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SELECTING
YOUR FISHING GUIDE
Going
Fishing?
Is
Your Captain Licensed?
Summertime means water time for most Coastal Bend residents and visitors.
And fishing, both surf and deep-sea, remains the top draw for area water
enthusiasts. To help keep your outing a fun and safe experience the Coast
Guard suggests you take the following tips into consideration before you get
underway.
First, fishing and excursion Guides, who take customers for hire on the
navigable waters of the U.S., are required to be licensed by the U.S. Coast
Guard. Any body of water that flows to the ocean, has a tidal influence, or
permits transportation between two or more states is in most cases a
navigable water. All coastal waters fall into this category. The licensing
requirements include navigational and seamanship competence, on water
experience and participation in a formal drug abuse testing program. Make
sure the guide you hire has a valid Coast Guard issued license...ask him or
her to show you the license before getting underway.
The Coast Guard also offers free vessel safety examinations to verify that
all required safety items are on board and that the boat was seaworthy at
the time of the boarding. They may show evidence of completion of these
important safety checks by display of a decal issued by the Coast Guard
Auxiliary. In addition, the vessel operator may carry a special wallet sized
card that attests to the vessel having completed all requirements for un-inspected passenger vessels. Although Coast Guard safety inspections are
not required for vessel operators carrying 6 or less passengers (Six packs,
as they are called in the industry) you will be assured that the vessel's
equipment and operator's credentials have been given a thorough review by a
Coast Guard official.
Simply verifying that the guide's license and vessel seaworthiness will go
far in insuring your excursion will be a safe and rewarding experience. But,
even experienced and well-equipped boaters can encounter unforeseen hazards
or have unusual accidents. In cases such as these, having a life preserver
on at the time of the incident is crucial. Of the nearly 600 boaters who
drowned in boating incidents last year, almost 500 of those were not wearing
any personal floatation device. Most or all of these people could have
survived long enough to be rescued if they had simply been wearing a life
jacket at the time they found themselves in the water. Nobody plans to fall
or get knocked overboard!
Finally, avoid alcohol until you've returned to shore. The environmental
demands of being at sea are great enough without the added effects of
alcohol. By the way, your guide should certainly not be drinking. The
standard of intoxication for operators of other than recreational vessels is
a blood alcohol content of .04. Guides fall into this category. If an
emergency situation arises, how strong and alert you are may mean the
difference between a great day of fishing and a tragedy. There are numerous credible guides in the Coastal Bend that can help to make
your fishing experience enjoyable and safe.
Information
supplied with permission from the U.S. Coast Guard, Corpus Christi Auxiliary.
__________________________________________________
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 Please visit our "How to Select A
Guide" Page Sponsor:
Ace in the Hole Guide Service
Capt. Brent Hopkins
USCG Licensed. Fulltime professional fishing & hunting guide with over
15 years of experience in the guiding industry.
Novice
to Expert ~ Tournament Fishing ~
Families Welcome
Multiple-Boat Groups
Available!
Call:
361-729-6911 or
361-534-4007
Visit My Website
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 A
rich combination of vast oyster reefs, bay systems, grass flats, and
the exchange of water from the Gulf of Mexico through the jetties
makes the fishing down here in the Rockport/Aransas Pass area an
experience that will be the memory of a lifetime.
Randy Hoyt grew up
fishing the waters all the way from Aransas Bay, Copano Bay, and San
Antonio Bay down to Laguna Madre. Having years of knowledge and
experience, he started his fishing guide business in 1982, offering
all types of fishing including wading, lures, bait, drifting, and
fly.
Call
Capt. Hoyt: 361.563.1447
SPECIALIZING
IN:
TROPHY REDFISH
SPECKLED TROUT BLACK DRUM |
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