St. Petersburg
Trips from
US $300
Captain
Bernie Vinoski
St. Petersburg, United States
50+ reviews
I have been addicted to fishing for most of my life. My father and grandfather, both Miami natives, put a rod in my hand at a very young age. I have 20+ years of solid experience fishing the Tampa Bay, Florida Keys, East Coast, and have traveled many times to Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico fishing with some of the most well-known guides in search of trophies. I've fished professionally since my late teens when I joined the Pursuit Fishing Team on the SKA Circuit and FLW King Fish Championship Series. I worked as a Chef for 17 years, fishing as a hobby through my twenties, and became a full-time, licensed captain in my late 20s. I have owned and operated many different boats over the years, from Mavericks and Shearwaters to Pursuits and Jupiters. I recently acquired my favorite boat yet, the Aeon 23 DLX. I love fishing more than just about anything else. Moreover, I love taking people fishing and teaching them about our local species and ecology.
Charter
Rating
4.9
90 reviews
4.9
Boat & Equipment
5.0
Captain & Crew
4.9
Fishing Experience
Anglers' gallery (81)
What anglers say
100%
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
99%
Recommend this charter
100%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
95%
Caught fish
All reviews (90)
Showing 1 – 5 of 90 reviews
Liam StoneThe captain canceled
Trip was supposed to happen on May 17, 2026The charter operator canceled on trip date. This is an automated posting.
Devon FradyRepeat angler5.0VerifiedAwesome day on the water
Half Day Trip (AM) • 1 adultCapt Bernie was amazing! Very knowledgeable about the species we were catching and knew multiple places to catch them to ensure we were catching the entire trip. I only did the 4 hour trip this time but next time will be longer. Bernie is very friendly and overall just a great person. I didn’t have to bring a single item on the boat, he had everything we would need. Bernie went above and beyond to make my first ocean fishing trip unforgettable!
Reported catch:
Response from CaptainGreat day guys! Thanks for booking!
Ray Woodruff5.0VerifiedFun Day
Half Day Trip (AM) • 2 adultsIt was a pleasure to fish with Captain Bernie. Friendly, knowledgeable and skilled with his craft. His boat was comfortable and expertly handled along with all equipment on board. I would surely recommend Captain Bernie for a great experience on the water.
Reported catch:Response from CaptainThanks for the kind words Ray. I look forward to fishing with you again. Call me when you come down in October and we'll get you on some more fish.
Dennis De KokRepeat angler5.0VerifiedWow. Never caught so many fish
4 Hour Afternoon Trip • 4 adultsBernie was awesome. Put us on the fish right away and we never stopped catching. 4 hour afternoon trip with my wife and two teenage sons. We are not experienced fisherman. Bernie gave great instructions and the fish all jumped in the boat. We lost track but we caught more than 25 fish. All good Reds and Snook. Bernie was working hard the whole time keeping the bait fresh and working out tangles. Good guy. I have already sent his info to a few friends. Pic is of one really small snook my wife caught. The rest were much bigger and she took the other pics. I’ll try to update.
Reported catch:
Ricky Bouchard5.0VerifiedAwesome with kids!
Half Day Trip (AM) • 4 adults • 2 childrenBrought my 8 year old daughter and 13 year old niece out with Bernie this morning. They both had an amazing time! We caught a bunch of fish, he engaged with them super well and made sure they were always entertained and happy. This guy gets it.
Response from CaptainAwesome crew, great day! The girls were a ton of fun to fish with!
Real catches shared by our community
- First Cast Fishing ChartersSt. Petersburg, FL
- First Cast Fishing ChartersSt. Petersburg, FL
- First Cast Fishing ChartersSt. Petersburg, FL
- First Cast Fishing ChartersSt. Petersburg, FL
- First Cast Fishing ChartersSt. Petersburg, FL
- First Cast Fishing ChartersSt. Petersburg, FL
- First Cast Fishing ChartersSt. Petersburg, FL
- First Cast Fishing ChartersSt. Petersburg, FL
- First Cast Fishing ChartersSt. Petersburg, FL
- First Cast Fishing ChartersSt. Petersburg, FL
What's biting with First Cast Fishing Charters in St. Petersburg
Tarpon season winds down, although you can still catch them over rocky bottoms. They love the Stone Crab season because they can eat like kings that they are. Just watch out for the crab lines once you're hooked!
Top catches for October
Fishing reports
May 2025
May 19, 2025 • St. Petersburg
Man the fish are fishin!!! Snnok, monster trout, reds, spanish, kings and Tarpon!!! Book now bifore the temps get too hot! The water is perfect right now.
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Crazy Action in the Bay
Sep 21, 2024 • St. Petersburg
Took my father out for a fun fishing day. Snook were all over the place inside the passes. We fished the bay in afternoon and had a nonstop Spanish Mackeral and triut bite for almost 2 hours. Kept 10 Spanish, ate 3 last night, gave my neighbor the rest of the fish and was treated with Jerk Spanish Mackeral today. Neighbors are from Jamaica. Delicious
This pattern should hold through December. Book a trip today!
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Spanish, Bonita, Snook and Trout
Sep 21, 2024 • St. Petersburg
Great trip with yesterdays crew! Caught a ton of fish. Fishing is hot!
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Sept 15
Sep 17, 2024 • St. Petersburg
Today we caught fish nonstop. Spanish macs, trout, snook, snapper and sime juvenile gag groupers. The bite is hot! Lets go!!
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July 2024
Jul 16, 2024 • St. Petersburg
Updates from June and July 2024! Tons of fish around to be caught. The snook bite has been insane in the morning hours insi the afternoon. Reds, trout, jacks, and snapper have also been caught recently.
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1st Week of June
Jun 2, 2024 • St. Petersburg
Tons of snook schools dot the beaches and passes. Gator trout also in the mix inside the ICW with some redfish, Tarpon and Cobia being caught near the bridges and passes. Book a trip and we WILL catch fish.
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