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Jake Nickol
Captain

Jake Nickol

Treasure Island, United States
Angler's choice
100+ reviews
Hey folks, I'm Captain Jake Nickol. I am a Florida Native Born and Raised in Pinellas County. I have been fishing our local waters since about the time I could walk. First on docks and piers like the Redington Long Pier and Skyway fishing pier, then wade fishing the flats of the bay, I saved up my pennies and eventually got a kayak and an old 14' fiberglass boat to explore the bayous and backcountry waters. After graduating college I began working for a local seafood company running a commercial fishing boat for grouper and snapper and earning my Captain's License. I now run inshore and nearshore fishing charters sharing my lifelong passion for fishing and our world-class fishery with my guests! I look forward to sharing a day on the water with you soon!

Charter

Rating

4.9
205 reviews
5.0
Boat & Equipment
5.0
Captain & Crew
4.9
Fishing Experience

What anglers say

97%
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
99%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
99%
Caught fish

All reviews (205)

Showing 1 – 5 of 205 reviews
  • Bobby Jo Salm
    Bobby Jo Salm
    us
    Iowa, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Great Experience

    Half Day Trip • 2 adults

    My husband and I had an amazing experience with Jake on our fishing adventure while staying in Treasure Island! From start to finish, he showcased his knowledge of the area, making the trip not only fun but also informative. Jake was incredibly friendly and made us feel welcome. We had a fantastic time and were thrilled to catch five different species of fish! The directions to the dock were straightforward, which made it easy to find our way. Communication with Jake was seamless, ensuring everything went smoothly. If we find ourselves back in Treasure Island, we won’t hesitate to book another charter with Jake. Highly recommended for anyone looking to enjoy a great fishing adventure!

    Reported catch:
    Redfish
    Mangrove Snapper
    Response from Captain

    Thank you so much Bobby Jo! I really appreciate the very kind words and look forward to seeing yall on the boat again sometime!

  • Billy Clark
    Billy Clark
    us
    Arkansas, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Nice Reds caught

    Half Day Trip - 9:00 AM • 4 adults • 1 child

    Captain Jake was great. He took us to our first stop and immediately we caught a 32” red and then a 28” shortly after. We caught several fish at this location but unfortunately the wind forced us to move and seek a more protective area and the bite slowed down. Captain Jake was great with my 9 year old grandson. He gave him some great pointers and explained the marine life in the area. A large manatee swam right next to our boat which was very exciting. Overall it was a very good experience.

    Reported catch:
    Redfish
    Response from Captain

    Thank you so much Billy! I’m glad we were able to put the boys on some nice fish even despite the challenging conditions! Hope to have you guys back out again someday!

  • Jerril Green
    Jerril Green
    us
    Arkansas, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Looking forward to going again

    Half Day Trip • 2 adults

    Captain Jake was thoroughly knowledgeable and experienced in every aspect of fishing. He knows the local fishing spots, the conditions and habits and details of how to actually catch the specific fish. He is a great teacher and tailors his approach to your current level of skill. I think he has the patience and teaching skill to engage novice children and the expertise and experience to give a seasoned fisherman a great day of local fishing. His boat is nice and well equipped and he provides all the tackle and bait. He communicated well about what we should bring and what to expect. He enjoys what he does and gave us a perfectly enjoyable day.

    Reported catch:
    Spanish Mackerel
    Response from Captain

    Thank you so much Jerril! Im glad you guys enjoyed your morning on the water and hope the experience can transfer over to some success for you guys when fishing on your own too!

  • Chris Griffin
    Chris Griffin
    us
    Indiana, US
    Member since 2025
    5.0
    Verified

    Captain Jake is the BEST!!

    Half Day Trip - 10:00 AM • 3 adults • 2 children

    My 2 kids (9 and 12) and I had a phenomenal time out on the water with Captain Jake. We did the 4 hour in-shore fishing trip on a chilly day and it was still the experience of a lifetime! Not only did he get us on fish, he is an area native and therefore knowledgeable about all of the surrounding physical and political geography of the area. Not only did we catch a bunch of fish, we learned a lot, too! Last, and so importantly, he was AMAZING with my two kids! He is so kind and patient, and was EXACTLY the person I needed to help my children to develop their love for fishing! I would highly recommend Captain Jake to ANYONE!!! 10/10!

    Reported catch:
    Redfish
    Grunt
    Sheepshead
    Mangrove Snapper
    Response from Captain

    Thank you so much Chris, I had a great day catching fish with you and your awesome kids! You three did great!

  • Scott Wiand
    Scott Wiand
    us
    Washington D.C., US
    Member since 2025
    5.0
    Verified

    Great Captain

    Half Day Trip • 2 adults

    Great 1/2 day on the water with Jake! We booked a half day with Jake during December when fishing is supposedly slow. We spent the trip going to multiple spots consistently catching small croaker and other fish; however, for most of the trip we caught fish sporadically but nothing impressive. Jake was entertaining, great to talk to, and extremely knowledgeable about the area and marine life. He took us to different spots that he knew would have different fish. Towards the end of our trip he took us to a dock that he hoped would get us our big fish and my son caught a 26 1/4 inch redfish! We had a great time.

    Reported catch:
    Redfish
    Gag Grouper
    Sheepshead
    Grunt
    Response from Captain

    Thank you so much Scott! Glad our patience and persistence paid off and we got your son his big redfish!

Real catches shared by our community

  • Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters
    Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing ChartersTreasure Island, FL
    Adult angler proudly holding a spotted grouper aboard a center-console boat in calm coastal waters.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Gag Grouper
    Kami S.
    Kami S.
    Jake was a great captain and a local so he knew all the spots to fish…! highly recommend and if we come back we will for sure book with him directly!
  • Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters
    Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing ChartersTreasure Island, FL
    Adult angler holding a dark-spotted grouper aboard a fishing boat in calm coastal waters.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Gag Grouper
    David L.
    David L.
    Took a morning charter with Jake. He worked hard and got me on some fish 🎣 caught a nice red fish, small grouper and a bunch of flouders. I would highly recommend Captain Jake if you want an experienced and hardworking captain 👍
  • Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters
    Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing ChartersTreasure Island, FL
    Young angler proudly holds a freshly caught fish aboard a boat in coastal waters.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Jack Crevalle
    Chelsea G.
    Chelsea G.
    We had a great trip out with captain Jake. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and caught fish and had an awesome time.
  • Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters
    Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing ChartersTreasure Island, FL
    Young angler handling fishing gear aboard a small motorboat, with a spinning reel, Suzuki outboard, and calm coastal water in the background.
    Kieron H.
    Kieron H.
    we were visiting from the UK and wanted to introduce our 6 year old to sea fishing. I can't recommend Capt. Jake's fishing charters enough, our son loved it, my wife and I loved it, we caught a good number of fish and Capt. Jake is a great guy. Can't wait to book again.
  • Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters
    Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing ChartersTreasure Island, FL
    Adult angler proudly holding a large spotted redfish over coastal mangrove waters.
    Fish 1
    Redfish
    Terry C.
    Terry C.
    we had keeper fishing the boat within the first few minutes of arriving in our fishing spot
  • Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters
    Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing ChartersTreasure Island, FL
    Angler proudly displaying a Spanish Mackerel while seated on a boat, enjoying a sunny day on the water.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Spanish Mackerel
    Jerrick M.
    Jerrick M.
    Captain Jake was kind and knowledgeable about the area! We caught several different species and had a great time!
  • Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters
    Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing ChartersTreasure Island, FL
    Angler proudly holding a large red drum, or redfish, on the bow of a center-console boat in calm coastal waters.
    Fish 1
    Redfish
    Chuck H.
    Chuck H.
    Jake was an exceptional captain. We caught several Red fish, 2 sting rays and catfish! He was very fun to hang out with and listen to his knowledge of Florida! We even invited him to come float with us in Montana, where we are from! We will definitelybe back. Thanks again Jake!!
  • Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters
    Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing ChartersTreasure Island, FL
    A young angler and an adult are engaged in fishing on a boat, with the young angler preparing to reel in a fish in a scenic waterway.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    +2
    Red Snapper
    Stephanie K.
    Stephanie K.
    captain jake took my son and I on a 2 hour charter. my son caught a baby shark (doo doo doo doo 🎶) and a few catfish. I caught a baby mangrove snapper, and 2 red fish. jake was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful! my son enjoyed himself. we will def be scheduling another charter with jake when we visit the area again!
  • Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters
    Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing ChartersTreasure Island, FL
    A young angler proudly displaying a freshly caught fish while fishing from a boat in a sunny coastal environment.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Mangrove Snapper
    Joseph Z.
    Joseph Z.
    Had a great time! Took the 4 hour afternoon trip in the heat of August and Jake found a way to get us on fish. Dude knows those waters like the back of his hand. My 8 year old daughter and 6 year old son could not have been happier with the trip.
  • Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters
    Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing ChartersTreasure Island, FL
    A young woman proudly displaying a large Redfish while fishing in a scenic coastal environment.
    Fish 1
    Redfish
    Mark R.
    Mark R.
    captain Jake was informTive knowledgeable & put us on some big redfish

What's biting with Captain Jake Nickol's Fishing Charters in Treasure Island

Since deep sea fishing isn't as prolific, it's the best time to check out nearshore and inshore charters. There's a variety of species biting, with Seabass, Grouper, Snapper, Redfish, and Sheepshead at the top of the list.

Top catches for November

Fishing reports

Group of adult anglers proudly holding a large shark aboard a center-console fishing boat in calm coastal waters.

Springtime special!

May 13, 2025 • Treasure Island
Our beautiful springtime conditions have made for phenomenal days on the water with a huge variety of fish! Lots of big redfish, nice snook, and plenty of tasty critters like mangrove snapper and sheepshead to fill up the cooler!
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An angler proudly displaying a large Redfish caught during a fishing trip, with a scenic waterfront backdrop.

Gettin it done!

Mar 24, 2025 • Treasure Island
Even on days with poor tides we still find a way to get it done! This weekends tides made us pull out all the tricks but we were rewarded with some beautiful fish on all of our trips! We filled the cooler with big sheepshead on our 2 hour trip Saturday, dug deep and got us a beautiful 27” snook along with mangrove snapper sheepshead and flounder on the half day Sunday trip, and got some excellent redfishing in on Mondays full day trip along with a variety of flounder seatrout and sheepshead as well! Book a trip!
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A young angler and his family proudly displaying their catch of striped bass while enjoying a day on the water.

Warmer weather and a hot bite!

Mar 16, 2025 • Treasure Island
Recent Warmer weather has brought some great days on the water! Plenty of action on sheepshead, inshore gags and big trout showing up!
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An angler proudly displaying a large Redfish while enjoying a day on the water.

Redfish Bonanza

Mar 16, 2025 • Treasure Island
7 slot redfish to the boat! This couple had an incredible day on the water, we got our limit of redfish in the first half hour of fishing but the bite stayed hot all day! Big fish after big fish not a single one under the slot! We even wrangled a 21” gag and a juvenile Goliath grouper out of 6’ of water! A real battle on light tackle! The spring bite is just getting fired up and will only get better, book now!
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An angler proudly displaying a freshly caught Snapper while enjoying a sunny day on the water.

Springbreak smackdown

Feb 29, 2024 • Treasure Island
A couple weeks of warmer temperatures have got the fish fired up! Had a blast fishing with this family on vacation from Canada! We started out by putting some nice sheepshead and mangrove snapper in the cooler for a nice fish dinner then we set our sights on getting Jack his snook and redfish. Dad was the first to get a couple nice snook to the boat, then Jack wrestled a beautiful redfish out of the mangroves using his excellent casting skills to put his bait in the perfect spot! At our next spot the big snook put on a clinic for us, we hooked into a big fish that jumped for us a couple times then took a drag screaming run right to a piling to seal the fishes victory. Jack finished off the day with a bang by catching his snook on the last spot of the day! Excited for what fishing action the rest of this spring season will bring us!
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Angler proudly displaying a freshly caught Redfish while fishing in a mangrove area.

All smiles on the water!

Dec 27, 2023 • Treasure Island
Strong negative tide in the morning had the fish pinned up in the deeper holes and once the tide started pushing back in the bite turned on! We got some redfish and sheepshead to the boat and hooked into a freight train of a redfish that got the best of us! Once the water came up a lil we made the trek to fish for some inshore gag grouper under the docks. We got a few funsize fish in and got schooled by some big fish, we put up a good fight but the heavy structure and angry fish won the battle! Finished day off with a nice 20” sheepshead!
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