Big Daddy SportFishing invites you to join Captain James Pollard for a fishing adventure on and near Tampa Bay, FL. James has been fishing the local waters for more than two decades now and knows all about getting you on the fish and providing you with a memorable experience.

He’ll be taking you fishing on his 24’ Avenger bay boat with a tower, that’s powered by a single 300 HP Yamaha engine that can get you to the fishing grounds in a snap. It’s equipped with top of the line Garmin electronics, as well as a massive baitwell for bait and a wireless trolling motor when you need to slow things down a notch.

St. Petersburg is one of the best-known fishing destinations in this part of Florida, owing to its plentiful year-round fishery. Depending on when you’re fishing and what you’re aiming for, you can go after anything from Redfish and Snook to Kingfish, Tarpon, and Cobia.

Captain James will supply you with everything you’ll need for a good fishing time, including quality custom-made rods and Shimano reels. He will also clean the catch for your convenience after the trip is over. All you need to do is pack a pair of polarized sunglasses, get some snacks if you want, and get ready to reel ‘em in.



Select date to see available trips and rates:

  • Private trip
    4 Hour Trip (AM)
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    4 Hour Trip, starts at 8:30 AM
    US $600
    Fishing in Tampa Bay offers many different species to target. It all depends on the season and what is migrating through the area. Some of the regulars include Redfish, Snook, Black Drum, Sharks, Speckled Trout, and more. Rods, reels, and terminal tackle are included in the price of the trip.
  • Private trip
    4 Hour Trip (PM)
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    4 Hour Trip, starts at 3:00 PM
    US $600
    Fishing in Tampa Bay offers you a wide variety of species to target. It can depend on the season and what is migrating through the area. Some of the regulars you can fish include Redfish, Snook, Black Drum, Sharks, Speckled Trout, and more. Rods, reels, and terminal tackle are included in the price of the trip.
  • Private trip
    6 Hour Trip
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 8:30 AM
    US $750
    Tampa Bay is well known for offering a wide variety of fish to target. With a full day charter, you will have more time to get into some remote areas. Some of the species you can expect to see include Redfish, Kingfish, Snook, Trout, and more. The price of the trip includes rods, reels, and terminal tackle.
  • Private trip
    6 Hour Trip – Tarpon Seasonal
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 8:00 AM
    Seasonal trip May 15 - Jul 15
    US $900
    The target species is and will be Tarpon! A lot of time and preparation goes into this kind of trip. When Tarpon bites, be prepared for an ultimate session of man vs. beast!
    Targeted fish
    Tarpon
    Tarpon
  • Private trip
    6 Hr PM Trip – Tarpon Special Trip
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 4:00 PM
    Seasonal trip May 15 - Jul 15
    US $900
    This is a specialty trip. Particular tides during the month are the best. Full moons and new moon phases. Please message the captain for the availability of these afternoon/evening tides. Crab flushes. The target species is and will be Tarpon. A lot of time and preparation goes into this kind of trip. When Tarpon bites, be prepared for an ultimate session of man vs. beast!
  • Private trip
    8 Hour Trip
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 8:30 AM
    US $900
    Tampa Bay is well known for offering a wide variety of fish to target. With an 8-hour charter, you will have more time to get into some remote areas and it will open up a huge area to potentially fish (entire Tampa Bay.) Some of the species you can expect to see include Redfish, Kingfish, Snook, Trout, and more. The price of the trip includes rods, reels, and terminal tackle.
  • Private trip
    8 Hour Trip – Tarpon
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    8 Hour Trip, starts at 8:00 AM
    Seasonal trip May 15 - Jul 15
    US $1,100
    The target species is and will be Tarpon! A lot of time and preparation goes into this kind of trip. When Tarpon bites, be prepared for an ultimate session of man vs. beast!
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FAQs about Big Daddy SportFishing

Big Daddy SportFishing offers the following trips to customers:
  • US $600 per group - 4 Hour Trip (AM) (4 hours)
  • US $600 per group - 4 Hour Trip (PM) (4 hours)
  • US $750 per group - 6 Hour Trip (6 hours)
  • US $900 per group - 6 Hour Trip – Tarpon Seasonal (6 hours)
  • US $900 per group - 6 Hr PM Trip – Tarpon Special Trip (6 hours)
  • US $900 per group - 8 Hour Trip (6 hours)
  • US $1,100 per group - 8 Hour Trip – Tarpon (8 hours)

When you book a trip with Big Daddy SportFishing, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • Fighting Chair
  • GPS Garmin
  • Fishfinder Garmin
  • Live Bait Well
  • Wireless Trolling Motor
  • Ice Box

Trips booked with Big Daddy SportFishing include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle (Custom rods and Shimano reels)
  • Live Bait (I catch our live bait needed for the day prior to the start of our fishing excursion!)
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting (Cleaning the catch is part of of the trip, no charge.)
  • Drinks (Water)
  • First Mate (During Tarpon Season)
  • Fishing License (All licensing is taken care of up to four anglers.)

Big Daddy SportFishing offers the following types of fishing:
  • Inshore Fishing
  • Nearshore Fishing
  • Reef Fishing
  • Wreck Fishing
  • Flats Fishing
  • Backcountry Fishing

Big Daddy SportFishing offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light Tackle
  • Heavy Tackle
  • Bottom Fishing
  • Trolling
  • Spinning
  • Jigging
  • Popping
  • Deep Sea Fishing

Top targeted fish species with Big Daddy SportFishing include:
  • Black Drum
  • Cobia
  • King Mackerel (Kingfish)
  • Redfish
  • Shark (Blacktip)
  • Shark (Bull)
  • Shark (Hammerhead)
  • Snook
  • Spanish Mackerel
  • Speckled Trout
  • Tarpon
  • Tripletail

Meet the Captain

James Pollard
St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
1 Fishing Report
ID & license verified
179 Customer reviews
Response time within an hour
Member since February 2018
I've been fishing the waters of Tampa Bay since 1994. I was a very competitive tournament fisherman. What I enjoy most about fishing is teaching people how/what to look for while fishing. Seeing peoples reaction to landing a fish after a good fight is priceless to me! It's about having fun and making memories on the water.

About this listing

Targeted species

Black Drum Black Drum
Cobia Cobia
King Mackerel (Kingfish) King Mackerel (Kingfish)
Redfish Redfish

Boat specs

Avenger (Bay boat) originally built in 2015, and restored in 2022. Powered by a 250HP Mercury engine, with a maximum cruising speed of 40 knots.

Length
24 ft
Capacity
4 persons

Types of fishing

Inshore Fishing
Nearshore Fishing
Reef Fishing
Wreck Fishing
Flats Fishing
Backcountry Fishing

Fishing techniques

Light Tackle
Heavy Tackle
Bottom Fishing
Trolling
Spinning
Jigging
Popping
Deep Sea Fishing

Amenities

Fighting Chair
GPS
Garmin
Fishfinder
Garmin
Live Bait Well
Wireless Trolling Motor
Ice Box

Trip includes

Rods, reels & tackle
Custom rods and Shimano reels
Live Bait
I catch our live bait needed for the day prior to the start of our fishing excursion!
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting
Cleaning the catch is part of of the trip, no charge.
Drinks
Water
First Mate
During Tarpon Season
Fishing License
All licensing is taken care of up to four anglers.

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 7 days prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 7 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.

Listing policies

Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
Child Friendly
No age limit
You Keep Catch
Catch and Release Allowed

Payment

Pay online in full

Pay online in full through FishingBooker and save on credit card fees at the dock.

No additional fees.
Book with 30% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 30% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

Cash
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Bank Transfer
When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 5% charge will apply.

St. Petersburg Fishing Calendar

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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
5.0 / 5
out of 5 stars from 179 reviews
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (429)
Fishing with James
Fishing with James
Fishing with James
+426
Angler rating
172
5
1
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
99%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
98%
Appropriate for children
96%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
96%
Sort by:
Featured  
Showing:
5 of 179 reviews
Debe W.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with James

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip (AM) on February 26, 2024
The captain was great. He worked really hard to put us on fish and did a great job. We really enjoyed our trip.
Debe W. recommends Big Daddy SportFishing
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  James Pollard Captain replied

Nick A.
Cortland, OH
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Full day trip

VERIFIED   8 Hour Trip on April 26, 2023
It was a great experience, we caught alot of fish and learned alot from the captian. He tries everything for his customers...
Nick A. recommends Big Daddy SportFishing
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You found this review helpful
  James Pollard Captain replied

Ashley S.
United States
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fun with Captain James

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip (PM) on June 24, 2023
My husband, kids and I had a BLAST with Captain James!  He was super engaging with the kids, getting them excited and helping...
Ashley S. recommends Big Daddy SportFishing
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  James Pollard Captain replied

Craig S.
Pulaski, KY
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with James

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip on September 19, 2023
Captain James was awesome, he put so much effort in to getting us on fish. We stayed on top of the fish all day
Craig S. recommends Big Daddy SportFishing
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You found this review helpful
  James Pollard Captain replied

Josh W.
Columbia, SC
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half day trip, catching fish the whole time!

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip (AM) on April 6, 2023
James was the perfect captain for us. Our main goal was that our 9 year old catch a few fish. We succeeded within the first...
Josh W. recommends Big Daddy SportFishing
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You found this review helpful
  James Pollard Captain replied