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Chad Kraft
Captain

Chad Kraft

Matagorda, United States
Angler's choice
250+ reviews
Captain Chad has been fishing the waters of Matagorda his whole life. You will find him on the water seven days a week. He offers his customers affordable rates and top-notch service.

Charter

Rating

4.9
364 reviews
4.8
Boat & Equipment
5.0
Captain & Crew
4.9
Fishing Experience

What anglers say

98%
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
99%
Recommend this charter
98%
Appropriate for children
99%
Satisfied with the boat
94%
Caught fish

All reviews (364)

Showing 1 – 5 of 364 reviews
  • Christy Brune
    Christy Brune
    Repeat angler
    us
    Texas, US
    Member since 2026
    2 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Amazing and Beautiful Experience

    Fishing 5 Hour Trip – (AM) • 3 adults

    This was the best fishing experience I have ever had. I was hoping to catch saltwater fish and Chad exceeded my expectations! He is an amazing guide and cares about everything he does. He answered all my questions and was very very knowledgeable about the fish and the area. He even told us the amazing story of one settler back in the day and the significance of Matagorda! Will definitely be back to fish again with Chad. We loved every minute of it! We caught red fish and black drum.

    Reported catch:
    Redfish
    Black Drum
    Response from Captain

    Thank you. Fun trip with cool people. Glad you put in the extra effort to find me on this site. Lots of guides paying to be at the top of the page

  • Debra Eberling
    Debra Eberling
    us
    Texas, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Top Notch Boat, Equipment and Knowledge

    Fishing 5 Hour Trip – (AM) • 4 adults

    We had a solid day out on Matagorda Bay, with Captain Chad, even though Mother Nature didn’t make it easy for us. The morning was very windy and cloudy, which definitely slowed the bite. Despite the-less-than-ideal weather, our captain worked incredibly hard to put us on fish. We managed to land a few keepers and caught and released a variety of undersized fish. It wasn’t a record-breaking haul, but given the conditions, we were happy to bring some fish back to the dock. Captain Chad's extensive knowledge of the bay was impressive. Our trip was very enjoyable. We will definitely be booking another trip with Captain Chad on a “hopefully” calmer day!!

    Reported catch:
    Black Drum
    Speckled Trout
    Redfish
    Response from Captain

    Thank you for the great review. it was a tuff day in the wind. This review will be featured by fishingbooker for years

  • Elliot Fullmer
    Elliot Fullmer
    us
    Texas, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified
    NEW

    Great day on the water!

    Weekday Fishing Trip - (AM) • 2 adults

    Had an absolute blast with Captain Chad! He put us on tons of fish! Very personable captain who took videos and photos of our fishing experience. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to make memories on the water.

    Reported catch:
    Redfish
    Black Drum
    Flounder
    Speckled Trout
    Response from Captain

    Awesome day! Thank you fir the great review

  • Antonio Rivas
    Antonio Rivas
    Repeat angler
    us
    Texas, US
    Member since 2019
    7 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Memorial day weekend fishing

    Fishing 7 Hour Trip • 4 adults

    we started off a little worried since the weather forecast said heavy rain, however the day was beautiful. Captain Chappy was great, had my friend and kids on fish the whole day. we caught alot of fish, 10 keepers, and battled a jack fish for 30 minutes. Like always Chappy puts us on fish! I reccomned using if you ever get an oppurtunity.

    Reported catch:
    Black Drum
    Redfish
    Speckled Trout
    Sheepshead
    +1
    Response from Captain

    Thanks again for a great review. i hope that monster Jack Crevelle made some Matagorda memories for lil Tony & friends

  • David Goff
    David Goff
    us
    Texas, US
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Chad Rocks - we loved our trip

    Fishing 5 Hour Trip – (AM) • 3 adults

    Chad was super attentive to all 3 of us on this trip. One of us was a complete novice and the other 2 of us had not fished in a long time He was more than helpful and instructed us the whole time. He really knew exactly where to catch fish! Chad is very friendly and very knowledgeable!!

    Response from Captain

    Thank you for the great review!

Real catches shared by our community

  • Shallowrun Guide Service
    Shallowrun Guide ServiceMatagorda, TX
    Solo angler proudly holding a large redfish on the bow of a shallow-water fishing boat at sunset.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    +1
    Redfish
    Brad B.
    Brad B.
    We had a great time with Chad as always, he put us on some great fishing and he’s extremely patient and friendly
  • Shallowrun Guide Service
    Shallowrun Guide ServiceMatagorda, TX
    Angler proudly holding a large redfish aboard a flats boat in a coastal marsh environment.
    Fish 1
    Redfish
    Elliot F.
    Elliot F.
    Had an absolute blast with Captain Chad! He put us on tons of fish! Very personable captain who took videos and photos of our fishing experience. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to make memories on the water.
  • Shallowrun Guide Service
    Shallowrun Guide ServiceMatagorda, TX
    Group of four anglers displaying multiple redfish on a wooden dock beside a boat, with a large catch neatly arranged for a post-fishing photo.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    +1
    Redfish
    Red October in Matagorda is here. Lots of drag screamin and rod bending for my crew today. Give me a call/text . You can find me on fb You can find me on instagram
  • Shallowrun Guide Service
    Shallowrun Guide ServiceMatagorda, TX
    Group of four anglers posing on a boat with several large redfish in coastal waters.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    +1
    Redfish
    Morris D.
    Morris D.
    We had two good days of fishing. Captain was johnny on the spot with baiting hooks and taking fish off. We would fish with him again.
  • Shallowrun Guide Service
    Shallowrun Guide ServiceMatagorda, TX
    Angler proudly holding a large redfish aboard a small center-console boat in a calm marsh fishing environment.
    Fish 1
    Redfish
    Amy S.
    Amy S.
    I chartered Captain Chad’s boat for my Dad’s 75th birthday. He and my son had so much fun and it was such a beautiful evening — that my Dad will be talking about this for the next 75 years!! Looking forward to next year‘s trip & Thanks again, Captain Chad 🤣😂
  • Shallowrun Guide Service
    Shallowrun Guide ServiceMatagorda, TX
    Three anglers proudly displaying their catch, including a large Redfish, while enjoying a fishing trip on calm waters.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Redfish
    Ryan M.
    Ryan M.
    Capt. Chad did a great job helping 2 of our friends who have never fished. He was patient and got them casting like a regular by the end of the trip. We caught several redfish, black drum, trout, and a mangrove snapper. They are already trying to plan for next month.
  • Shallowrun Guide Service
    Shallowrun Guide ServiceMatagorda, TX
    A young angler proudly holding a large Speckled Trout while fishing in a scenic coastal environment.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Redfish
    John C.
    John C.
    10 year old son caught biggest and most fish of his life. Captain Chad very helpful with us both. We had a really good time.
  • Shallowrun Guide Service
    Shallowrun Guide ServiceMatagorda, TX
    Angler proudly displaying a Redfish while fishing from a boat in a scenic coastal environment.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Redfish
    Christy B.
    Christy B.
    This was the best fishing experience I have ever had. I was hoping to catch saltwater fish and Chad exceeded my expectations! He is an amazing guide and cares about everything he does. He answered all my questions and was very very knowledgeable about the fish and the area. He even told us the amazing story of one settler back in the day and the significance of Matagorda! Will definitely be back to fish again with Chad. We loved every minute of it! We caught red fish and black drum.
  • Shallowrun Guide Service
    Shallowrun Guide ServiceMatagorda, TX
    Young anglers display a large saltwater fish aboard a small center-console boat, with a second child fishing in the background.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    +3
    Black Drum
    Antonio R.
    Antonio R.
    we started off a little worried since the weather forecast said heavy rain, however the day was beautiful. Captain Chappy was great, had my friend and kids on fish the whole day. we caught alot of fish, 10 keepers, and battled a jack fish for 30 minutes. Like always Chappy puts us on fish! I reccomned using if you ever get an oppurtunity.
  • Shallowrun Guide Service
    Shallowrun Guide ServiceMatagorda, TX
    Angler proudly displaying a large Redfish while fishing from a boat in a coastal waterway.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Redfish
    Bowen P.
    Bowen P.
    Our party of 3 had such a good time w Captain Chad. He was incredibly knowledgeable of the area, and kept us on fish the whole 5 hours, despite less than ideal conditions. He offered wonderful conversation and humorous anecdotes, keeping us engaged and laughing, which is a total bonus. Overall, a good stringer and a great time. All three of us are eager to book w Captain Chad again!

What's biting with Shallowrun Guide Service in Matagorda

Visit the Lighted Christmas Boat Parade and Gumbo Cook-off at Matagorda Harbor for lots of food and drinks. Flounder and Redfish continue being epic, and Tarpon is still very good.

Top catches for November

Fishing reports

Group of four anglers displaying multiple redfish on a wooden dock beside a boat, with a large catch neatly arranged for a post-fishing photo.

Redfish Action in Matagorda

Oct 10, 2026 • Matagorda
Red October in Matagorda is here. Lots of drag screamin and rod bending for my crew today. Give me a call/text . You can find me on fb You can find me on instagram
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