Great half day on the water with my son and Captain Chandler…it doesn’t get any better than that !

First…Captain Chandler is just a great human being.  Beyond his skills as a Fishing Guide, he has guided and performed Humanitarian Services in several countries around the world.  He is a skilled and knowledgeable local guide and a fun dude to be around.

With respect to our trip…

1.  Stop 1 was throwing anchor along side an abandoned pier hoping for a Tarpon strike or two.  My son and I each immediately caught 2 good sized Cravelle Jacks.  They’re not highly rated as a good eating fish but fun to catch and release nonetheless.  A few minutes later I hooked and reeled in a big bull Redfish.  He was out of the slot so we released him.  Not a few minutes later my son caught another beautiful Red that was in the slot.  However, Captain Chandler let us know that Reds are not prevalent in Key West waters so we released him.  That was a bit painful as they are such good eating fish but it was the right thing to do.

3.  We never did get that Tarpon strike but then the fun began.  We motored out to the flats (not sure the exact location) to stalk some Bonefish.  Saw a couple but no joy.  However, there were some monster Permits breaking surface with their tail fins so we poled up as close as we could.  If my casting was a little better, we might have gotten one on the line but I’m definitely a fly-fishing hack so I had to cast a few times to land the spinning reel jig in the right place.  Thought we were close to pay day until a pesky Barracuda decided to disrupt the party and spook the small school of Perms away.  Sooooo close.  Followed them around twice more but it wasn’t meant to be.  I understand they are tough to catch.  Regardless, our hearts were pounding and we had a blast stalking them and there is no question that they are out there to be reckoned with.

Alas…back to reality and leaving true paradise (Key West) for home/quasi-paradise (Tampa).

We’ll be back to get after those Permit again with Captain Chandler at the helm !

Definitely recommend a trip with Captain C !

Chandler did a great job. He got us into the fish and it definitely paid off. Last day we hooked a 120lbs+ Tarpon and after 1.5 hr fight pulling us all over we finally finished and we and the fish were done! Great experience!

We had the best time today fishing with Chandler.  He really cared about making sure we caught fish and had a great time.  He went out of his way to be accommodating.  We caught some impressive sized fish.  We will use him anytime we are in the area.

Capt. Chandler worked hard to put us on the inshore slam. We had a shot at all three species. Put several nice bonefish to the boat. Great guide, great time!

Capt Chandler is an outstanding guide. He took us to great fish holes and we caught some great bonefish. I would, without a doubt, book with Hook 1 again.