Q: Why should we book with you and not someone else? How do I know you have the best boats and captains?
Well, you don’t know me from Adam, but I screen my captains, boats, tackle, etc. to make sure I only work with the best in the area. I have narrowed them down to about 30 of the best boats in Destin thanks to the help of my husband (a seasoned charter boat captain himself). I try to place parties with different boats and captains that would “match/fit” based on their goals, personalities, ages of their party, etc.

Q: Will I still catch fish and have a good trip if I don’t book the early morning trip?
A: Yes! We catch fish all day. Somedays the mornings have the better bite and somedays the afternoons have the better bite. It just varies day to day! Luckily, the gulf is deep so the bite isn’t affected too much by the heat/time of day. It is hotter in the afternoons, but there is a t-top for shade or indoor cabin area with A/C on every boat. There is also a breeze that comes off of the water (especially when the boat is moving) so that helps too!

Q: What’s the main difference between the boat styles?
A: The larger sport fish boats are more comfortable, but have more travel time than the center console boats. The center console boats have less travel time because of their size, but not all of the amenities of the sport fish boats.

Q: Do all of the boats have bathrooms?
A: Yes! The sport fish boats have larger bathroom areas, but the center consoles either have a flushing toilet or marine toilet (similar to a port-a-potty) inside the console area.

Q: Can I bring alcohol on the boat?
Fishing and alcohol go hand in hand so, yes, bring it onboard! We just ask you avoid glass. Illegal drugs are prohibited.
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Q: Do you offer bay charters?
A: We offer near shore gulf fishing (9 miles out max) and offshore gulf fishing (10 miles plus), but not the bay. The bay in Destin tends to be a much slower bite than our gulf fishing.  However, our near shore trips are great because you can always see land.

Q: Do you offer group charters to split the cost?
A: No, we no longer offer group charters. We used to but ran into the issue of some people getting seasick and wanting to come in early while the other half of a group would be perfectly fine and want to stay out and fish. It became too difficult to make everyone happy, so we quit offering group ups.

Q: Do I have to put a deposit down to book the trip?
A: We send you a link to an e-form to fill out to get the trip booked. We just get $1.04 to hold the spot but you pay at the end of the trip to the captain directly with cash or credit card (some captains take Venmo but no personal checks).

Q: I have no clue which number of hours to book. What do you recommend?
A: 6 hours is the favorite trip company wide. It gives you enough time to get out to the spots where there is a good grade of fish. You also should get a number of fish to keep!

Q: What’s the deal with bait? 
Live, fresh bait is preferred in the summer and fall months. The fresher the bait, the better (especially for snapper). We can spend time catching bait at the beginning of the trip or the live bait boat usually has live bait they have caught fresh that morning for the charter boats in Destin. We pass by the live bait boats on the way out to the first spot. You can discuss bait options with the captain once you are onboard the morning of the trip. Usually the over 6 passenger boats always spend a little time catching bait rather than purchasing it.

Q: Do you have any age restrictions?
A: No, we have no age restrictions, but we do recommend ages 4 and up in the gulf. However, all ages are welcome.

Q: What if we have babies or young children? What if we have people in our group that just want to watch and not fish? Do they still count in the “6 passenger or less” rule? Do you charge the 10% for them still on the over 6 passenger boats?
A: Unfortunately, most of the charter boats in the Destin area can accommodate 6 passengers max. Their license only allows for 6 passengers regardless of age, fishing or not, etc. Yes, the over 6 passenger boats always add 10% of the trip total for each passenger over 6 people regardless of age, fishing or not, etc.

Q: Why is more than 4 hours recommended on the sport fish boats for fish to keep, but we can get some fish to keep on the center console boats in 4 hours?
A: Size and travel time is why we recommend at least 6 hours on the sport fish boats for bottom fishing and if you really want fish to keep (sometimes we can get fish to keep on a 4 or 5 hour trip on the sport fish boats, but it can be hit or miss).

Q: Will it be rough the day of my trip? It’s calling for rain, what should we do?
A: The seas and weather vary day to day and can even change morning vs afternoon. Overall, the seas tends to be very calm in Destin. We do not go out if it is too rough or unsafe. Also, the forecast will say rain here almost everyday.  However, it will usually only last about 15 minutes and then stop. We make last minute, game day decisions when it comes to trips because the forecast changes so quickly here! 

Q: Which restaurants do you recommend for a hook and cook?
A: Brotula’s and the Harbor Tavern!

Q: I’m worried about getting seasick. Should I take medicine?
A: Even if you aren’t prone to seasickness and it is calling for flat calm seas, we always recommend taking some sort of medication to prevent seasickness. We recommend less drowsy dramamine the night before the trip as well as the car ride over. They also make a kids formula!

Q: What if I need to cancel my charter?
A: If you cancel 2 weeks prior to the date of your charter, there is no cancellation fee. If you cancel within 2 weeks of your charter, it is a $200 cancellation fee. If you cancel within 48 hours of the trip or do not show up for the trip, it is the amount in full of the charter that will be charged. Charter boat companies make their entire annual income within an 8 month window, so cancellations are extremely crippling for their business which is why cancellation fees are necessary. 

Q: What if I book a trip but I want to come in early?
A: You can definitely come in early from a charter! However, you still pay for the number of hours you booked on the e-form. If the weather or seas are unfavorable and the captain has to cut the trip short for safety reasons, the price will be adjusted.