3 hour trip with Captain Robert
Well, the entire time we were on the water we heard that we didn’t spend enough money, he tried to get us to book a different trip as soon as he showed up from cleaning the last catch over a hundred he said… mind you, I had already booked our 3 hour inshore 2 weeks before the date. After we were on the boat it was time to get gas and ice. He kept talking about how much gas went up since the last fill. He took us out 3.5 miles as a “favor” bc he was late from cleaning the others fish… once we got out we dropped lines and my kids got 4 or 4 small fish that were not keepers and I caught 2 that were not keepers. Once I set into a big one he made snide comments about me not getting it into the boat. WE HAVE NOT FISHED SALTWATER BEFORE. We took out to trolled the rest of the way because that’s a good way to get a big one… we didn’t realize we were doing that all the way back. I understand there is NEVER a guarantee to catch anything at all but, to not even get one keeper felt “fishy”. My husband said something and I agree with him. He said that the captain had already cleaned 100’s of fish that once I hooked a big one it was time to move so he wouldn’t have to clean anymore. I’m not upset that we didn’t get to keep anything, I’m upset that the entire time we were on the water that the captain made us feel like we didn’t spend the right amount of money so we were not going to catch anything. Basically if you don’t want to hear about what you didn’t do right, book someone else. A weeks pay wasted with very little good memories. Upsetting.
Hello Ebboni! Expectations: You booked a 3hr Inshore Fishing trip (the smallest package we offer). When the Captain asked about your group's expectations for the trip, you were expecting the results of a 4-8hr Offshore Fishing trip, not the 3hr inshore (bay) fishing trip that you booked. So the Captain was not trying to emphasize that you "did not spend enough money." He was trying to make sure that you had the right expectations for the trip that you booked, and offer you the chance to change to a different package if you wanted to. You chose to keep your original package and you caught several small fish. Those are typical expectations for a 3hr Inshore trip. Lightening the Mood: We understand it's not always easy to reel in bigger/heavier fish, so if the customer has a bit of trouble doing so, the Captain tries to put them at ease by lightening the mood and trying to keep the trip fun and exciting! The Captain is a very personable, down-to-earth person, so we truly apologize if you mistook anything he said as a snide remark. Gas/Ice: Our charters have gas, ice and bait ready before each charter. However, please understand that we are required to use the fuel stations at the dock. So when the fuel stations are having issues/delays it unfortunately affects our fueling schedule as well (as it does with most other charters, this is out of our control). So the Captain offered to take you out into the Gulf (and remember you booked an Inshore trip which is fishing in the bay, NOT in the Gulf) to thank you for your understanding. And we apologize if you feel you didn't go out far enough into the Gulf, but with a 3hr trip, there are limitations to how far you can go. Additionally, it seems that you weren't too happy about trolling back in, but understand when you're fishing, every minute counts. Trolling on the way back in makes the most of your time and money. Cleaning Fish: The Captain will clean the keepers you catch. We NEVER leave a fish behind or purposely keep a fish from getting to the boat - that would not make much sense on our end as a fishing charter. Yes, he did clean a lot of fish on the previous trip but understand it would be TERRIBLE business practice to keep fish from getting to the boat. After all, our goal is to help you catch fish, like you did. All in All: Again we apologize that we did not meet your expectations. We are a laid-back Christian charter business, and our overall goal is to set the expectations, help you catch fish within those expectations, and show you a good time! - Flowing Water Support Team
