Fishing Charters are extremely popular in Naples, Marco Island and Southern Florida. Here are a few reasons why people choose to hire a charter fishing vessel and captain to be their fishing guide for the day.
The most valuable part of any fishing charter is the fishing guide -- the captain of your fishing boat. Anybody can rent a boat, and anybody can gather up a lot of fishing gear, throw a fishing line in the water, and hope for the best.
But the knowledge and experience that a good fishing charter captain brings to your day on the water makes all the difference in the world. Some fish follow landmarks on the ocean floor, some fish follow small temperature changes, while some follow other fish. It takes many years of trial-and-error, study, and swapping stories with other local fishermen to learn where the fish will be biting today. A good fishing charter captain loves to fish, and lives to fish. And in sunny Southern Florida, there are more than enough chances to go out to sea on a beautiful day and catch a lot of fish.
While there are complicated charts that show the depth of the water (which changes constantly with the tides) there's no "road map" that tells you where to find fish. There are a few general rules, but fish can roam the ocean at will. Their only rules are whatever they've learned that keep them alive. If they aren't on constant alert, they'll quickly become, well, fish food. Your job is to fool them into thinking that bit of food on a hook is worthy of gobbling up. A good fishing charter captain will tell you the tricks of the trade that let you join in the fun. Without his sage advice, you're just betting on luck and hoping you don't do anything wrong.
A good captain on a charter fishing boat brings many important things to you; some of them you don't even think about. If he's a good fishing guide, he'll know where the fish will be biting today. Not the same place as yesterday, because like all wild creatures, fish move around. The weather today may not be the same as yesterday, and they'll respond to those changes. He'll know what kinds of bait or lures you can use to fool fish into thinking they're about to get a quick snack, and the best way (and size) to present to each kind of fish. He'll know how to choose a fishing line that's not too thin (or it will break) or too thick (which alerts the fish that something's fishy) and just the right color to blend in with the water in the Gulf of Mexico or the inland areas nearby. All the rest of the fishing gear he chooses for you goes without saying.
A good captain will know how to navigate the fishing boat around treacherous underwater obstacles, and will obey all maritime laws. Even more important -- but not as obvious -- he knows what to do during a wide variety of shipboard emergencies or medical emergencies, and won't panic if something goes amiss on your boat or on board another boat nearby. A good captain runs a clean, well-ordered, well-maintained ship, since that's the safest way to be on the water. He keeps all of his equipment in good shape, and he knows how to use it. He gives clear, concise orders with a commanding voice. He instills confidence.
A charter captain is a professional who must always be two steps ahead of the weather. His diligence, knowledge, experience and discipline lets you simply enjoy the day and reel in fish without a care in the world. Good shipboard practice demands that you follow his orders, since as the captain, he is completely responsible for you and your safety while you're on board his vessel.
The areas around Naples, Marco Island, Ten Thousand Lakes and the Everglades in Florida are teeming with lots of big, strong, healthy ocean fish in all shapes and sizes. Some are delicious to eat and some are famous for putting up a good fight. Some are just fun to catch one right after another, nearly as soon as you throw your line back in the water. Some must be thrown back because their population is too small. Being aboard a charter boat on the Gulf of Mexico lets you just have fun and let the captain do all the work.
Some fishermen get in trouble when they don't have a good fishing charter captain. There are many fish that cannot legally be pulled on board a boat -- those species are protected. Many of them look very much like fish that are fine to take. Having a seasoned charter captain means you won't get into legal trouble because you can't tell the difference. He knows the fish, and he knows the laws.
Of course, you can choose to do most of the work of reeling in all those beautiful fish you catch on your hook. If you get near the end of a long day, and this last fish has you worn out, you always know that a burly, strong charter captain will be right there to help you out, give you advice, just take over your rod and reel, or do whatever else is needed to keep you 'happy as a clam.' And, of course, you'll have all the help you need to pull that deep-sea creature on board your vessel. You'll also be very thankful when the captain and his crew take over the task of cleaning all those fish and packing the fillets in ice for your short trip to the kitchen.
Many local restaurants are delighted to cook your fresh catch-of-the-day for you, and you might choose to share it with friends, family, or even thankful, happy strangers. There's often plenty to go around, so you won't be afraid to share your bounty with nearly everyone you meet.
This might be your first or second fishing charter trip, but it's the fishing charter captain's life. He's done this many thousands of times over many years, and would never choose to do anything else. And if you ask him what he does on his day off, he'll likely flash a big grin and tell you, "I go fishing!"
