Weekend anglers typically say that fishing in the winter is slow. Well, it seems like many FishingBooker captains didn’t get the memo because their January has been red hot! From first catches to bucket-list experiences, the start of the year had no shortage of exciting angling stories. In this month’s spotlight, we’re giving praise to captains who’ve hit the ground running in 2021.
Flexibility Goes a Long Way
To kick things off, we’re giving a nod to captains who adapted to some last minute challenges. Thanks to their flexibility, customers were able to get out on the water and have an awesome time, too.
Beating the Odds
If there’s a textbook way of earning a return customer, we’re pretty sure it’s somewhere along the lines of what Captain Rudy Neumann of Papa Bear’s Fishing in Riviera Beach, FL, did recently.
First, as angler John pointed out, Rudy was quick to reach out and see what type of fishing him and his wife were looking to do.
But, just when everything was ready to go, the weather decided to take a turn for the worse. Even so, with a good line of communication already set up, John and Rudy were able to reschedule for a better day. Twice, no less!
The end result? A good-sized Kingfish for John, and a Sailfish twice as big for his wife. John took it well, tough. We’ll let the smiles say the rest.
With an experience like that, it’s no wonder that John and his wife booked another trip just 9 days later!
A Special Favor
Over in Quepos, Costa Rica, Captain Jeff, aboard Bucket List Sportfishing, had a different challenge. After his customer, Joshua, absolutely crushed it on his offshore trip for Christmas, he asked for another last-minute outing before heading back to Florida.
It seemed like there were a couple of fish Joshua missed on his first trip and, word is that he couldn’t stand the thought of leaving without a picture of him holding “one of those green and yellow fish!” That’s coming off a trip that landed Marlin, Tuna and Grouper, by the way…
Having been there himself, Captain Jeff knew the type of itch his customer had. “I really wanted to see this through,”, he said.
Despite a cold front passing through the area, the captain delivered, and the trip ended up being a blast. By the end, Joshua managed to land a huge Mahi, as well as a stunning Sailfish. Definitely something to write home about!
More Than a Numbers Game
Running a headboat is a tricky business. There are a lot of moving parts and things don’t always work out, despite your best efforts. Sometimes, though, you just want to show your customers a good time.
Captain Hamish aboard Major Tom Adventures in Auckland, New Zealand, did just that. For most headboats, not having enough customers to go out typically ends with a canceled trip. But, luckily for Mike and his party, Captain Hamish decided to take them out.
As a result, Mike’s party got all the perks of a personalized charter: “Hamish was really helpful with the fishing tackle, baiting up, and then cleaning and filleting our catch for taking home.” We don’t need to tell you that Mike will be coming back for another trip!
In a Special Club
Our next January fishing feat is a story that’s nothing short of spectacular. As any inshore angler will say, catching Speckled Trout is always nice. But how about Snook? Well, those are a bit harder to get. Tarpon? Some anglers fish for years before they get their first Silver King.
For Captain Jeremy of Fish Slapped Charters and his customer Adam, it took just six hours to catch all three. Adam might not have realized this right away, but this Clearwater, FL fishing trip earned him an Inshore Grand Slam!
The final tally for the day was a total of six different species, including a 90 lb Tarpon. “It was by far the biggest fish I have ever caught,” said Adam. To make the day even more special, the anglers were treated to a school of passing dolphins who came by to say hi.
For Captain Jeremy, this might have been another day in the office. For Adam, we’re pretty certain that this will be a day he’ll remember for the rest of his life.
Above and Beyond
In a world where time is measured by the millisecond, we ought to hit the pause button and take a page from this story out of Kaikoura, New Zealand. In fact, you could say that what happened on Captain Gerard’s mid-January trip captures what fishing is all about.
The initial one-hour booking turned into five hours, with the experience going far beyond just catching fish.
As his customer Sarah explained:
“Apart from fishing for blue cod, perches & grayfishes, Gerard even toured us around the seals and offered to swim with them! We also saw dolphins, a blue whale and albatrosses during the time we were at the sea.”
But it gets better: “Gerrard welcomed us afterwards to his home and showed us how to properly cook crayfish & even offered us wine. There were a few visitors during the time we were at his home but he still accommodated us, which gained us a few friends after this trip.”
To end the day, the customers took their catch to a restaurant Captain Gerard recommended. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Plenty More Where That Came From
January had no shortage of glorious angling moments. From unlikely friendships to monster catches, our captains helped carve memories that will last a lifetime. If the start of the year is any measure to go by, we’d say 2021 will be a good one. We’re looking forward to it!
So there you have it. What do you think of our picks? Do you have any recent fishing stories you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below!