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Picking a charter boat out of the hundreds in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area can be a seemingly overwhelming task if you have never done it before. The bottom line is that you are going to be spending quite a bit of money to go fishing and you want to choose a boat that catches fish and that you feel comfortable with. To start out, you need to determine your price range. A day of charter fishing can cost you anywhere from $500 up to $2,000 depending on several factors such as boat size, length of trip, and number of people in your party. Trip lengths can range anywhere from 4 to 12 hours (usually at your discretion), and most charters can take out up to 6 people. All boats will provide fishing licenses and most provide bait (those who don’t provide bait will provide options for purchasing it). Peak fishing periods for the various species of big game fish can vary greatly from month to month. If you don’t have a specific species in mind, my advice would be to fish for what ever species your captain suggests you will have the greatest chance of catching. This of course brings me back to the all important issue of first selecting a boat and a captain. You want to go out with an experienced captain with a good reputation for consistently catching fish. The best way to determine this is to go to the charter docks at around 4:30pm to 5:00pm, as this is when most boats will be returning from the day’s fishing. Do this for a couple of days to see which boats are bringing in the most fish. You will find that many sport fishing boats practice catch and release and will not bring their catch back to the dock. These boats use a system of different colored flags hung from their out-riggers to represent the number and species of fish they caught that day. Each species has a different colored flag with a rough picture of the fish on it. One flag is hung for each fish they catch. A triangular, red flag with a “T” on it, hung below a flag of a fish species, represents a fish that was caught and released. If this sounds confusing it will become clearer once you actually see it.
While you are at the docks, walk around and ask questions. Keep in mind that all captains and first mates will tell you that their boat is the best. Try to find outsiders and customers of the various boats to ask their opinions. The harbor master will also be able to tell you which boats have been there the longest and consistently catch the most fish. Once you have narrowed down your choices speak with the captains and closely examine the boat. A good captain should have a clean boat and equipment that is in good working condition. Most of the time you will be allowed to board the boat and check it out for yourself and the captain should be able to answer any questions you may have at the given time. After you have done all of this, you simply chose the boat that you have the best feeling about and arrange for the date and time of your charter. Don’t be surprised if a captain asks for a deposit (usually no more than 30% of the total cost) to reserve you charter. This deposit is always refundable if the weather does not permit you to go fishing on the determined date or if you give the captain a couple days notice before canceling a trip. I know this seems like a lot of information, but if you follow these steps, you can rest assured that you have given yourself the best possible chance at having a positive charter experience. There is no guarantee that you will catch fish, but if you take the time to do your homework it will increase your odds tremendously.
Good luck and good fishing!
While you are at the docks, walk around and ask questions. Keep in mind that all captains and first mates will tell you that their boat is the best. Try to find outsiders and customers of the various boats to ask their opinions. The harbor master will also be able to tell you which boats have been there the longest and consistently catch the most fish. Once you have narrowed down your choices speak with the captains and closely examine the boat. A good captain should have a clean boat and equipment that is in good working condition. Most of the time you will be allowed to board the boat and check it out for yourself and the captain should be able to answer any questions you may have at the given time. After you have done all of this, you simply chose the boat that you have the best feeling about and arrange for the date and time of your charter. Don’t be surprised if a captain asks for a deposit (usually no more than 30% of the total cost) to reserve you charter. This deposit is always refundable if the weather does not permit you to go fishing on the determined date or if you give the captain a couple days notice before canceling a trip. I know this seems like a lot of information, but if you follow these steps, you can rest assured that you have given yourself the best possible chance at having a positive charter experience. There is no guarantee that you will catch fish, but if you take the time to do your homework it will increase your odds tremendously.
Good luck and good fishing!
posted by HappyFisherman at 10:14 AM
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