WOW.... I went to the Columbus Fishing Expo today and came back to read all of this. We finally got a little excitement in the forums this Winter. Lol.. I wondered when I read that post about getting a buddy to go to save on costs, if someone would say something.

I am not a charter and I take friends fishing all the time. I have looked into this several times and found that Wakina is correct. Now, to the defense of the original guy who posted about this, Old Wheezer, he simply said what happened to him and what a "girl pumping gas" told him.

I have had 2 charter captains tell me the same story that if the Coast Guard cares and wants to press the issue then they split the group up and ask questions individually... I am told that they will ask, "Where you required to pay for anything for the trip? Where you required to bring anything (such as bait or ice) to be used by everyone on the boat? Where you required to pay for fuel?...etc.."

Everything that I have been told is that it is perfectly fine for people to share costs if it is their choice to do so, and it is not "required" by the boat owner.

And, yes, Wakina is right, we apologize for hijacking this thread... but it has been fun.

-Matt