What to Pack for Your Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Costa Rica Fishing Charters

What to Pack on your fishing charter

Table of Contents

You’ve booked your fishing charter and are ready to go. What do you need to take on the trip? Most of the items we recommend are for comfort and protection during your Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater inshore or deep-sea fishing charters.

Comfort

Be prepared for changing weather conditions during various times of the day. Layered clothing is an excellent choice, as mornings are cooler and late afternoons are hotter. Always be ready for the occasional rain shower that might roll in. The time of year will also have a bearing on your fishing attire. Your charter Captain will be able to give you the most recent weather conditions just prior to your trip. Don’t forget to ask!

Protection

Proper protection from the sun is essential for an enjoyable day on the water. Protective clothing and proper sun screening products make all the difference. The sun’s direct rays, and the sun’s reflection off the water, can be very dangerous for your skin, even when you are
under shade. Be smart, no sunburns please.

Essential Items to consider when packing for your inshore or deep-sea fishing charters:

  • Non-skid rubber sole shoes are highly recommended
  • Dress in light colored clothing as to not retain heat on hot days
  • Lightweight micro-fiber long sleeve shirts to protect arms from the sun are optimum
  • Take your favorite hat (wide brimmed is the most protection)
  • Short pants when warm, long when cool
  • Waterproof windbreaker for possible rain and cool mornings
  • Swimsuit, as you never know when you’ll get the urge for a refreshing dip
  • Polarized sun glasses to protect your eyes, cut the glare and to see fish better
  • Sunscreen and lip balm that protect from UVA and UVB rays
  • Seasickness medication if you’re prone to seasickness
  • Bug spray for inshore fishing by the mangroves
  • Hand sanitizer if you don’t want to smell like bait
  • Waterproof bag or back pack for your personal items
  • Camera or smartphone to record your trophy catch

If you have any other questions, always ask your Captain. Enjoy your Tampa Bay fishing chartersSt. Petersburg fishing charters, Clearwater fishing charters and Costa Rica fishing charters!

Sharing is Caring...
Facebook
Twitter
Print
Pinterest
About the Author...
Picture of Matt Douglas

Matt Douglas

Captain Matt Douglas is the founder of YACHTFISH and is a licensed United States Coast Guard 100 ton Master Captain. Captain Matt grew up on the waters of Tampa Bay and lived and worked in Costa Rica for over 11 years. He has extensive experience in Central America, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and Florida. Captain Matt is a tournament-winning captain who has an intense passion for boating, fishing and creating life time memories for his Clients. These passions, combined with his experience, were the catalysts for YACHTFISH. Captain Matt is laser-focused on what he enjoys the most, and knows the best, in Tampa Bay and Costa Rica.
Related Posts...
Your St. Petersburg Fishing Charter Captain

GOOGLE REVIEWS
from our happy Guests

I honestly can't say enough about our trip with Johnny. He put us on a load of fish. I highly recommend YatchFish!
read more
Justin Long Avatar
Highly recommend these guys! We had a great time out on the water and the guides were really fun. We caught a lot of fish, enough to feed 11 people afterwards! Thanks Matt!
read more
Brian Pizzella Avatar
I cannot recommend Yatchfish St. Petersburg enough! Captain Sam was fantastic - he made sure we had a memorable fishing experience by guaranteeing us fish, and he did not disappoint on a crisp February morning. The boat was clean and well-maintained, and Captain Sam's knowledge of the local waters was impressive. We had an incredible time hooking hogfish, grouper and snapper. We absolutely had a blast out on the water. If you're looking for a top-notch fishing charter in St. Petersburg, look no further than Yatchfish. Five stars all the way!
read more
Aaron O'donoghue Avatar
Nice guides. But for the money we spent for 4 hrs it was a bust. $650 for 2 small sharks. What a waste of money.
read more
Ryan B Avatar
This was a trip of a lifetime!! Captain Scott and first Mate Austin made this trip so much fun. They are very knowledgeable and will put you on the fish!!! Everything ran just like clockwork. Boats are immaculate and you can tell they take pride with their equipment and GREAT work ethic. Hit them up, you won't be disappointed.
read more
Lainey Gilliland Avatar
Matt was great when trying to set up my fishing trip, I had 12 guys total and we took 2 boats out both boat crews were awesome to fish with and they were very knowledgeable! I would highly recommend using Yatchfish to guide your fishing trip!
read more
Parker Epema Avatar
My family and I went out with Yachtfish this past weekend with Capt. Nick, and I can honestly say the trip was perfect from start to finish. Great boat, equipment, and weather. We caught red drum, speckled trout, Spanish mackerel, jacks, and a ton of snook. Capt. Nick was very patient with my young son (fascinated by all of the greenbacks and pinfish in the livewell), and made sure this first trip was special for him. We will be going again!
read more
Michael Rusheon Avatar
My son and I had a great time. Captain Matt and captain Scott are great. Took us out, put us on the bait and then right to the fish! Guy keeps his equipment up, nice boat, immaculately clean, everything went just as expected. Thanks guys for a great experience and will see ya next time we are in town.
read more
Josh Gibson Avatar
We had such a good time and we caught so many fish!! The captain was super cool and the mate was really helpful. 10/10 day!!
read more
Claire James Avatar
Our family recently had a fantastic 6-hour inshore charter in St Petersburg with Captain Johnny and First Mate Cooper! They were very professional and knowledgeable of the area, and put on us fish almost the entire time. After a slow start in the mangroves we moved out to a number of grass flats and channel structure where we did well on bonnethead sharks (4), trout, and a few pin fish. In the early afternoon, we had an exciting flurry of Spanish mackerel and caught one after the other! I highly recommend Yahchtfish for your next charter. We will definitely be back for more!
read more
Phil Simonson Avatar