Charter Operator
1st Choice Charters (Formerly Southern Country Charters)

Member since September 2020 Destin, United States
Background
The professional captains and crew with 1st Choice Charters are proud to continue the legacy built by Southern Country Charters in Destin, FL. Now owned and operated by Blake Maddox, the team is led on the water by Capt. Magnum Owens — a seasoned local captain dedicated to putting you on fish and making every trip memorable. Whether you’re a first-timer or a pro angler, there’s a place on the boat for you.

Hey, we're 1st Choice Charters (Formerly Southern Country Charters)

Destin, United States
Background
The professional captains and crew with 1st Choice Charters are proud to continue the legacy built by Southern Country Charters in Destin, FL. Now owned and operated by Blake Maddox, the team is led on the water by Capt. Magnum Owens — a seasoned local captain dedicated to putting you on fish and making every trip memorable. Whether you’re a first-timer or a pro angler, there’s a place on the boat for you.
Anglers Choice
336
Reviews
Verified

My Charter Listings

1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin

Federally permitted
Excellent
4.8 / 5
(302 reviews)
Angler's choice
Destin
 Last booking: 1 day ago
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $700

1st choice charters 24โ€™

State licensed
Excellent
4.7 / 5
(34 reviews)
Angler's choice
Destin
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $700

Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
4.8 / 5
out of 5 stars from 336 reviews
See details
Boat
Excellent
4.7 / 5
Crew
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (252)
Great trip
Great trip
Best captain in the southern hemisphere
+249
Angler rating
288
30
8
5
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
95%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
95%
Appropriate for children
94%
Satisfied with the boat
96%
Caught fish
87%
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Showing:
5 of 336 reviews
Josh M.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great trip and great captain

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip โ€“ Offshore Summer on July 8, 2025
Captain mag did an amazing job. Was a tough day getting fish to bite but, he went out of his way to put us on fish. Caught...
Josh M. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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2 persons find this review helpful
You and 2 people found this review helpful
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Jesse C.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great Experience!

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip โ€“ Offshore Fishing (AM) on July 21, 2025
We had an awesome experience fishing with Captain Magnum! He was great with my two sonsโ€”stayed engaged with us the entire...
Jesse C. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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Peter R.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great Day Fishing

VERIFIED   NEW  4 Hour Trip (AM) on October 14, 2025
We had a great day fishing today. Captain Magnum was great! We caught 19 fish on a 4 hour trip. We really enjoyed it and would...
Peter R. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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Peter R. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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Ashley S.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great experience!

VERIFIED   NEW  5 Hour Trip โ€“ Offshore Fishing on October 7, 2025
capt. mag went above and beyond to make sure we had a great family fishing experience! we will definitely be coming back and...
Ashley S. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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Tyler D.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Best captain in the southern hemisphere

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip โ€“ Offshore Fishing on September 2, 2025
Iโ€™ll never look at charters, party boats the same. 1st choice charters and captain magnum set the bar. From just having fun,...
Tyler D. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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1 person finds this review helpful
You and 1 other person found this review helpful
Tyler D. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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1 person finds this review helpful
You and 1 other person found this review helpful
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