thing is fuel. That's normally the easy one — I just have to remember to fill up on the way to the ramp.

Checking Conditions

The next important thing to check is the conditions of the creek/system.

I use apps/websites to see the tides, winds, waves and moon and sun patterns.

A couple of the apps I use :

• Windy
• Tides4fishing
• Tides near me
• Willyweather

These apps give you

Tide, Wind, Temperate, Water Temperate, Humidity, Visibility and moon and sun patterns.

https://tidesnear.me/tide_stations/3937 

 https://tides4fishing.com

https://www.windy.com/

https://www.willyweather.com.au

How I get the most out of the Apps

I mainly use Tides4Fishing and Tides Near Me. I like to check the tides, wind, and moon phases. I like to plan my fishing trips by the fish I am chasing. If I am chasing barras it will be a different plan compared to chasing Mangrove Jacks. If you are just wanting to go out for a family day I would just use it to make sure you aren't getting stuck on a sand bar.

There is a lot more that goes into how I use tides, wind and other conditions when planning a trip, but I'll break that down properly in a future Field Note.

Boat Ramp Etiquette

I want to touch on this because it won't make you a better fisherman, but it will help you avoid getting on everyone's bad side at the boat ramp or on the water. Let's start at the ramp. The boat ramp is for putting your boat in the water or taking it out. It isn't for removing straps, putting the sounder in or anything else that can be done in the rigging or de-rigging area.

Normally, I pull up in the rigging area and start with the bung, because that's the most important part. Then I'll remove the straps, motor strap and steering locks. I'll put the sounder in and hook everything up, but I don't turn the sounder on until the boat is in the water.

Then I'll load everything else into the boat and make sure I've done everything before heading down the ramp.

Once the boat is in the water, I return the car to a parking space and move off the ramp as quickly as possible. Don't park in front of the ramp or in the rigging areas.

I also try not to launch if someone is right in the middle of retrieving their boat. Giving each other a bit of room can make launching and retrieving much easier, especially when the ramp is busy.

Well, that is the end of field note #002 that is the basics that I run with when I am preparing my boat and my day for chasing jacks and barras in north Queensland but all this stuff is important wherever you are from.

Next Field Note is #003 we dive deep into rod and reel and tackle for chasing Mangrove Jacks see you then.