Some anglers could possibly feel that summer is a long way off, but to those of us who don't start preparing for it now will find it arriving much sooner than we think.  Before we know it the fish are biting and we are stuck at the dock wondering what we did with all our spare time back in the winter and why we did not charter a fishing boat and captain.

Advance planning is an extremely crucial element to successful summer fishing.  By the start of the year there are a ton of anglers who are already planning to charter a fishing boat that summer.  It’s possible they're planning on going wreck fishing throughout May, sharking in June, or fishing for tuna in July.  Perhaps their plan is to be a part of the "White Marlin Open" in August.  The White Marlin Open is the world's largest billfish tournament that takes place in Maryland; it is fun and exciting for spectators as well as participating anglers.  All fish must be weighed on the official scale at the beautiful Harbour Island.  Weigh-ins are held each day of the tournament from 4:00 to 9:15 PM and are open to the public free of charge.  All dedicated anglers that were unable to participate are encouraged to bring the entire family to see the monstrous fish brought into the docks and weighed.  As the week progresses the suspense builds as over 300 boats vie for big prize money.  Most anglers won't bother to charter a fishing boat until the season has arrived, and by then they could find that it's too late.

January through March is when a charter captains do the bulk of their advance booking for summer fishing excursions.  As soon as hunting season ends, outdoor enthusiasts start suffering from withdrawal and many cannot wait to book their next adventure.  At the same time, it seems like every weekend there's another fishing gear or boating show going on somewhere among fishing communities.  Anglers visit these shows and get all fired up about fishing, and before you know it they're dialing up their favorite captain to line up a date to do some summer fishing.

Having been an angler and summer fishing enthusiast all my life, I've come to learn that most bookings made early in the year come from out-of-town anglers who would like all their fishing rods and fishing reels to be set up and ready to go for their trip.  Many local anglers, however, figure that since they're already here all the time, they can get away with waiting until the summer fishing gets hot, and then charter a fishing boat and go out on the water immediately.

By that time, most of the popular charter boats are booked solid and the only fishing charters left to choose from are those that could be considered as "less than desirable."  All anglers should keep in mind that when trying to charter a fishing boat and captain with a good reputation, they become a bit of a hot commodity during the summer fishing season and are likely to be booked many months in advance. A majority of the popular charter boats will start their season off with nearly every day of the summer pre-booked.

There are specific reasons as to why a captain will book a lot of trips.  More than likely it's because he's a pleasant, professional captain, and a good fisherman running a good boat.  Anglers who wait until the last minute to charter a fishing boat may never have a good charter fishing experience, instead they'll learn first-hand the reason why the boat they're on hasn't departed from the docks in months.

A majority of the time, an experienced captain will be able to inform anglers in advance of their outing what fish will be biting during any part of the summer fishing season.  That being said, there's absolutely no reason to wait until the fish are actually biting to charter a fishing boat.

Anglers must decide what kind of fish they want to fish for and then charter a fishing boat and captain that is available during the period when your target species is usually running.

Anglers who are limited on time and must fish only during certain periods of the summer will have to fish for what's currently available at the time.  No matter how hard you try, you simply can't catch a fish that's not there.

Do you have any fishing tips or recommendations you would like to share with other anglers? Please leave a comment below on the outdoor news section and find all your fishing sporting goods at PoorFish Outdoors.