Getting ready for the first family fishing trip is no simple task. You have to get the fishing tackle together that possibly has been put away and unused since last year.
If a boat is involved, it is necessary to check that everything is functioning as it should be and that you have proper personal flotation devices for everyone and your fire extinguisher is current. To make sure all is well start your boat in the driveway at home. There is not too much more exasperating than get to the boat launch and find your boat want start. Then check out the trailer which includes: tires, lights, wheel bearings.
We have not started on the snacks, cold drinks, and bait, yet. The list seems almost overwhelming when you analytically look at it. I am sure if these preparations were involved with going to work we would be suffering serious depression just thinking about it.
Of all of the items necessary to get together, including our state-mandated safety equipment, I can’t help but wonder how many fishermen out there have and adequate first aid kit in the boat that can deal with mishaps that can occur while fishing and boating.
You can purchase a preassembled first aid kit or make one yourself. Make sure it has some of the important items that could be needed.
One item that should be in a first aid kit for any fisherman is a set of wire cutters. If you ask why wire cutters in a first aid kit, you have probably never stuck a fishhook in yourself. I only know of two ways to get a fishhook out of your body and that is to cut off the eye and pull it through the skin in the same direction it started in, or cut off the barb and pull it out in the reverse direction from the way it went in.
Of course, if it is a large enough hook or stuck straight in instead of kind of looping and sticking through the skin so it can be pushed through, it may take a doctor to get it out. If that is the case and the hook is on a fishing lure, the hook can be cut from the lure and eliminate the discomfort of the lure flopping around.
Keep in mind also that a fishhook can be dirty and a breeding place for bacteria. They are nothing to panic about if stuck, but a little attention can keep the wound from getting infected.
Another item that might be added to a family outing is sun screen. Sun burn can ruin a good trip and if you have the sun screen with you in a goody package of snacks, you are more apt to use it then if you have to find some at one of the marinas on your way out.
When I was growing up, it was easy to pick out the local fishermen as they were the ones with the long sleeve shirts and large brim straw hats. It might seem prudent to emulate those outdoor veterans and cover up, if not with fabric and straw then with sun screens.
While boating, one is in frequent contact with lines, or (ropes for the nautically challenged). The result is exposure to rope burns. Consequently, something to treat minor rope burns is handy to have around in your first aid kit.
I would like to point out one “never” to you at this time. Never wrap a line around your hand, to get a better purchase on it to accomplish a task. If you doubt the wisdom of this statement, when you happen to notice a person, and cowboys are a good group to survey, with missing fingers, hands or parts of hands, ask them what happened and you will find more rope stories than you will find war wounds or industrial accidents.
Wrapping a line (rope) around your hand to put some muscle into a task is tempting and natural, especially when the anchor is stuck in the mud and you can’t get enough of a grip on the line to get it free, but don’t do it. Instead let me offer another possible solution.
Run the anchor line over the bow, through an eye, and as the bow dips take in the slack and tie the line off on the nearest cleat. As the bow rises the entire force of the buoyancy of the boat is put on the anchor line. As the bow dips again, take up the slack and tie it off on the cleat again. This procedure will shortly pull the anchor free of the mud and you can be on your way, will all hands and fingers in tack and functioning.
Other times when a person is tempted to wrap a line around their hand is after the boat has been launched or at the end of the day while the truck is being parked or retrieved. At those times someone usually has to hold the boat. In can be a chore, especially to keep the boat off of the dock and yet keep it from drifting away on a busy, windy day. What ever you do, do not wrap a rope around your hand, tie it off.
