Open Boat 6 Pack?

[PeteyHD]

Forgive my ignorance but I see many 6 pack boats offering open trips. I think this is great for the guys who cant always fill a 6 pack boat and I am looking into trying this out for blackfish next month.

Question.... Do I keep my fish separate or am I forced to put my fish together with 5 other strangers? Also do I bring my fish cooler aboard or just a little one for food and drinks?

Also curious to know how some of these boats fill 10, 12 and even 14 guys on these trips! :eek:

Never done this before and looking for very basic advice. I usually charter with my crew but they aren't into the toggin, so sorry to sound like a NEWBY :D

[BOOMER43]

Some boats will combine the catch and split them evenly. Some boats will mark your fish and put them in the fish box. Some boats will let you bring a cooler onboard. I guess it depends on what the captain likes to do. Some of these boats don't really have the room to have 6 coolers on board. Best thing to do is ask when you make your reservation.

[tropics]

You will probably get a dozen different answers to this. My experience I have seen guys keep there catch separate as well as pool all the fish.

[GDubya07]

It all depends what boat you fish on

Always ask the policy before you get on an open boat , then ask again when you get on the boat

I have done both

Make sure you know before you send the boat your money

Good Luck - Gbdubs

[Harpoon]

Mixing fish with other strangers? After a day on the water with a 6 pack they are no longer strangers...they are your friends! Some you might even fish with again.

6 pack is a 6 man licensed limit, not a 10, 12, 14 etc.... There are some larger charter boats like the Mimi that can hold (and are licensed) for more then 6 passengers and will advertise open boats as they have them. I have found on the larger boats you fill your own cooler.

I like to eat my catch...and sometimes I don't have great days on the water. Going with a six pack that shares the catch (which I think a good amount do) is always more preferable to me for that reason. I've also had days where I'm high hook but took home less then I caught....what comes around goes around. If you are an angler that doesn't like to eat fish then this policy may not mean much to you.
As someone else said...ask before booking.

Look around on the open boat forum here and you will see some good boats to fish with. If you are looking for Tog then stick with the captains that generally fish for them on a daily basis...same thing with stripers. You will have a better chance of getting on the meat with them vs a boat who switches it up all the time.

Good luck...have fun!

[PeteyHD]

Mixing fish with other strangers? After a day on the water with a 6 pack they are no longer strangers...they are your friends! Some you might even fish with again.

This is a very good point. Great way to meet and greet!

[Gerry Zagorski]

6 pack boats can only take 6 people plus captain and crew. Any boat that wants to carry more then 6 passengers (certain charter boats and all party boats) has to be specially licensed and inspected by coast guard. Based on the boat and how it's built and equipped they assign a number of how many people they can take.

[Fin Reaper]

I like the community cooler method. Everyone works as a team and most of the time (on the boats I frequent) if the Capt. and mate see the crew struggling to put a catch together they will pitch in to help.

[PeteyHD]

Every time I charter a 6 pack my crew puts the catch together and splits it. Some of us have better days than others but we all fish hard and go home with equal bags. The only problem I have with pooling the fish on an open boat is you don't really know the skill level or experience of the people who you are fishing with. I'm not saying I'm a perfect fisherman but I fish hard and we all know we have our days, but what happens when a few people in your group get seasick or are just learning how to tog for the first season?

Are these 6 pack open trips usually seasoned regulars since the cost is more than a headboat? Nothing is a guarantee but if your on a team and don't know your teammates capabilities there's a little hesitation.

[Harpoon]

Who says that the seasoned veterans will do well that day...read BulletBobs post from yesterday and all the comment to go with it.

I can't tell you how many times I've been on board with first timers and they clean up...sometimes even taking the pool fish.

You pay for the captains and mate service along with having a reliable faster boat then a head boat. Most times you will get more fishing time, all terminal tackle including sinkers and green crab/white leggers. You can pick up different skills from the captain/mates/fares too in order to put more fish in the box. There is a reason you pay more for these trips and it's not just for the crew you are fishing with.

And Yes I would say the casual angler stays home once the weather hits below 50 but you just never know. Don't over analize!

[NJ Dave]

I have met some real good friends on open boats that I fish with often. We are actually trip planning as we speak.
Most 6 packs split the catch. Some allow the six man limit and some I have seen keep the mates and captain share which all make into you end of the day bag.
Usually the bigger 15 passenger boats its all you.
some great 6 pack boats sponsors here are Fish Stix, Jenny Lee, Tagged Fish, Jersey Hooker, and the bigger boats are Last Lady, Fish Monger, and the Mimi.
Not knocking anyone else but these baots I have fished on and continue to fish with for a reason. They are good.
I am not saying I am a good fisherman but there have been days my fish got split and there have been days that I shared the others catch.

[Joey Dah Fish]

I have met some real good friends on open boats that I fish with often. We are actually trip planning as we speak.
Most 6 packs split the catch. Some allow the six man limit and some I have seen keep the mates and captain share which all make into you end of the day bag.
Usually the bigger 15 passenger boats its all you.
some great 6 pack boats sponsors here are Fish Stix, Jenny Lee, Tagged Fish, Jersey Hooker, and the bigger boats are Last Lady, Fish Monger, and the Mimi.
Not knocking anyone else but these baots I have fished on and continue to fish with for a reason. They are good.
I am not saying I am a good fisherman but there have been days my fish got split and there have been days that I shared the others catch.

Did you copies of the papers arrive yet? Squid whisperer?

[Bob T.]

I am definitely a fan of the "Open Charter" trips. I would rather pay twice as much as a party boat and go half the times. I still hop on a PB once in a while also. You have to consider that on a party boat there might be 60 people fishing with 3-4 Mates to attend to them, that works out to each mate working for 15-20 fares. On the Open charters the ratio is 1 mate for 6 guys when drifting, and when anchored, Mate and Captain attending to 6 people, plus putting their fish in the box. I have caught none to few on these trips when I first started trying them, and have done a lot better in the recent years, coincidence? Probably not, I have listened to some good advice and methods shared over the years. I guess I should mention the space, comfort and other amenities you get. Plus the speed, and smaller boats will move around a lot more to catch and fish on smaller wrecks and rock piles. I would mention The Megan Beth, The Cindy Sea 3, and Reel Class as my most frequented trips.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I like fishing open and party boats when our boat is laid up for the winter and early spring. Party boats are great especially in sporty conditions and opens are a great choice if you want to fish a charter with a few friends and don't have enough to fill a charter.

Either way and as mentioned before, I've met a lot of great people on both and always enjoy the company and camaraderie on these trips .The hard core are the ones who come when the hoods and sweatshirts do so it's usually pretty organized and you can learn a lot from watching others and learning new techniques.

[NJ Dave]

Did you copies of the papers arrive yet? Squid whisperer?

Im up state doing a little fishing and a lot of relaxing. Wife said a few packages arrived so im sure one was the articles.
Thanks again Joe.
Good luck getting back out on 24/25. Catch em up.

[Joey Dah Fish]

Im up state doing a little fishing and a lot of relaxing. Wife said a few packages arrived so im sure one was the articles.
Thanks again Joe.
Good luck getting back out on 24/25. Catch em up.

Thanks looks like a bust. Wouldn't have been able to catch squid either with out the squid whisperer :D

[PeteyHD]

Thanks for your help guys. Looks like I might give this a shot this year since my guys aren't into blackfishing. Would love to put a steady crew of 6 together for weekend charters.

Thanks again.

[NJ Dave]

Sent u a pm

[PeteyHD]

Sent u a pm

Thanks Dave just responded.

[sternline]

Thanks for your help guys. Looks like I might give this a shot this year since my guys aren't into blackfishing. Would love to put a steady crew of 6 together for weekend charters.

Thanks again.

I'm interested. Send me a pm with contact info. (I tried sending to you but there was a glitch.)

[NJ Dave]

http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74979

Could not be any easier than this. Let's go. Tog fishing in sweatshirts.

[PeteyHD]

http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74979

Could not be any easier than this. Let's go. Tog fishing in sweatshirts.

Sorry Dave wish I could make that Tuesday trip but I already have off Friday of that week for Offshore Seabass out of Point Pleasant.

Go get em!