We booked a 4 hour inshore near shore charter with Boca Grande Fishing Charters Captain John Keslo and his first mate Mark.
We got into some Snook right off the first cast and when it quieted down John took us to get some redfish, the wind had picked up and the chop was a bit high but John anchored correctly so we could cast a few lines, it got rougher so we headed out to a few more Snook spots. It was then decided that we would catch some mullet and go after a goliath grouper, which is what my stepson had talked about before this trip. We took the caught grouper and John and Mark set my stepson up and the first cast the grouper hit, unfortunately it broke the 600lb test, we had seen it when it came up and it was a big one, my stepson was ecstatic though even though he lost it, we tried more mullet but a clever dolphin stayed around and kept taking the bait. We went back to redfish spots but then storms rolled in and we had to call it a day, even though we did not catch as many as we had hoped, John and Mark showed us a great time on the water, we saw all types of fish, we learned about Gasparilla Island, saw dolphins and learned how to go after and bait for many species of Florida fish. My wife, stepson and I had some great hours on the water and we would certainly charter with Boca Grande Fishing Charter again.

Tremendous day on the waters of Boca Grande with Captain Johnny and Mark. Plenty of live bait; moved around from spot to spot; catching blacktip shark, bluefish, amberjack, snook, reds, trout, a complete variety. Landed a big boy tarpon early in the morning to get things started.

Booked a 6 hour trip at a reasonable price; the guys were on time with beverages and everything ready to go. These guys are seasoned professionals that know the game and I’ll recommend to anyone that wants to experience the Boca Grande game.

On a side note; Eldred’s Marina where you park (cash only) needs some work in terms of organization and structure. When we got there at 7 AM (which is when they open); it was pretty much a free for all and the attitude of the staff @ Eldred’s isn’t where it needs to be; you have to get a parking permit for the dashboard or you will get towed…..

Had an amazing trip! Having a full day, Captain John was able to put us on all kinds of different fish. Started the day with our first tarpon within 30 minutes. After a few hours of getting beat up by the tarpon, we decided to head to the mangroves and catch a few snook. Continued on fishing for some bait fish, cast netting, and just having a great time. Towards the end of the day, we went back out for some more tarpon, but the waters were a bit rough, so we chose to go back in a bit a attempt to snag a Goliath Grouper. Unfortunately we were not able to get one this trip. They just weren’t biting. Captain John then decided to take us over to another spot to fish some reds. Having plenty of bait, we caught one after another. The tarpon was a thrill for sure, but the reds were just as fun! Captain John himself was a pleasure to fish with. Really knew the lay of the waterways and interacted with us during the trip. Very hospitable and polite. Overall, I will be using Captain John again and would HIGHLY recommend.

Captain John Kelso started by agreeing to pick us up at our motel dock which necessitated a 30 minute run for him.  He also asked for a little extra delay in start
to enable him to get adequate bait and boy did he.  We had no fears of running out with what he supplied.  So we started at 9 rather than 8 but went an hour longer at the end on our 3/4 day booking.  John had first two snook on the hook within 3 minutes of reaching the fishing area.  I had two adult sons with me and we caught all the snook we could ask for at the several spots we fished and while we tried for red fish we were not successful there but that’s fishing.  I would absolutely recommend Capt. John Kelso to anyone wishing to hire a fishing captain in the Boca Grande area.  Knows the fish, where to fish and has a super personality.

A spectacular adventure! John and Mark were great and the sights were fantastic. I would definitely recommend it for a don’t miss once in a lifetime spectacle. Hooked and fought 4 tarpon and landed one monster. I’ll be bringing the rest of the gang next year!!