While saltwater fishing is generally a pretty safe sport, there are many things that can go wrong which can lead to injury. From hooks that get caught in your finger instead of the fish to the unpleasant results of sun poisoning, a saltwater fishing trip can quickly be ruined by an unintentional injury. Luckily, most injuries can be prevented with a little forethought. Read on to learn some essential saltwater fishing safety tips to ensure you don’t have to spend your next offshore trip nursing a wound instead of catching fish.
Saltwater Fishing Safety Tips from Fishing for MD
Watch your hooks
One of the most common saltwater fishing injuries is getting a hook caught in your skin. This happens most often when rigging up, boating a fish, or removing a hook from a fish, but can also be a danger when another person on your boat is backcasting without paying enough attention. To prevent this common injury, always pay attention to the rest of the crew before you let your jig fly and when tightening a knot, always place your hook on a post or another structure that won’t give before pulling your line tight.
Protect your gaffs
Gaffs are essentially mini-meathooks and they present a serious safety hazard if you don’t pay attention when reaching for one. To avoid injury when retrieving a gaff from your rack, cover the tip with a tennis ball or a piece of cork. Also, never hold your gaff horizontally when your fish draws near.
Keep yourself covered
A sunburn may seem low on the list of priorities because it’s such a common problem for anglers, but the long term cancer-causing effects of sunburns plus the risk of sun poisoning should be enough to inspire you to take sun safety seriously. In addition to loading up on sunscreen, keep exposed skin to a minimum by wearing longsleeves, gloves, and a hat at all times, even on cloudy days.
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