Boat Camping

[Quarry Man]

This spring/summer, I am planning on going boat camping for a few days with one or two of my friends. Two of us are into fishing. The other wants to learn, and is into hunting, unlike the two of us. We all love spending time outdoors, pushing ourselves physically, and having a good time. We are planning on going to the Delaware Water Gap, the northern border of PA and NJ. We will be taking one or two of my 14' V-Hulls, equipped with a trolling motor and 25 HP outboard. I will remove the decking in the boats for maximum storage.

 

I want to try and fish for multiple species, mainly bass for fun, both largemouth and smallmouth. I would like to try and land our first walleye, and fish for catfish for dinner. I was thinking of leaving a line out overnight for catfish.

 

looking for any tips or advice!

[TnRiver46]

Sounds like too much fun!

[scaleface]

Done it a few  times . My only advice  is to get  camp set up early then go fishing and dont forget the insect repellent .

[keagbassr]

1. Your own tent. This IS A MUST.

2.warm clothes. You don't realize how cold it can get at night.

3. A good plan for securing your food supply. Cant tell.You how many times my buddies and I were sitting by a fire at night and 20ft. Away we would here raccoons scratching at our coolers trying to open them.

4. Folding camp saw or small hatchet.

5.firstaid kit.

6. This should be no.1, file a 'flight plan' so someome knows where your going and when.your expected back.

7. R.T.E food. Spam/ deviled ham etc. Nothing worse than being rained into your rent and hungry.

8. Pack as light as possible.

9. Don't forget the TP.

 

 

 

[Harold Scoggins]

My camping days ended when I retired from the Army. I'm now on a first name basis with the hotel staff at locations near all the lakes I fish.

[WRB]

Remember you and your buddies are self contained and need to bring everything you need; water, ice, firewood and starter, food, cooking utensils, pot,coffee pot, shelter (tent and sleeping bags/ pads) folding table and chairs, flash lights, hats, bug repellent, saw/hatchet, flooding shovel, filled knife, rope to tie the boat and all the tackle you plan to use, plus spare fuel.

Good luck, 

Tom

[NorthStar]

I've done this many times.  A lot depends on the length you plan to stay.  Start with short trips and learn from them.  (Longer trips may requrire a generator to charge your boat batteries).  

[TOXIC]

I used to take my 2 man Bass Hunter, strap it on top of a 1968 pop-up camper and pull the whole thing with my Jeep Wrangler to the Shenandoah river.  We worked from a base camp and would wade or use the boat to travel miles up river then fish our way back.  Our biggest concern was Mr. Black Bear and our food supply.  Nowadays my idea of camping is in a cottage with the boat docked at the lake out the front door.  

[AustinHellickson]

Bring dry bags to prevent something bad.

[Quarry Man]

10 hours ago, scaleface said:

Done it a few  times . My only advice  is to get  camp set up early then go fishing and dont forget the insect repellent .

Yes, as they say in survival, start with what you are confident in/ know you can do. 

 

Many times people focus on making fire and leave the shelter till after, only to realize that they can't start a fire and have no shelter either. better to have a least one!

5 hours ago, keagbassr said:

1. Your own tent. This IS A MUST.

2.warm clothes. You don't realize how cold it can get at night.

3. A good plan for securing your food supply. Cant tell.You how many times my buddies and I were sitting by a fire at night and 20ft. Away we would here raccoons scratching at our coolers trying to open them.

4. Folding camp saw or small hatchet.

5.firstaid kit.

6. This should be no.1, file a 'flight plan' so someome knows where your going and when.your expected back.

7. R.T.E food. Spam/ deviled ham etc. Nothing worse than being rained into your rent and hungry.

8. Pack as light as possible.

9. Don't forget the TP.

 

 

 

all great pieces of advice. Luckily I spend lots of time behind my house in the middle of nowhere. Went camping Christmas Eve through New Years this year, High was 14* low was - 12*. love the cold

 

can't tell you how important tp and mre's are!

2 hours ago, NorthStar said:

(Longer trips may requrire a generator to charge your boat batteries).  

good advice, was wondering how I would be able to use my tm over a long period of time.

 

another question, I haven't used an outboard before, how much gas do I need for each day?

[MN Fisher]

6 hours ago, keagbassr said:

1. Your own tent. This IS A MUST.

2.warm clothes. You don't realize how cold it can get at night.

3. A good plan for securing your food supply. Cant tell.You how many times my buddies and I were sitting by a fire at night and 20ft. Away we would here raccoons scratching at our coolers trying to open them.

4. Folding camp saw or small hatchet.

5.firstaid kit.

6. This should be no.1, file a 'flight plan' so someome knows where your going and when.your expected back.

7. R.T.E food. Spam/ deviled ham etc. Nothing worse than being rained into your rent and hungry.

8. Pack as light as possible.

9. Don't forget the TP.

 

 

 

Back when I had the 14' Runabout, I'd occasional camp on one of the islands in Minnetonka. Years of Boy Scouts, survival training in the military and just general common sense gives me these additions

 

1. Bring a tarp as well - either for use as a ground-cloth or to set up as cover in case your tent has issues.

2. Even if it's spring/early summer - some long-johns would be a good idea.

3. Yes, yes, yes. Something heavy on top of the cooler. If you don't have a cooler, a 'bear bag' to hang from a tree branch.

4. Bring both - always have a backup for something.

5. Bring two.

6. Should go without saying.

7. Even packages of crackers and cheese from the convenience store counter - protein and carbs.

8. Boat camping makes this less necessary, but don't go overboard on supplies - pack what you need.

9. In ziplocs in several places - including your back pocket

 

10. Fire starting - always have at least 2 ways to start a fire and know how to use them. I always had 3...lighter, magnesium w-striker, waterproofed matches.

[Gundog]

Plenty of places along the Delaware Water Gap to find supplies. Its not the wilderness. Just go to the local stop and go and pick up what you need. If its after Memorial Day and on a weekend everyone and his mother will be there so bring your patience x2. Have fun. 

[scaleface]

A bar of ivory soap comes in handy . It floats , so if you drop it you dont lose it . I've done that before  .I've taken baths in both lakes and rivers .

[Quarry Man]

1 hour ago, Gundog said:

Plenty of places along the Delaware Water Gap to find supplies. Its not the wilderness. Just go to the local stop and go and pick up what you need. If its after Memorial Day and on a weekend everyone and his mother will be there so bring your patience x2. Have fun. 

yeah thats what I've been reading, might plan for April 15th-18th?

[BassinCNY]

Something I look forward to every summer is canoe and kayak camping and fishing with some friends in the adirondacks. I would say always have battery backup for your phone and stay dry. If you get wet and can't get dry then things can get really miserable.

[WRB]

On March 22, 2019 at 2:51 PM, Quarry Man said:

yeah thats what I've been reading, might plan for April 15th-18th?

Go on Mother's Day....

Tom

[scaleface]

You wont need toilet paper , just take plenty of paper towels .

[Brew City Bass]

Not sure if someone mentioned this, but when you're sleeping pull your boat on shore as far as you comfortably can. It's a bad feeling waking up and seeing your boat 1,000 yard down stream. Had this happen with my buddies john boat on the Mississippi. 

[kenmitch]

On 3/22/2019 at 9:24 AM, WRB said:

Remember you and your buddies are self contained and need to bring everything you need; water, ice, firewood and starter, food, cooking utensils, pot,coffee pot, shelter (tent and sleeping bags/ pads) folding table and chairs, flash lights, hats, bug repellent, saw/hatchet, flooding shovel, filled knife, rope to tie the boat and all the tackle you plan to use, plus spare fuel.

Good luck, 

Tom

 

The kind you cook in or the kind you smoke? If it's the kind you smoke double up on the munchies, and probably add some beverages to fight off the cotton mouth. If the place looks worthy maybe a nice ax handle or bat and practice up on your Squatch howls. Of course any response back will be some other dudes thinking your the Squatch....If your lucky Mrs Squatch will have her way with ya!

 

Not sure if mentioned yet....Dry bag with emergency clothes, backup fire starter.

 

 

 

[WRB]

4 minutes ago, kenmitch said:

 

The kind you cook in or the kind you smoke? If it's the kind you smoke double up on the munchies, and probably add some beverages to fight off the cotton mouth. If the place looks worthy maybe a nice ax handle or bat and practice up on your Squatch howls. Of course any response back will be some other dudes thinking your the Squatch....If your lucky Mrs Squatch will have her way with ya!

 

Not sure if mentioned yet....Dry bag with emergency clothes, backup fire starter.

 

 

 

You focused on pot ( as in cooking) and over looked starter as in charcoal fire starter.

Tom

 

 

[TOXIC]

Don't leave your catch waiting for breakfast in the morning (fresh fish and eggs are great) tied to the bank or you will wake up to a stringer of fish heads.  Turtles are pretty active at night.  

[Rpratt]

Back in the early 90's when I was in the Navy I had a warrant officer that would suddenly show up at my desk and tell me I was going fishing for a few days. And what that meant was literally 2-3 days on his boat and the only time you were allowed off the boat was if nature called. We ate on the boat, slept on the boat.... He was a pretty hard core Bass fishermen to say the least ?

[NHBull]

Not sure about your engines ability to recharge batteries, but I OK ow a few that go off grid and added an alternator to push power to the TM batteries  once your canker is charged.  I have one and it works great