One of the Safest Things You Can Do Now: Go Fishin'

That's the take of Dr. Neil Schaffner of Opelika, Ala., an avid bass angler and 40-year veteran of the medical profession.

As he explained during an interview with Dave Precht of Bassmaster Magazine, "Everybody knows you're supposed to practice 'social distancing' by staying at least 6 feet away from other people. You can do that when you're out in the middle of nowhere, in open spaces and open air.

"That, however, doesn't mean you should be oblivious to the dangers of contracting what, for some, can be a deadly virus. Your biggest risk is at the gas pump," he said. "Perhaps 500 people have touched the handle before you picked it up. The second greatest risk might be pulling into a drive-thru to get a biscuit on the way to the river or lake."

Schaffner urges everyone to avoid touching any hard surface without protection. "Wear gloves if you can. If you don't have surgical gloves, work gloves are better than nothing. Anything that provides a barrier between your skin and a contaminated surface can help. Using a paper towel to hold the gas pump handle might save someone from getting the disease. Unwrap that biscuit with a napkin, and avoid touching any of the packaging. Make sure employees are wearing gloves, too."

An endocrinologist on staff at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Schaffner well knows that sharing the experience with a buddy makes fishing so much more enjoyable but cautions, "In these times, two might be a crowd."

If you'd rather not fish alone, there are some things you can do to minimize the danger of catching coronavirus from a fishin' buddy. For openers, make sure your buddy didn't just get off a cruise ship three days ago. Also don't take your buddy if he is coughing or has any other symptoms--fever, aches, sore throat--or has been exposed to someone with coronavirus.

Should you still decide to fish with someone else, do all you can to avoid touching a surface your friend has touched. Agree that the two of you will stay on opposite ends of the boat and not touch anything the other has touched. Also would recommend letting only one guy use the net, with the other either swinging the fish aboard or reaching over the side and lipping it. Wouldn't be a bad idea, either, if both wore masks throughout the fishing day.

As Schaffner noted, "In these extreme times, what used to be done out of an abundance of caution now has become common sense."