Choosing a Fishing Charter: What I've Learned Fishing Around the World
If you enjoy fishing and you travel, sooner or later you're going to look out at the water from some incredible destination and think, I wonder what's swimming out there?
I've asked that question quite a few times.
Over the years, my wife and I have booked fishing charters in Bermuda, Santorini, Jamaica, Cabo San Lucas, Seward and Ketchikan in Alaska, Jacksonville, Florida, and even Loch Ness in Scotland.
Some trips produced incredible fishing. Others became memorable for reasons that had very little to do with the number of fish we caught. We've gone after one species and caught something completely different. We've dealt with rough seas and no fish. We've even had Mother Nature cancel a trip altogether.
That's why they call it fishing and not catching.
Along the way, I've learned a few things about choosing a charter, preparing for the day, and making the most of whatever the ocean decides to give you.
Start With a Good Booking Platform
When we booked our first fishing charter in Bermuda, I started with FishingBooker. It has since become one of my go-to tools whenever I'm looking for a charter somewhere new.
One of its biggest advantages is its worldwide reach. I've used it to find charters in Bermuda, Santorini, Jamaica, Cabo, Seward, Ketchikan and Jacksonville.
When you're traveling somewhere you've never fished, having all that information in one place makes the search much easier.
You're not simply looking at a list of boats. You can read reviews from actual customers, see the species you're likely to target, compare boat sizes, look at equipment and amenities, and get an idea of the type of experience each captain offers.
You can also handle the booking and payment through the platform. When I'm dealing with a captain I've never met, thousands of miles from home, I like having an established platform involved in that first transaction.
It benefits the captains, too. A worldwide booking platform puts small independent charter businesses in front of travelers who might otherwise never find them, and customer reviews let captains build a reputation.
That's why I think making your first reservation through the service that helped you discover the captain is perfectly reasonable.
Once I've fished with a captain and established that relationship, however, I generally prefer to contact the charter directly when I return.
That's exactly what happened in Bermuda.
FishingBooker helped us discover Captain Russell and Seawolfe Sportfishing for our first trip.
We've now fished with him three times.
Decide What Kind of Charter You Want
One of the biggest things I've learned is that the term fishing charter can mean very different things depending on where you are and who you book.
Before choosing a boat, ask yourself what you really want from the day.
Are you looking for serious fishing, where the objective is to spend as much time as possible putting fish on the deck?
Or would you rather have a day on the water where fishing is only one part of the experience?
I've done both, and both can make for fantastic days.
Preparing for Your Charter
Finding the right captain is only part of having a good day on the water.
You also need to prepare yourself.
And that starts with seasickness.
I spent time in the Navy, and I'll be the first to tell you that even an old Navy guy can have a bad morning on the water.
Two common motion-sickness medications often get lumped together, but they aren't the same. Original Dramamine contains dimenhydrinate and is generally shorter acting. Meclizine is longer acting and is another common option for preventing and treating motion sickness.
For us, meclizine has become the choice for fishing trips. We take it the day before the charter and again the morning of, following the directions for the product we're using.
That's our personal routine, not medical advice, so check the label and talk with your doctor or pharmacist about what's appropriate for you. Both medications can cause drowsiness, and alcohol or other sedating medications can make that worse.
Medication isn't the only preparation we make.
Think about breakfast.
A fishing morning probably isn't the morning I'd recommend loading up on eggs, bacon and sausage before climbing aboard a 30-foot boat and heading offshore.
Keep breakfast relatively light. You want something in your stomach, but I've learned that a heavy, greasy breakfast and a rolling ocean aren't the best combination.
And don't assume that because you've never been seasick before, you won't be seasick today.
Weather changes. Seas change. Boats are different. Even the direction you're trolling relative to the waves can change how a boat feels beneath you.
I'd rather prepare for seasickness and never need it than discover several miles offshore that I should have.
Because once you're out there, the captain can change course.
He can change bait.
He can change where you're fishing.
But he can't make the ocean stop moving.
Packing Lunch for an All-Day Charter
If you're booking an all-day charter, there's another important question to ask before you leave:
"Is lunch included?"
Some charters provide lunch. Others don't. If they don't, you need a plan, because eight hours on the water is a long time without something to eat.
Fortunately, this is usually pretty easy, even when we're traveling on a cruise ship.
Many charter boats leave from a marina with a small store near the fueling dock. That's often where we pick up bottled drinks, chips and a few extra snacks before heading out.
For the actual lunch, we've developed a simple cruise-ship system.
We pack a small foldable insulated lunch bag and four zip-top bags when we travel. The day before the charter, we grab four pieces of toast, along with peanut butter and jelly, at breakfast. We also pick up a few cookies to have as snacks.
The next morning, we make a couple of simple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, put everything into the lunch bag, and then buy our drinks and chips at the marina.
Nothing fancy.
But that's actually the point.
You don't need a gourmet lunch when you're several miles offshore trying to land a wahoo or marlin. You need something simple, portable and easy to eat when there's a break in the action.
I also wouldn't pack anything that requires a plate, utensils or much preparation. When somebody suddenly yells "Fish on!", lunch tends to become a very low priority.
One other suggestion: ask the captain beforehand whether there's a refrigerator or cooler available for your food and drinks. If not, you'll want your own insulated bag and a way to keep anything perishable cold.
And if you're coming from a cruise ship, check the ship's rules and the regulations at your destination before taking food ashore. Rules can vary from one port to another.
Between a light breakfast, some simple sandwiches, snacks and plenty to drink, you're usually set for the day.
And if the fishing gets really good, don't be surprised if that sandwich is still sitting in the bag when you get back to the dock.
Boat Size, Amenities and Comfort
The boat matters, although I wouldn't choose a charter based solely on which captain has the biggest or fanciest boat.
Look at how many people will be fishing and how much room you'll actually have.
Check whether there's shade or an enclosed cabin, particularly if someone in your group doesn't want to spend six or eight hours sitting in direct sun.
And here's a question that doesn't always make it into the fishing pictures:
Is there a bathroom?
Yes, most larger charter boats have a head onboard. For those without a maritime background, that's the toilet.
But don't assume. Look at the amenities or ask the captain before booking. On an all-day charter, that's an important detail.
There's something else I specifically look for when I'm booking a serious offshore charter: a fighting chair.
I look for one largely for my wife's comfort.
Plenty of people, women and men alike, are perfectly comfortable grabbing a rod and fighting a big fish standing up. But many aren't particularly excited about finding themselves on the working end of a rod with a 100-pound fish on the other end.
A fighting chair can change that experience.
Instead of worrying about balance, holding position on a moving boat and managing the rod all at once, you can settle into the chair and concentrate on fighting the fish.
And don't think the chair somehow makes landing a big fish easy.
The fish still has something to say about that.
My wife has been on the other end of some very serious fish, including one of those approximately 130-pound striped marlin during our double hookup in Cabo.
If you're trying to get your spouse interested in offshore fishing, comfort matters.
A head, some shade, somewhere comfortable to sit and a fighting chair can make the difference between someone simply agreeing to come along and someone actually looking forward to the next fishing trip.
When It's All About Fishing
Seawolfe in Bermuda is a good example of a boat that's set up to fish.
Captain Russell can certainly take people cruising and do other things on the water, but fishing is what his business is built around. When we go out with him, we're going fishing.
On our most recent trip, we brought four wahoo and a yellowfin tuna to the boat.
We've caught some impressive fish in a lot of different places, but when it comes to consistently putting different species on the deck, nothing we've experienced has topped Seawolfe in Bermuda.
Jacksonville was another trip with a very specific objective: catching red snapper.
Jamaica was supposed to be about fishing, too.
Instead, we had rough seas, bad weather and no fish.
But that's why they call it fishing and not catching.
A good captain improves your chances. A good boat and good equipment improve your chances. Experience and local knowledge improve your chances.
None of them can guarantee fish.
Some days you come back with a cooler full of fish and a story to tell.
Other days, you just come back with the story.
Alaska: Sometimes the Fish and Mother Nature Change the Plan
Our Alaska experiences taught us two more lessons about booking fishing charters: you don't always catch what you went after, and sometimes the best decision a captain can make is not leaving the dock.
In Ketchikan, we went out looking for halibut.
We didn't catch a single one.
Instead, we seemed to find nothing but what I would describe as the ugliest spiny-back rockfish on the planet.
It wasn't what we had envisioned when we booked a halibut charter, but we were on the water, we were catching fish, and it certainly gave us something to laugh about afterward.
Seward was a completely different story.
That charter was supposed to be about halibut and salmon. We were ready to go, but Mother Nature had other ideas.
The weather became so bad that our charter was canceled.
How bad was it?
Bad enough that a cruise ship was held in port for an extra day because of the conditions.
When they aren't sending a cruise ship out, taking a 30-foot fishing boat into those waters probably isn't a good idea.
Of course, we received a refund.
That brings up something else I've learned from my experiences with charter captains around the world: honesty runs pretty deep in this business.
These captains make their living on the water. They know the conditions, they know their boats, and the reputable ones aren't going to risk their passengers, their crew or their boats simply because someone has paid for a day of fishing.
A canceled charter can be disappointing, especially when you've traveled thousands of miles and may not get another opportunity.
But I'd much rather have a captain standing on the dock telling me, "We're not going today," than one willing to take unnecessary chances just to avoid issuing a refund.
Sometimes choosing a good fishing charter isn't about the fish they put you on.
Sometimes it's about trusting the captain to know when you shouldn't be fishing at all.
Two Marlin and an Unexpected Sunset Cruise
Cabo was another charter that started out being all about fishing.
It also gave my wife and me one of those fishing stories that will probably be told for the rest of our lives.
We had a double hookup on two striped marlin, each estimated at around 130 pounds.
One marlin would have made the trip.
Two at the same time was something else entirely.
But what I remember about that day isn't limited to the marlin.
We were heading back toward Cabo close to sunset, so without planning it, we essentially got a private sunset cruise thrown in with our fishing charter.
Around us were boats carrying 40 or 50 people who had gone out specifically, and paid, for a sunset cruise.
We had spent the day fishing for marlin and were getting the same sunset on our ride home.
Then we hooked a mahi-mahi on the way in.
So now we're still fishing, the sun is setting over the water, and rays are leaping out of the ocean around us.
You couldn't have planned it much better.
We booked a fishing charter. We ended up with two approximately 130-pound striped marlin, a mahi-mahi, leaping rays and a sunset cruise that other people were booking as an excursion all by itself.
That's why I don't measure the success of a charter exclusively by what's in the cooler.
Sometimes the unexpected parts become just as memorable as the fish.
Santorini: When Fishing Is Only Part of the Experience
Santorini was an entirely different type of charter.
Our captain took us out into the Aegean Sea and we spent part of the day fishing.
Then, with about an hour and a half remaining, he found a little cove on a small island across the bay from Santorini and tied up the boat.
Out came a grill.
Side dishes were prepared.
Wine was served.
Suddenly our fishing charter had turned into a private meal tucked into a little cove in the Aegean Sea.
Was it the most hardcore fishing trip I've ever taken?
Not even close.
Was it memorable?
Absolutely.
That's why it's important to read the charter description rather than simply searching for "fishing charter" and booking the first boat that looks good.
For some captains, the fish are the entire experience.
For others, fishing is part of experiencing the destination.
Neither approach is wrong. You just need to know which one you're booking.
And Then There Was Loch Ness
I've even managed to go fishing on Loch Ness.
And before you ask: no, we didn't see Nessie.
We did catch some trout.
But once again, the fishing was only part of what made the day memorable.
The captain's wife prepared an elegant picnic along the shore. They grilled some of the fish we'd caught and put together a nice meal for us.
There we were, sitting along Loch Ness, eating freshly caught fish.
I've been on trips where we caught much bigger fish, but that doesn't make the Loch Ness experience any less memorable.
It's another reason I look beyond the species list when I'm choosing a charter.
Sometimes you're booking the fishing.
Sometimes you're booking the story you'll tell afterward.
The best trips give you both.
Read the Reviews, But Also Read Between the Lines
Reviews are one of the first things I look at when researching a new captain.
But don't just look at the star rating.
Read what people actually say.
Does the captain interact with the guests? Is the boat clean? Is the equipment maintained? Does the crew work hard when the fish aren't cooperating? How does the captain handle inexperienced anglers?
Also pay attention to whether the reviews describe the type of experience you're looking for.
Does it sound like a serious fishing operation where every available minute is spent chasing fish?
Or does it sound more like a day exploring the destination with fishing included?
And pay particular attention to reviews from days when the customers didn't catch much.
It's easy to write a glowing review when the fish are practically jumping into the boat. I want to know what kind of experience people had when the fishing was difficult.
Ask What You're Fishing For
I also like knowing what we're realistically targeting before we leave.
Not what somebody caught six months ago.
What are we likely to be fishing for right now?
Fishing is seasonal.
The species available, where they're located and how they're being caught can change throughout the year.
That doesn't mean the captain can guarantee you'll catch them. It simply helps make sure your expectations match the trip you're booking.
And sometimes the captain may recommend changing the plan based on what's happening on the water.
That's one of the reasons you're hiring someone with local knowledge.
Let them use it.
Our Ketchikan trip is a good example. We went looking for halibut and came home talking about ugly rockfish instead.
That's fishing.
What Happens to the Fish When You're on a Cruise?
Another question I get, particularly because we do so much of our fishing while traveling by cruise ship, is:
"What happens to all the fish you catch?"
After all, you're probably not carrying a 40-pound wahoo back onto the ship and asking the dining room to cook it.
The answer depends a lot on where you're fishing.
Alaska is somewhat unique because taking your catch home is a big part of the fishing industry. In ports with a lot of recreational fishing, you'll find services that can process, freeze and package your catch for transportation. Depending on the service, you may be able to take it home with you when you fly or have it shipped directly to your house.
That's worth discussing with your charter captain before the trip if bringing home your salmon or halibut is important to you. They can usually tell you what services are available locally and how the process works.
In many of the other places we've fished, particularly when we're arriving by cruise ship, the arrangement is different.
The boat generally keeps most or all of the catch. Depending on the location, species and local regulations, that fish can become an additional source of revenue for the charter operation.
But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy something you just caught.
Ask your captain.
Many captains can slice off enough fresh fish for a meal and tell you exactly where to take it. There may be a nearby restaurant willing to prepare your catch for dinner, or cooking the fish may already be part of the charter experience.
That's what happened during both our Loch Ness and Santorini trips. Catching the fish was only the first part. Having some of it prepared and served as part of the meal became part of the experience.
So if eating your catch is something you'd like to do, don't wait until you're standing at the dock with a fish in your hands to ask about it.
Before the charter, ask:
"If we catch something we'd like to eat, what are our options?"
A good local captain will know the regulations, customs and restaurants better than you will.
And when you're traveling by cruise ship, enjoying a piece of fish that was swimming beneath you a few hours earlier is sometimes a much better option than figuring out how to get the rest of it home.
Leave a Review
There's another part of the process I think travelers sometimes overlook.
If you had a good experience, leave the captain a review.
If you booked through FishingBooker, that's an obvious place to start. Those reviews probably helped you select the charter in the first place, and your review can help the next traveler make the same decision.
But I encourage people to leave reviews even when they book directly.
At the end of the trip, ask the captain a very simple question:
"Where would you like me to leave you a review?"
Maybe it's FishingBooker.
Maybe it's Google, Tripadvisor, Facebook or another platform that's particularly important to that captain's business.
Let them tell you where it helps them most.
For a small independent charter operation, those reviews matter. They help establish the captain's reputation and give future customers something more useful than a few pictures of a shiny boat.
And don't think a trip has to produce a boatload of fish before the captain deserves a good review.
Did they work hard?
Did they treat you well?
Did they communicate?
Did they make good decisions?
Our Seward captain never even took us away from the dock, but canceling the trip when conditions were unsafe was exactly the decision I wanted that captain to make.
If someone gave you a great day on the water, or showed you why they're someone you'd trust out there, taking a few minutes afterward to tell other travelers about it is one of the easiest ways to thank them.
When You Find a Great Captain, Remember Them
There's one final thing I've learned from fishing around the world.
When you find a captain you really like, hang onto their information.
That's how one Bermuda fishing charter we originally found through FishingBooker turned into a relationship with a captain we've now fished with three times.
There are thousands of fishing charters around the world.
I've experienced everything from trout and a shoreline picnic at Loch Ness to fishing the Aegean Sea followed by wine and dinner in a secluded cove. I've chased red snapper in Florida, fought rough seas in Jamaica, caught some of the ugliest rockfish I've ever seen in Ketchikan, and watched an Alaska charter get canceled because Mother Nature decided nobody had any business being out there.
I've watched rays leap against a Cabo sunset after my wife and I battled a pair of approximately 130-pound striped marlin at the same time. And in Bermuda, we've returned to the same captain three times, most recently putting four wahoo and a yellowfin tuna on the boat.
Every one of those experiences was different.
That's part of the fun.
So when you're choosing your next fishing charter, don't just ask:
"What can I catch?"
Ask:
"What kind of day do I want to remember?"
Then find the captain who can help you create it.
Sometimes you'll come back with a great catch. Sometimes you'll come back with a great story.
If you're lucky, you'll come back with both.
For more cruising, fishing and travel stories, along with behind-the-scenes looks at the real places and experiences that inspire the Uncharted Horizons series, visit KJBAlan.com/blog.
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