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
329
Reviews
Verified

My Charter Listings

1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin

Federally permitted
Excellent
4.8 / 5
(295 reviews)
Angler's choice
Destin
 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 329 reviews
See details
Boat
Excellent
4.7 / 5
Crew
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (249)
Fishing with Blake
Fishing with Blake
Fishing with Blake
+246
Angler rating
281
30
8
5
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
95%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
95%
Appropriate for children
93%
Satisfied with the boat
96%
Caught fish
86%
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Showing:
5 of 329 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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Bradley J.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great time

VERIFIED   NEW  4 Hour Trip โ€“ Offshore Fishing (AM) on July 29, 2025
The crew and captain did a great job. Put us on fish if we werenโ€™t catching they moves promptly. We took an 8-year-old and...
Bradley J. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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Bradley J. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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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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Casey S.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great trip with excellent captain!

VERIFIED   NEW  4 Hour Trip โ€“ Offshore Fishing (AM) on August 20, 2025
Great trip. Highly recommend Capt Mag! Very experienced and knew exactly where to go to catch fish.
Casey S. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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Casey S. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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Jeff G.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fantastic People

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip โ€“ Offshore Fishing (PM) on July 16, 2025
The effort this Captain and crew went through to try to get us out on a horribly bad weather day, is just unbelievable. Will...
Jeff G. recommends 1st Choice Charters โ€“ Destin
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