The Insiders who get the best fishing, the inside spots, and the standing invitation to come back aren’t always the best anglers — they’re the ones the crew actually likes having aboard. Charter etiquette is simple, it’s mostly common courtesy, and it pays off in ways money can’t. Here’s how to be that client.
Show up on time and ready. The crew has been at the dock since before dawn rigging baits and prepping the boat. Being late eats into your own fishing time and starts the day on the wrong foot. Arrive a little early, sober, and with your gear squared away.
Listen to the Captain and mate — they do this every day on this exact water, and you don’t. When the mate tells you how to hold the rod, when to reel, when to let it run, do what they say. They’re not bossing you around; they’re trying to put you on fish and keep you from losing the one of the day. The clients who fight the crew’s instructions are the ones who go home empty.
Keep the boat clean and treat the gear well. Don’t grind your heels on the deck, don’t leave trash everywhere, don’t horse the expensive rods around. Pitch in where it makes sense and stay out of the way where it doesn’t.
Now, the tip — the question everyone’s too shy to ask. On a fishing or dive charter, the customary gratuity for the mate and crew is generally in the range of 15 to 20 percent of the charter price, more for a crew that hustled hard, put you on fish, and made the day great. The mate especially often works largely for tips — they’re the one rigging, gaffing, untangling, and cleaning your catch. Tip in cash at the dock when you can, and hand it to the mate or Captain directly with a genuine thanks.
A couple of bonus moves: send the photos. The crew loves seeing the hero shots, and tagging them or leaving a specific, honest review by name is worth more to a small operation than you might realize. And if you had a great day, just say so, out loud, before you drive off.
Training & safety note: Etiquette includes safety — listen to the crew’s safety briefing, know where the life jackets are, follow their instructions during the inlet and any rough water, and keep alcohol reasonable while you’re underway. A relaxed, respectful, attentive client is a safer client, and that’s exactly the kind the best Captains save their best days for.
Be easy to have aboard and tip the people who earned it — that’s how Insiders get invited back.
By The Saltwater Insider Crew
See you on the water.