TradeWinds
Looking to cast a line in Orange Beach? That's what TradeWinds is here for!
Fishing around here will often see you targeting a variety of Snapper, Mackerel, as well as Bonito, Gray Triggerfish, Amberjack, Grouper, and more, depending on conditions. You'll target your catch by light tackle fishing, trolling, jigging, bottom fishing, or maybe something more specialized in this area. Feel free to keep any fish you catch, assuming regulations allow it.
If you're traveling with the family, you'll be glad to know that kids are welcome aboard! If you don't have a child-sized life vest of your own, be sure to ask if there's one on board. A few items you'll want to bring include sunglasses, sunblock (non-spray), snacks, and drinks.
Your boat for the day is a 40' Walkaround that holds up to 18 passengers. It comes with all the essentials, plus a toilet on board for your convenience. The captain will supply rods and reels for you, along with lures. There's no need to buy a fishing license, just show up ready for some fishing!
You'll have the help of a First Mate to put you on fish and make the most of your trip. Mates work hard to make your trip count, so a 20% gratuity is customary and much appreciated. Be mindful that some species may have special rules or limited seasons. Your captain will help you follow regulations while you fish.
Now, come aboard with TradeWinds and get hooked!
Looking to cast a line in Orange Beach? That's what TradeWinds is here for!
Fishing around here will often see you targeting a variety of Snapper, Mackerel, as well as Bonito, Gray Triggerfish, Amberjack, Grouper, and more, depending on conditions. You'll target your catch by light tackle fishing, trolling, jigging, bottom fishing, or maybe something more specialized in this area. Feel free to keep any fish you catch, assuming regulations allow it.
If you're traveling with the family, you'll be glad to know that kids are welcome aboard! If you don't have a child-sized life vest of your own, be sure to ask if there's one on board. A few items you'll want to bring include sunglasses, sunblock (non-spray), snacks, and drinks.
Your boat for the day is a 40' Walkaround that holds up to 18 passengers. It comes with all the essentials, plus a toilet on board for your convenience. The captain will supply rods and reels for you, along with lures. There's no need to buy a fishing license, just show up ready for some fishing!
You'll have the help of a First Mate to put you on fish and make the most of your trip. Mates work hard to make your trip count, so a 20% gratuity is customary and much appreciated. Be mindful that some species may have special rules or limited seasons. Your captain will help you follow regulations while you fish.
Now, come aboard with TradeWinds and get hooked!

| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|





























We were a large group of 10 (7 kids and 3 adults) with this being the first time for most of the kids. We chose the 5 hr which was a perfect amount of time for the younger kids. The boat was a good size and the area inside was nice for the kids to sit down for awhile while moving spots. Capt Tristen and mate Ben did a fantastic job of putting the group on the fish and keeping us there. Ben was awesome and so patient and helpful with the kids. I would recommend this trip for any family looking to get out in the Orange Beach area.

Tristen and Ben were awesom! boat is big and roomy so no one‘s crawling on top of each other. They had the AC cranking in the cabin for those that need to get away. They did an awesome job moving us around keeping us on fish. We ended up with more fish than we could eat. Ben the deck hand did an amazing job making sure everyone was taken care of and Hooks were always baited and offering advice along the way. Great experience for our family of all ages and would highly recommend!
This was our first offshore fishing trip, and it was a great experience from start to finish. Captain Tristan was awesome and took us to some excellent fishing spots. Ben, the deckhand, was outstanding—he stayed on top of everything all day, was incredibly helpful, and made sure everyone had what they needed. We caught some really big fish and had an amazing time. If you’re looking for a fun, well-run charter with a great crew, I highly recommend this one. We’ll definitely be back!
We had a group of 11 of all different ages……some experienced in fishing offshore others for the first time. Everyone had a great time and caught lots of fish!  Both Tristan and Ben were awesome and made sure everyone was having a good time and catching fish. 
Captain Tristan kept us on the fish almost all of our 5 hour trip. Deckhand Ben was very busy and working extremely hard to handle all the fish we were catching and keeping bait on so we could catch more. My family loved it. When moving from one hot spot to another Ben was busy cleaning the fishing area making sure that our experience was top notch. Be sure and bring extra tip money for these guys. 20% isn’t enough.
Orange Beach, Alabama, United States
The Angler's Choice Award is given to listings that consistently deliver a high-quality service and earn great reviews from customers.
Meet your Captain Tom Ard, a true Orange Beach native and a 5 boat owner at Zekes landing Marina, with over 40 years of offshore fishing experience. The love for fishing started at a very young age for Tom, fishing farm ponds and rivers around his house for bass and bream, or catching speckled trout and red fish off the family dock on Wolf Bay. This all transitioned to offshore fishing when his father, Captain Gloyice Ard had a custom built charter boat, a Buskins, completed 1980, the 'Bollweevil' which is still in service here at Zekes. Tom grew up deck handing on the Bollweevil and ran his first real charter at 18 years old. He inherited the vessel after his dad passed away. After graduating from UWF with a degree in criminal justice, Tom married his love of his life Kim, in 1997. They purchased the Fairwater II in 1998. Since then he's charter fished, raised a family ( son Garrett is working on his Masters degree at Mississippi State) and cared for the boat, trying to make her a better boat each and every year. Along the way they purchased the Water Dog, a 34 ft crusader, continued fishing on the Bollweevil. In 2019 he and business partner Captain Brett Russell added the SouthWind and the TradeWinds in 2022. Captain Brett started his fishing career at just 16 years old working with us during the summer. Training young men into captains has been one of Tom's strengths, along with having a fishing team that feels like a family. We all work together and help each other with the boats and in fishing which gives the whole fleet an advantage. One of Tom's passions has been finding older boats and making them look new again with a strong knowledge about engines, generators, and very importantly electronics that keep you safe and help catch fish. This has been his hobby inside his fishing career. In his 50s now, Tom still has a passion for hunting,and fishing, going on adventures with his family (which includes his two Labrador retrievers) and boats. Tom also runs a 64 ft Viking sports fisher for his lifelong friend, fishing marlin tournaments, traveling on vacations just to hunt and fish, and still loves a good boat ride on an impressive craft. And lastly he really loves to watch the joy and excitement catching fish brings to his clients and friends who still come back to fish year after year.

Tom A.
Captain
Tristan E.
Captain

Brett R.
Captain

Marian J.
Business partner



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.
Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% 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
When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 3.5% charge will apply.
