The Connoisseur
Make the most of your time in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Shalimar, and surrounding areas and go fishing with The Connoisseur.
Red Snapper, Vermilion Snapper, Amberjack, King Mackerel (Kingfish), Gray Triggerfish, Red Grouper, Gag Grouper, Cobia, Tarpon, Blackfin Tuna, Scamp Grouper, Spanish Mackerel, and more are in the cards, depending on when you go. During the trip you might be spinning, popping, trolling, jigging, bottom fishing, or maybe something more specialized in this area.
Thinking of bringing the whole family? Kids are absolutely welcome! Children must wear life vests, so find out if the appropriate size is available on board. Feel free to bring your own snacks to keep their stamina going!
Captains Matt and Christian will bring you aboard a 22' NauticStar center console that can carry up to 6 passengers. It has all the essentials. You'll find rods, reels, and tackle waiting for you, as well as lures. Live bait is available, but you should ask the captain whether you'll be catching it yourself.
A First Mate will be there to make sure everything is running smoothly. It's customary to tip the Mate 10–20% to show your appreciation.
Your fishing license for the day is covered by the charter boat, so all you have to do is show up ready for a good time! Keep in mind that some fish may have harvest limits or closed seasons. Simply ask and your captain can tell you more.
It's recommended to bring a hat, sunglasses, bottled water, and sunscreen (non-spray). If you'd like to bring other drinks, just ask. Alcohol is allowed in moderation, so long as you avoid hard liquor as well as glass bottles.
You could keep reading this, but wouldn't you rather be fishing with The Connoisseur?
Customer reviews
Rating summary
Photos & videos by reviewers (35)
+32Angler rating
Anglers claimed
Good experience
86%
Appropriate for children
86%
Friendly captain
86%
Satisfied with the boat
88%
Recommend this charter
89%
Caught fish
89%
Aug 5, 2025
4 Hour Trip (AM)
FISH ON!!
We had some weather that morning that pushed the trip back a little bit but captain Matt stayed in contact with me and stayed on top of the weather. We went out around 1 and went and started catching bait and fish to eat which is what we were wanting to do and after we had got pretty much all we wanted for eating then we went after some bigger fun fish. I caught a 6’ shark probably 100 pounds or better and hooked up on a couple amberjacks and we think another shark. All in all this was a great trip and Matt kept us on top of fish. Great guy and we will be planning another trip. Hopefully soon😎
We had some weather that morning that pushed the trip back a little bit but captain Matt stayed in contact with me and stayed...
Knoxville, TN
Aug 5, 2025
4 Hour Trip (AM)
Half day fishing trip with Captain Matt Johnson
Captain Matt is an amazing captain. We never ran out of bait. He worked his butt off to make sure that we had a good experience. We caught so many fish we were worn out we hooked into several big fish unfortunately we was unable to land most of them, one of our members hooked into a shark and actually got it up to the boat. I would recommend this trip to anyone. Our boys haven’t stopped talking about. We had a great time. I’d like to say thank you to the captain, Matt. We look forward to doing this again. I would recommend this to anyone.
Captain Matt is an amazing captain. We never ran out of bait. He worked his butt off to make sure that we had a good experience....
Aug 10, 2025
4 Hour Trip (PM)
Experienced Captain
Captain Matt knows the waters well and kept us on fish for the entire 4 hour trip. Boated a lot of fish. Between my wife and I, I would guess that we caught 40 fish in 4 hours. Had a few large grouper on and they all got bitten off by sharks. But Matt kept up the hard work and was engaging the entire trip. I will definitely book with him again.
Captain Matt knows the waters well and kept us on fish for the entire 4 hour trip. Boated a lot of fish. Between my wife and I,...
Captain replied
New Orleans, Louisiana
Aug 10, 2025
6 Hour Trip (AM)
Half day trip
Really great down to earth person had a great time with family it was a rougher day, but he still did everything to get us on some fish and we caught some good ones very knowledgeable and experienced captain!
Really great down to earth person had a great time with family it was a rougher day, but he still did everything to get us on...
Jul 16, 2025
4 Hour Trip (AM)
Fantastic Day on the Water with Captain Matt!
We had an amazing fishing trip aboard the Connoisseur! Captain Matt knew exactly where to go—he put us on the fish at several great spots throughout the day. His expertise and friendly attitude made the whole experience fun and stress-free. Everyone had a great time, and we’ll definitely be booking again. Highly recommend!
We had an amazing fishing trip aboard the Connoisseur! Captain Matt knew exactly where to go—he put us on the fish at several...
Trip availability and prices
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Customer reviews
Rating summary
Photos & videos by reviewers (35)
+32Angler rating
Anglers claimed
Good experience
86%
Appropriate for children
86%
Friendly captain
86%
Satisfied with the boat
88%
Recommend this charter
89%
Caught fish
89%
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
FISH ON!!
4 Hour Trip (AM) on August 5, 2025
We had some weather that morning that pushed the trip back a little bit but captain Matt stayed in contact with me and stayed on top of the weather. We went out around 1 and went and started catching bait and fish to eat which is what we were wanting to do and after we had got pretty much all we wanted for eating then we went after some bigger fun fish. I caught a 6’ shark probably 100 pounds or better and hooked up on a couple amberjacks and we think another shark. All in all this was a great trip and Matt kept us on top of fish. Great guy and we will be planning another trip. Hopefully soon😎
We had some weather that morning that pushed the trip back a little bit but captain Matt stayed in contact with me and stayed on top of the weather. We went out around 1 and went and started catching bait and fish to eat which is what we were wanting to do and after we had got pretty much all we wanted for eating then we went after some bigger fun fish. I caught a 6’ shark probably 100 pounds or better and hooked up on a couple amberjacks and we think another shark. All in all this was a great...
Knoxville, TN
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Half day fishing trip with Captain Matt Johnson
4 Hour Trip (AM) on August 5, 2025
Captain Matt is an amazing captain. We never ran out of bait. He worked his butt off to make sure that we had a good experience. We caught so many fish we were worn out we hooked into several big fish unfortunately we was unable to land most of them, one of our members hooked into a shark and actually got it up to the boat. I would recommend this trip to anyone. Our boys haven’t stopped talking about. We had a great time. I’d like to say thank you to the captain, Matt. We look forward to doing this again. I would recommend this to anyone.
Captain Matt is an amazing captain. We never ran out of bait. He worked his butt off to make sure that we had a good experience. We caught so many fish we were worn out we hooked into several big fish unfortunately we was unable to land most of them, one of our members hooked into a shark and actually got it up to the boat. I would recommend this trip to anyone. Our boys haven’t stopped talking about. We had a great time. I’d like to say thank you to the captain, Matt. We look forward to doing...
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Experienced Captain
4 Hour Trip (PM) on August 10, 2025
Captain Matt knows the waters well and kept us on fish for the entire 4 hour trip. Boated a lot of fish. Between my wife and I, I would guess that we caught 40 fish in 4 hours. Had a few large grouper on and they all got bitten off by sharks. But Matt kept up the hard work and was engaging the entire trip. I will definitely book with him again.
Captain Matt knows the waters well and kept us on fish for the entire 4 hour trip. Boated a lot of fish. Between my wife and I, I would guess that we caught 40 fish in 4 hours. Had a few large grouper on and they all got bitten off by sharks. But Matt kept up the hard work and was engaging the entire trip. I will definitely book with him again.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Half day trip
6 Hour Trip (AM) on August 10, 2025
Really great down to earth person had a great time with family it was a rougher day, but he still did everything to get us on some fish and we caught some good ones very knowledgeable and experienced captain!
Really great down to earth person had a great time with family it was a rougher day, but he still did everything to get us on some fish and we caught some good ones very knowledgeable and experienced captain!
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
Fantastic Day on the Water with Captain Matt!
4 Hour Trip (AM) on July 16, 2025
We had an amazing fishing trip aboard the Connoisseur! Captain Matt knew exactly where to go—he put us on the fish at several great spots throughout the day. His expertise and friendly attitude made the whole experience fun and stress-free. Everyone had a great time, and we’ll definitely be booking again. Highly recommend!
We had an amazing fishing trip aboard the Connoisseur! Captain Matt knew exactly where to go—he put us on the fish at several great spots throughout the day. His expertise and friendly attitude made the whole experience fun and stress-free. Everyone had a great time, and we’ll definitely be booking again. Highly recommend!
FAQs about The Connoisseur
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