When I started looking for a fishing charter in the Sebastian area, I came across southern thunder. We were only able to do a half day trip so I wanted to look at the reviews to see what he was able to catch. We had mahi mahi and Cobia at the top of our list, so I took a look at the reviews to see if he had success on the half day charters getting those fish. I came across a great review saying that, similar to me, a girl wanted to catch a mahi mahi, tuna, and sailfish during their charter and that they ended up being able to do it all in one half day trip! That’s when I knew I had to go with captain Bryan. 

We had a great trip, captain Bryan asked us questions about our goals for the trip and what we wanted to bring home.  He got us offshore and right on to two mahi mahi, reeling them in at the same time. We also hooked on to a Cobia that was too short so it had to go back, as well as a giant kingfish.  Captain Bryan is very knowledgeable about the area, the ecosystem and his boat. We had an amazing time and we will most definitely be back! Thanks captain Bryan for an awesome trip!

My son and I were in Orlando for a wedding and wanted to slip out for a day on the water. We both enjoy saltwater fishing and frequently book charters. We strongly prefer offshore and open waters to the close or intercoastal fishing. Being that there were only two of us, I didn’t want to book a huge boat for tons of money that usually gets split up between friends. Southern Thunder Charters was the perfect solution. The lower price for a smaller capacity is an OUTSTANDING solution if just a few of you want to go out. A smaller capacity does not mean smaller fishing. You literally sacrifice NOTHING on this trip. We met captain Bryan at the launch by the inlet. Within minutes we were under way. Launching from the inlet put us out on the water in a few short minutes. We stopped about 1/2 a mile from shore and found some bait fish schools to load up on greenies(sardines) which are a choice bait for most game species off shore. As we headed out, the amount of boats thinned considerably as we realized the winds had become strong and the waves were fairly tall for this time of year. Captain and us discussed this and he asked if we were comfortable proceeding out or to use other alternatives. We assured him we do a lot of offshore fishing in some bad seas so we were very comfortable proceeding. And what an awesome day we had. We ran out between 8 and 10 miles and that was as far as we needed to go. Captain Bryan put us immediately on the fish! It was a struggle to anchor up well due to the swells of the seas, the wind, and the conflict with the water current so we did a lot of drifting and trolling, which worked really well. Immediately, my son landed a beautiful Bonita, and the day was on. With in a few hours we had landed (and occasionally lost a few monsters hehe) quite a collection. Captain Bryans experience and outstanding communication put some great fish in the boat, many good eating species, which freed us up to ty some other techniques and target rarer and more exotic species. It was a very fulfilling day. Its hard to believe it all fit into one day and yet was also relaxing and enjoyable. In addition to bonita, there were a plethora of species including snappers (all shapes and sizes), cobia, barracuda, sharks (again all shapes and sizes) and more king fish than I remember seeing in one day, including gulf side. Cobia and kings are definitely the captains specialty but he was able and capable to put us an just about anything we wanted. I learned a lot from him. It really felt like more of the type of trip where a friend takes you out for the day on their boat and we all have a great time. I strongly recommend Captain Bryan and Southern Thunder Charters for any type of fishing you would like to do in the area. His knowledge, communication skills, experience and just general personality add up to just an outstanding experience for everyone.

I went out with Bryan today on what was supposed to be an inshore charter, but the weather decided not to be very cooperative. We were targeting snook and redfish and were on the school almost immediately, but they weren’t hitting our bait or any of the other boats’ bait. I’ve been on charters before where the fish just don’t want to cooperate, but usually there isn’t a good plan B. You’re either hitting smaller fish or moving around constantly trying to find a yet undiscovered spot. Bryan presented the option of heading offshore to target reef fish like cobia and snapper after an hour of fruitless snook fishing and I took him up on it. After a run offshore, we dropped bait and were almost immediately hooked up with a pair of cobia, both of which unfortunately became gifts for our shark friends below as we reeled them in. After a bit of practice and luck, I was able to get a snapper in the boat and away from the sharks and proceeded to catch a dozen or so good eating fish, including a triggerfish, during the couple hours we had left on our charter. When we returned to the inlet, only a handful of inshore fish had been caught by half a dozen other boats, so I was happy we made the right choice to go out to the reefs and that Bryan suggested it once he got a feel for the fishing today.

We have all been on many fishing trips and this was the very best one ever. Captain Brian & his 1st Mate Tommy were super accommodating and tuned into what a client really is hoping for. We all felt like guests of honor, and every need was met, and man-o-man did we all catch fish !!

The weather predicted for our original trip was extremely windy and we were so thankful that Captain Bryan was able to accommodate our time frame and still got us out on the reef catching fish!
We booked a full day and had open expectations with it being our first time ocean fishing.
The knowledge and experience provided were outstanding and truly an experience to remember.