Captain
Frank Viola III

Member since March 2021 Crystal River, United States
Background
Every year Captain Frank's family would take a trip to Islamorada in the Florida Keys. He saw his first Tarpon and all he could think about was one day adventuring the ocean as a professional fisherman. After ten years of playing professional baseball, the captain dove into the fishing industry head first. He started shooting photo and video content for some of the industry leaders in 2016 and continued to create content for companies such as Yeti, Hell's Bay Boatworks, and more. After spending years on the water, he decided to become a full-time captain. Sharing the outdoor experience with others is why he decided to make a career of this job and of course, you and he absolutely will catch fish!
Techniques
Captain Frank prefers to fish any way that will get the job done. Sometimes you'll live bait fish, sometimes you'll use artificial. Spinning, conventional, fly, it all depends on the time of year and the target species. His favorite style of fishing is the one that puts a smile on everyone’s face after a successful day!

Hey, I'm Captain Frank Viola III

Crystal River, United States
Background
Every year Captain Frank's family would take a trip to Islamorada in the Florida Keys. He saw his first Tarpon and all he could think about was one day adventuring the ocean as a professional fisherman. After ten years of playing professional baseball, the captain dove into the fishing industry head first. He started shooting photo and video content for some of the industry leaders in 2016 and continued to create content for companies such as Yeti, Hell's Bay Boatworks, and more. After spending years on the water, he decided to become a full-time captain. Sharing the outdoor experience with others is why he decided to make a career of this job and of course, you and he absolutely will catch fish!
Techniques
Captain Frank prefers to fish any way that will get the job done. Sometimes you'll live bait fish, sometimes you'll use artificial. Spinning, conventional, fly, it all depends on the time of year and the target species. His favorite style of fishing is the one that puts a smile on everyone’s face after a successful day!

My Charter Listings

Excellent
5.0 / 5
(99 reviews)
Angler's choice
Crystal River
 2 bookings in the past week.
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $400
Excellent
5.0 / 5
(1 review)
Mooresville
 Last booking: 10 hours ago
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $300

Fishing Reports

Tarpon Season in Crystal River is insane
Tarpon Season in Crystal River is insane
May 21, 2025 Crystal River
The tarpon fishing in Crystal River has been nothing short of phenomenal lately. These silver kings are in full migration mode, and their presence is impossible to miss. Around the recent moon phases, feeding activity has peaked, with fish aggressively striking bait in a frenzy of predatory behavior. Outside of feeding windows, the tarpon can be seen engaging in their classic migration โ€œdance,โ€ rolling and daisy-chaining in pods, a spectacle thatโ€™s become a daily occurrence on the water. Anglers have been treated to some of the best action anywhere in the world. Crystal River has truly lived up to its reputation as the premier tarpon destination, not just for numbers but for size. Massive fish, some of the largest found anywhere are patrolling the flats and channels, and theyโ€™re in a cooperative mood. Happy, rolling fish have been more than willing to eat, and experienced guides have been putting clients on multiple shots each day. Clients have been thrilled with the results, jumping countless tarpon and successfully bringing many to hand after thrilling battles. Whether itโ€™s the electric moment of the eat, the aerial acrobatics that follow, or simply watching pods of giant fish in clear water, this season has delivered unforgettable experiences. If there was ever a time to chase tarpon in Crystal River, itโ€™s now, these are the days anglers dream about. I have some dates remaining the last week of June if tarpon are on your bucket list!
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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
5.0 / 5
out of 5 stars from 100 reviews
Boat
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (131)
Great Boat & Captain!!
Captain Frank
Fantastic!
+128
Angler rating
95
4
0
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
97%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
99%
Appropriate for children
93%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
96%
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Showing:
5 of 100 reviews
Emily B.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Lake Norman, NC fishing expedition success!

VERIFIED   Two Hour Fishing Trip!! (8 AM) on May 17, 2025
We couldnโ€™t have had a better experience. Captain Spencer worked with our limited schedule and did a great job steering our...
Emily B. recommends Turtlehead Charters Crystal River
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Carrie P.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fantastic with kids, highly recommend!

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on September 20, 2024
My 6 year old son and I had an absolute blast with Captain Frank! We caught a ton of fish (ripped some glips as my kid says),...
Carrie P. recommends Turtlehead Charters Crystal River
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Carrie P. recommends Turtlehead Charters Crystal River
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Raymond B.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Perfect Trip!

VERIFIED   Sunset Trip!! on April 3, 2025
We had a 2 hour excursion planned and we used every minute catching fish! It was perfect!! Frank put us where the fish were...
Raymond B. recommends Turtlehead Charters Crystal River
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Paul R.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Family memories

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on March 23, 2025
You just canโ€™t ever replace this kind of family time with your children.ย  It is most impressive to me when a captain realizes...
Paul R. recommends Turtlehead Charters Crystal River
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Michaela F.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great trip!

VERIFIED   Two Hour Fishing Trip!! (11 AM) on February 22, 2025
I planned this as a surprise for my husbands birthday! The fish werenโ€™t biting but captain spencer was so knowledgeable and...
Michaela F. recommends Turtlehead Charters Crystal River
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