Charter Operator
Reel Gypsy Fishing

Member since March 2023 Dauphin Island, United States
Background
My father started guiding inshore trips in the early 80s on Calcasieu Lake in Southwest Louisiana. In 1984, my parents started Big Lake Guide Service on Calcasieu Lake. I came along in 1987 and it seems like I’ve been in a boat ever since. As a child my parents employed up to 12 captains. As scary as it sounds, you could say I was raised by fishing guides, literally and figuratively. They were all like my older brothers. My parents somehow cultivated an environment of competition and respect on their dock. Competition amongst each other and respect for the customer, themselves, and the fish. They all strove to be the best on the dock every morning. The best fisherman, the best with customers, and the best conservationist. These lessons have stuck with me and I’ll carry them until I’m long gone.
Techniques
I believe my favorite style of fishing is with a soft plastic jig, in water depths over 6ft, with perfect current, for speckled trout. Something about the thought process makes it special. Making the cast slightly up current, throwing slack in your line so your bait can fall naturally, then getting your bait to the correct depth and gently twitching it along through the drift being careful not to have the plastic lure do anything unnatural. The thump of a speckled trout makes me grin every time. Knowing that I just put something fake in his environment, presented it in a way that made him think it was real, and MADE him eat it, is something I’ll never be able to give up.

Hey, we're Reel Gypsy Fishing

Dauphin Island, United States
Background
My father started guiding inshore trips in the early 80s on Calcasieu Lake in Southwest Louisiana. In 1984, my parents started Big Lake Guide Service on Calcasieu Lake. I came along in 1987 and it seems like I’ve been in a boat ever since. As a child my parents employed up to 12 captains. As scary as it sounds, you could say I was raised by fishing guides, literally and figuratively. They were all like my older brothers. My parents somehow cultivated an environment of competition and respect on their dock. Competition amongst each other and respect for the customer, themselves, and the fish. They all strove to be the best on the dock every morning. The best fisherman, the best with customers, and the best conservationist. These lessons have stuck with me and I’ll carry them until I’m long gone.
Techniques
I believe my favorite style of fishing is with a soft plastic jig, in water depths over 6ft, with perfect current, for speckled trout. Something about the thought process makes it special. Making the cast slightly up current, throwing slack in your line so your bait can fall naturally, then getting your bait to the correct depth and gently twitching it along through the drift being careful not to have the plastic lure do anything unnatural. The thump of a speckled trout makes me grin every time. Knowing that I just put something fake in his environment, presented it in a way that made him think it was real, and MADE him eat it, is something I’ll never be able to give up.
Anglers Choice
Verified
Our Team
Jeff P.
Captain
Nick P.
Captain

My Charter Listings

Excellent
5.0 / 5
(38 reviews)
Angler's choice
Dauphin Island
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $500
Excellent
5.0 / 5
(3 reviews)
Angler's choice
Dauphin Island
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $500
Just added to our fleet
Angler's choice
Dauphin Island
 2 bookings in the past week.
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $500

Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
5.0 / 5
out of 5 stars from 44 reviews
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (50)
Fantastic trip in June
Fantastic trip in June
Fantastic trip in June
+47
Angler rating
43
0
0
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
95%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
98%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
100%
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Showing:
5 of 44 reviews
Matt J.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great Day on the Water

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip โ€“ Inshore (AM) on May 17, 2025
Nick was able to find the fish even on a rough windy day. Would definitely recommend Reel Gypsy!
Matt J. recommends Reel Gypsy Fishing
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Matt J. recommends Reel Gypsy Fishing
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Quinn B.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with Nick

VERIFIED   Sheepshead Extravaganza 4hr Morning on March 11, 2025
Captain tried hard to put us on fish just wasnโ€™t a good evening for it had fun though.
Quinn B. recommends Reel Gypsy Fishing
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Quinn B. recommends Reel Gypsy Fishing
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Allen H.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

4 hour trip

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip โ€“ Inshore (PM) on June 21, 2025
We had a great time and caught some big trout. It was an amazing day!
Allen H. recommends Reel Gypsy Fishing
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Allen H. recommends Reel Gypsy Fishing
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Brian S.

The captain canceled

VERIFIED   July 4, 2025
The charter operator canceled on trip date. This is an automated posting.
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1 person finds this review helpful
You and 1 other person found this review helpful
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1 person finds this review helpful
You and 1 other person found this review helpful

Elliott N.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great knowledgeable guide

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip โ€“ Inshore (AM) on March 22, 2025
Nick was excellent.ย  Recommend him highly!
Elliott N. recommends Reel Gypsy Fishing
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Elliott N. recommends Reel Gypsy Fishing
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