Fishing from a boat is one of the safest sports a family can enjoy, a
point that is emphasized annually each May with National Safe Boating Week (May
21-27). That said, there are some common-sense precautions that anglers of all
ages should take to help make sure the next angling excursion is a safe and enjoyable
one for all aboard-especially if the fishing party includes children.
When fishing, the most obvious danger to all involved is presented by
the water itself, and the threat of drowning. While few boats are as safe and stable
as a houseboat, every child aboard should don a properly fitting personal
flotation device. In fact, the life jacket should be put on as soon as a child
approaches the waterfront. Many a youngster-including my own-has tripped on a
boat cleat or slipped down a slick bank on the way to or from the boat and
found himself in the water.
Once aboard, some safety rules and responsibilities should be shared
and understood. The boat operator, for example, should not be asked to split
his or her time driving the boat and keeping track of kids aboard. Each child
aboard must be under the supervision of a responsible adult or sibling while
the boat is underway, at anchor or at the dock. While underway, everyone should
be seated, with hands and feet and fishing rod tips kept inside the boat, and
at no time is running or rough play allowed aboard.
These are common boat safety practices that most families know to
follow from experience-but you never want to take safety for granted, so it
pays to review them each time someone unfamiliar with boating and fishing comes
aboard.
As for the fishing itself, the tools of the trade can be significant
threats if not handled in a safe manner. Hooks, for example, are the culprits
featured in the majority of fishing injuries. And that's not surprising when
you stop to think that the needle-sharp pieces of metal are designed to impale
and hold anything they come into contact with. That makes hook management a top
priority for those supervising children aboard a boat. Never leave hooks or
lures containing them loose and accessible on tables, in open tackle boxes or
elsewhere. Flashy spoons, brightly painted lures and gummy-worm-looking soft
plastic baits act as beacons to small children who will want to grab them and
are oblivious to the associated threat of barbed hooks.
Hooks on the line attached to the fishing rod are no less a threat, and
a child swinging around a rod in the confines of a deck can represent a real
threat to the eyes and appendages of all who surround the anxious angler. Make
sure that rod-wielding youngsters realize that danger and those who are too
young or energetic to grasp the responsibility should be closely monitored.
That's especially true when casting. Before they are allowed to cast
from a boat, I recommend beginning anglers of all ages practice their casting
skills on dry land until they have a reasonable grasp on the technique before
flailing away from a full deck. And rule
number one of casting is to have the angler look behind before each cast to
make sure no one or no thing is in the way. Sunglasses serve double duty as eye
protection from the sun's damaging light rays and errant rod tips, lures,
sinkers and hooks.
Knives are another common fishing tool and should be kept sheathed and
out of sight until needed, and put away and secured out of reach of children
after each use.
Another popular tool among anglers that should be kept handy are
needle-nosed pliers. Great for removing hooks out of fishes' mouths, they also
are handy for removing hooks from two-legged catches-especially when the point
is sunk so deep that the barb must be cut off, using the pliers' wire snipping
jaw feature.
Nearly invisible, fine-diameter fishing line can hurt kids whose hands
or feet can become tangled in the monofilament, and friction-burns and cuts can
happen when children (or adults) try to pull or break the line with their
hands.
The fish themselves can harm kids who try to hold them in a manner that
puts the child's hands in contact with sharp spines, fins or teeth. Use a net
to land fish and never allow the catch to flop around on the deck, where fins
and hooks can impale a foot or leg. I recommend a long-handled net when fishing
from a houseboat, not only because their freeboard may be a bit higher than
lower-profile, conventional fishing craft, but also because the net can be used
to reach out and help someone who accidently fallen overboard.
Make sure when allowing a youngster to hold a fish for a photo that the
slippery subject is held with both hands beneath the belly if it's a toothy
species, and with one hand under the belly supporting the fish and another
securing it with a thumb in the mouth when holding a smooth-jawed fish for a
snap-shot. Better yet, don't risk a puncture or a dropped fish and leave the
catch in the net for the angler to hold for the hero shot.
Finally, have a properly stocked first aid kit aboard for the mishaps
that are certain to happen no matter how hard you try to prevent them. It
should be well-stocked with antiseptic cream, a variety of waterproof bandage
sizes, gauze and tape, tweezers, pain reliever and back-up sunscreen and insect
repellant.
The best way to assure a safe fishing adventure for all aboard,
especially when it includes children, is to remain vigilant and anticipate any
actions that pose a threat before they end in injury. Meanwhile, go fish and
have fun!