[teddysclaw]

Like with anything else in business, you first should ask the customers what they want. On a 6-pack charter a client is essentially paying for two things. Service and Exclusive Fishing space. I pay a premium so that I have enough space to fish and not get mugged when I go on charters.

As mates, they should always talk to the customers and ensure that everyone is okay with him dropping down a line to fish along with them. Personally I don't like this, as the mate fishing takes up additional space and gives less space for the other 6 paying customers. I get everyon'es point about the mate being able to catch some meat and send customers home with fillets, but to be honest a lot of people I know go out to FISH, not catch. So the experience of letting your line down and hooking up with something and bringing it in is the reason I fish, not to go home with a bag full of fillets, although that's a nice little bonus.

And there is nothing more annoying to me than a mate fishing next to my little honey hole and dragging in fish that I could've had a chance to hook up into.

But as you can see on this board, it all depends on the individual charters, so I would just ask each charter what they want at the start of the trip. It's always better not to assume anything, and ask the customers what they want. Some of my friends like it when mates fish next to them, as it helps them learn the techniques as well as talk to the mate and get some pointers that way. To each his own.

In this day and age your main goal is to make sure the customer is going to come back, and ensuring that you don't annoy them starts with making sure you undersatnd their expectations and goals.