Information for Captains

Wish-A-Fish Captains are truly generous!


 They are willing to share not only their fishing knowledge but also share the experience of being on the water with a family who has a child with “special needs”. This is often the first time that the family has been on a boat and gone fishing. Experiencing the families’ joy and smiles first hand is a very rewarding experience for everyone.
 
Boat size: 22’ or greater (sorry no Jon-Boats)
We require that all participating boats be in sound condition and meet all Coast Guard requirements. Boats should be able to accommodate 3 guests or more plus the captain and mate - the larger the boat the better chance we have of being able to have the entire family fish together. If we do have to split families into 2 or more smaller boats we ask the captains of the boats to stay together so the family can still fish as a group. Larger boats that have either a porti-potty or marine head are very much appreciated by both WAF and the families.

Sign-In & Loading of Boats
In the morning when you come, you will fill out a sign-in/release form with all of your information (name, TidalFish name, address, boat description, and cell phone number) In the upper right corner there's space for you to write the number of guests (Not including your first mate, etc.) you can accommodate on your boat. This will allow the people at the sign-in table to quickly determine which family will best fit it which boat. The larger boats will be paired up with the larger families while the remainder will be filled with the other families. A parent must sign the release form before they are allowed to come aboard; this is to protect both the Wish-A-Fish Foundation and you the individual boater.

Bait & Tackle:
We are going to have available SOME live bait (bloodworms, night crawlers, shrimp, etc) plus top and bottom rigs, and hooks for you to use. Every Captain should plan on having on their boat:
- Extra Fishing Rods for their entire WAF family
- Extra Terminal Tackle
- Extra Bait (your choice)
- Ice for you cooler

Safety:
The dock committee will make sure that you have all the appropriate Coast Guard Safety Gear (Life Jackets, Flares, Horn, First Aid Kit, etc) aboard your boat before the families are loaded. This is to make sure that we, as responsible boaters, have done everything we can to ensure a safe and fun trip for everyone. Due to generous donations children’s life jackets have been provided for the day, but please demonstrate the proper fitting and use of life jackets to all guests on your boat.

Boat Slips and Piers:
Every location is unique, please check with the local organizer to find out if boat slips or piers are available for boats coming by water.

Keeping fish or practicing “Catch and Release”:
The only requirements are to follow the DNR regulations. Please let the family know that if they are going to eat the fish, then, keep whatever they will eat and is allowed by law. If they don’t plan to eat the fish, please encourage them to release the fish to protect the resource. If they want to keep their fish they’ve been told they’ll need to provide a way to take them home (cooler, plastic bag, etc.)

Weather: Let’s hope for clear skies and light winds!
If the weather looks questionable for the Wish-A-Fish event,  the final decision will be made the day before. If we do decide to postpone (note: Posted rain-out dates) everyone will be notified to the best of our abilities by the TidalFish message boards, emails or phone calls. (If the captain is unsure of whether to come or not,  please call the local event organizer for the final decision)

Gifts for the Children:
All gifts will be accepted and given out to the children, any fishing rods brought will be handed out first thing in the morning so the child can fish with his/her new rod that morning. All other fishing related gifts would be given out at the picnic.