BRAND NEW CHARTER BOAT, 05/2025

Capt.Dave’s Sport Fishing THE TIME IS NOW! Nov. 1, 2026 I just talked to a guy who is a cable TV salesman yesterday. As I was backing my “Flat Bottom Girl” into her Boat-port. We’ve talked before, a few years ago, (yes, I have his company's service, already) Again, he was one of thousands of people I’ve talked to over my 30 year Charter Fishing career who thought Fishing in Jacksonville Florida was only good in the summer. W-H-Y do people think that? I just don’t get it. It’s 110 in the shade in the summer. The fishing is hard, the water is hot. And the species “WE” want are harder to come by. THIS IS FLORIDA. True, we’re not “LaLa land” Florida in Jacksonville. We here, all know that we are just a speed bump, on the way to supposed “real Florida”. Places like South Florida, According to all the Northerners. The transient sailboaters, the Canadian Trawler fleet, etc. But, as I’ve preached till my face is blue. October 1 thru May. Is our best inshore fishing season. Even the center console “offshore”, fishing crowd around here all become “inshore Guru’s”, because it’s way to rough to get offshore on any given day. (which is how it is in the charter fishing world, we don’t pick the days. You do.) Yeah, the cable salesman said, “I ought to go with ya some day. But it’s not good in the winter is it?” So, I had to give this same speech…..yet again! If you live in Illinois, Indiana, Vermont, NY. And there’s grey skies day after day. Rain, Snow, and the last time you had your own boat in the water was when it wasn’t solid. And you’re just plain sick of it. Yes, we have our fronts come at a closer rate, than in the summer months. C’mon down to Jax. All you’ll need is a fisherman’s best friend, as I call them. A hooded sweatshirt. RIGHT NOW, October 31st, 2026. The water temp is perfect. That’s the key to everything. It’s 68-72, depending. 70 degrees and below is Prime time. Redfish, Seatrout, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Flounder, Croakers, Weakfish, Mangrove Snappers, all good eaters. And on Light Tackle (I use the lightest tackle we can, for maximum challenge and fun) You’ll sometimes wonder what, “what did I get myself into?” Example; yesterday I went out solo. I got a new Daiwa JDM baitcasting reel. 100% made just for light braided line. And can cast “Grams”, versus “Ounces”. I figured I’d head out and be back in a few hours. Well, 8 hours later. I was back at the boat ramp! I was catching Speckled Trout one after another. Not all big fish. But fun on my Old18 Ultra light rod and this new reel. Then, came Redfish. I made several moves, as the tide flooded in. And ended up with my Limit of Seatrout, and was now catching and having to throw back real nice keepers. 15 inches and better. Great Fun on jigheads and soft plastic baits. Then, came some Weakfish. I refer to them as a Speckled Trouts ugly cousin. They are not as pretty. But they fry up real good too. Then, some large Croakers moved into the area. What normally happens when you’re into the school of Croakers??? Mr. Redfish, “bull Redfish” aren’t far behind. Well, first I hooked a 30 plus incher on the light tackle. In lots of tidal current, it was one hell of a light tackle battle. As soon as I released that fish. I picked up my Ultra Light rod and reel with a 1/8th ounce jighead and soft plastic bait on it. Made a cast in the opposite direction. Still in deep water. And to be 100% honest….”I got my butt, handed to me on a silver platter!!!” My new reel doesn’t hold a lot of line. I guess you could say it’s a borderline BFS reel. (Bait Finesse System, Daiwa) I went from the port side of the boat, dragged across the stern, around 2 other standing rods, around the Suzuki 90hp outboard, and off the fish went. YEP, it was a way larger “bull Redfish”. My tiny spool sung as the drag smoked off line. I watched as the line got smaller and smaller, on the tiny spool. I was afraid it was gonna dump my reel! So, I thumbed the spool, and the jig broke off the 12# Mono leader I had tied to my 8# Braid. So, is it going on now? Heck yes! So don’t be like everyone else. Just because kids are out of school in the summer. Does not mean anything when it comes to fishing in Florida. I do 2 person Light tackle charters. Been in business since 1996 as a Full-Time guide. 12 months a year 7 days a week. I don’t pack people in a 20’ boat like cord wood. We’ll need ROOM. There’s a lot of casting going on. That means hooks flying through the air. True inshore fishing is NOT some large group affair. My “Flat Bottom Girl” is a heavy alloy all welded specifically built 20 footer to go in shallow water as well as deep. She’s stable, with loads of ball room dancing space, when you’re hooked up to a big fish. Kids over 10-12, can go on my ‘one rate’ covers you, 6 hr. day. Believe me, I’ve never done a ½ day trip in 30 years. A 1/2 day is 4 hours. You won’t be happy with that. We always end up staying longer on those supposed ½ day trips. It only makes

Searching for a private fishing charter and wondering why the prices look so high? After 30 years as a full-time fishing guide on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, I’ll give you the honest answer. You want to go fishing, but you have no boat, no tackle, and no local knowledge You’re looking to go fishing. You have no local knowledge, no boat, no tackle, but you have the time. The first thing you may do is grab your smartphone as you sit at Grandma’s house, bored stiff, on a family holiday visit. Or you have a weekend layover on a work trip in a town you know has saltwater fishing opportunities. Something you’ve never done before. You’re from middle Indiana, corn country. All you know is pond bass. On your smartphone, right on top of your search for “fishing in Jacksonville,” you find Google Ads running. The internet is 100% ''pay to play'', if you didn't know. IT'S NOT LIKE WHEN I STARTED CHARTERING, ANY LONGER!!! You go to that website. There are 150 charter boats listed. Or, because you’re a tech-savvy 26-year-old, you ask your phone’s AI: “I need a fishing guide on Saturday. Find me one.” Why do private fishing charters cost so much? I’ll bluntly answer the title of this blog straight away. “Why do private fishing charters, guides, charter boats, whatever you want to call them, C-O-S-T so much?” Booking websites take 10% to 30% off the top! EVERYTHING IS PAY TO PLAY. That search you just made costs!! If you found that Google website ad on top of the page with 150 charter boats, it’s just a booking agent: web people, desk jockeys who are running a business of “lists.” They are not locals, and they charge anywhere from 10% to 30% off the top to reserve this fishing boat and guide for you. It’s all about Y-O-U. Making it easy. Just click here, click there. Add a credit card and you’re going fishing Saturday at 7 a.m.! Same goes for if you ask your Google Gemini AI, your iPhone’s Siri, whatever… It’s costing big $$$, either way, to that fishing guide or charter boat. I know that a “guy with a boat, some fishing tackle, etc.” is not a real business in some people’s minds (usually women, who know zero about fishing). I can tell very easily, because they want to go on the cheap, they want the fish to jump in the boat, and because you’re a single-proprietor business, they want to haggle over price. Something they don’t do at Walmart or the gas station. Booking sites end the haggling, but also the personal service Yes, I remember when I’d actually talk to people on the phone and have a conversation about their possible fishing charter day. In 2026, that’s becoming rarer and rarer. My over 50-60 yr old customers don't act that way. But the young ones do. As a 30-year full-time fishing guide, captain, and charter boat operator, that’s the only thing that’s good about those booking agent websites: there’s no haggling or asking for military discounts! But then again, they are 100% the ruination of small businesses, driving prices higher and turning what used to be a “personalized service” into something just like getting an Uber driver to show up at your doorstep. The real cost of running a fishing charter? I haven’t even covered the cost of that fishing guide or charter boat’s time, tackle, bait, insurance, licensing, and fuel, travel. I equate going on a private fishing charter to playing 18 holes at a private golf course. You have no clubs, no caddy, no golf cart. You may be a die-hard golfer, probably not, but you love it. I see absolutely no difference. Some people can afford to go golfing every week; some may go once a year. All the while, it doesn’t get any cheaper keeping that course maintained and open. Private vs. shared fishing charters: you’re paying for what you get You may only go to non-public courses, for many reasons. CHEAP BUT CROWDED! It’s the same reason you may want a private fishing charter: you, your wife, and the fishing guide, the only three people on the boat. Versus a non-private charter, which only departs with “X” number of people on the boat to make it worth going. Is there a cost difference? Heck yeah. Just like that private golf course, you’re paying for what you get.

Very Soon, We’ll Be “Cool” It’s 9/23/2026 right now, and here in Jacksonville, Florida, it’s not as bad as it was a month ago. We’re finally feeling cooler air temps. Just two days ago I was up a creek in shallow water, catching one Flounder after another, plus some Seatrout and Redfish, casting a double-rig of soft plastics on jigheads. The water temp was down 6 degrees from just 10 days earlier. No, it’s not really the air temp that controls the water temps. It’s the Atlantic Ocean. As we move into the fall season, ocean currents change, and the local coastal water temps change with them. There’s also the length of the days. “Length of days, it’s all about the length of days, Dave.” That’s what my ole “sea daddy,” Capt. Randall Dyal, used to preach to me. Sea daddy: a fishing mentor, the kind of guy who probably forgot more than most people will ever know. Capt. Randall was a lifelong commercial fisherman and a successful “great white hunter.” He traveled North America in search of trophy whitetail deer and wild turkey, and he passed on to me the knowledge he gained. That quote was part of it. Capt. Randall is gone now, but I can still pull up on a certain spot in the St. Johns River and hear him say, “Look for that break in the bottom, and only fish it 2 hours after low tide at the Inlet.” I Have My Own Sayings Too “When booking a fishing charter starting Oct. 1st, always have a back-up date too.” During the heat of summer, there can be 7 days between weather fronts. We barely notice them, because every day is basically the same: hot, hot, hot, with someone in the county getting a late-afternoon thunderstorm between 1 and 6pm that’s so wicked you want nothing to do with it out on the water. All that starts to change around October. The days between “fronts” get closer and closer, and those weather changes can bring big winds, a fisherman’s nemesis! Say you picked a great tide day but the wind is blowing 25 knots. It’s gonna be one tough, long day on the water. Starting October 1, Tides Matter “Some tides are better than others, especially during the fall season.” Not all tides are created equal. That’s why my rate is one flat rate for the day for two people. Fishing the tide, which runs 6 hours, gives us a shot at what I want as your “guide.” Remember, YOU are picking the date 90% of the time. I’m doing my best with what Mother Nature gives me. So many 4-hour, supposedly half-day trips could have been better if we’d just had some extra wiggle room. That’s why I don’t even discuss half days during the fall, winter and spring seasons. For 30 years, I’ve always counted a day as at least 6 hours. We always want to give it our best shot, right?