How many people can you take fishing?
UP to 4 anglers on our Skeeter Bay Boats. These trips include our regular inshore, near-coastal and seasonal offshore fishing excursions. However, the more anglers on the boat, the more cramped the fishing becomes. I recommend 2 or 3 anglers for most of these fishing trips-especially the near-coastal snook, tripletail, tarpon, and offshore excursions.
The “Relaxed fishing/Eco tour trips” can have two adults and up to three young children The trip is usually reserved for Mom, Dad, and up to three kids small children under the age of 12. al snook/tarpon and offshore trips it is advised to try to stay with 2 to 3 anglers if possible.
The 17 foot “flats” skiff can only handle a maximum of 2 anglers plus the captain.
If you have a larger group, we can accommodate that with no problem. Captain Jim has a huge network of other skilled guides that he works with. Call Captain Jim to discuss at 321-636-3728 or drop an email to captjimross@cfl.rr.com
What can we fish for?
Captain Jim chases just about every type fo sport fish that swims along the Space Coast of Florida. On our inshore/flats trips speckled trout, redfish, snook, black drum, and juvenile tarpon can be targeted.
Near-Coastal trips target big snook, redfish, tripletail, sharks, sheepshead, pompano, whiting, jacks, flounder and tarpon.
Offshore trips usually consist of king mackerel, cobia, red snapper, flounder, bonito, barracuda, jacks, and sharks
Some of these species are “seasonal” so check with captain Jim as to what he has been catching on his recent trips, or what he expects to catch during the time period of your fishing excursion date.
Can we keep out catch?
Most of the time the answer is yes. You are more than welcome to keep your limit of fish that are within the legal Florida size and bag limits. However, Florida has very stringent limits on many of their gamefish species, so filling your cooler generally isn’t possible. Because of sporadic closures by the FWCC please contact captain Jim to see what can or can’t be harvested at the time of your fishing trip. If you have questions about which time of the year is best to chase a particular species Jim can answer that too. Please feel free to email or call for more details.
Will you clean our catch for us?
Absolutely! There is no additional charge for captain Jim to clean and bag your harvested catch.
Is there a bathroom on your boats?
No. Bu there are plenty of options to handle this issue. In many cases the fishing spots are close enough to a boat ramp with facilities and Jim can get you back to one of these in a timely manner. In the case of a #1 you can simply go over the side of the boat, or go in a bucket. In the case of a #2 Captain Jim prefers to get yo back to the dock in order to use the proper facilities.
Do we have to buy a fishing license?
No, Captain Jim purchases your fishing license for you while you are on his boat. This cost is included in the charter trip fee for every angler.
What is provided in the Charter Price?
- Captain Jim is a US Coast Guard licensed captain with over 40 years on the water. He has been a full-time charter fishing guide for just shy of 30 years on Florida’s east coast. Captain Jim has been guiding clients longer than many of his competitors have been out of diapers.
- Local expert captain with extensive knowledge of the various species inhabiting the Indian, Banana, and Mosquito lagoons and the near-coastal waters of Florida.
- Fishing licenses for up to 4 anglers
- Top quality fishing gear, tackle, live bait and artificial lures by some of the best companies.
- Ice Cooler for your food and drinks (1 to 2 angler parties)
- Fish cleaning and bagging for anglers that would like to invite some of their catches home for dinner.
What is a typical tip to leave for your Captain, and does he accept tips?
Absolutely! A usual tip for a fishing charter is 10 to 20%, just like one you would leave for your server at a restaurant or any other service related industry worker. Captain Jim is always appreciative of the tips his anglers leave him- so thank you in advance!
What should we bring?
- Polarized sunglasses- Usually an amber or copper color lens is preferred
- Polarized sunglasses- So that you can actually see the fish that your captain is asking you to cast at
- Polarized sunglasses- Just in case I forgot to mention it
- Hat- Baseball caps are fine
- Sunscreen- preferably not the spray type because it can damage the vinyl seats on Jim’s boat
- Footwear with a non-marking sole
- Cooler usually for 3 to 4 person parties.
- Plenty of non-caffeinated drinks- waters and sports drinks with electrolytes are great
- Motion sickness medication- usually only needed for near-coastal and offshore trips if you are prone to motion sickness. PLEASE start taking this medication as recommended on the day prior to your fishing trip. Swallowing your first dose as you’re walking down the dock doesn’t work and it will be coming back up relatively quickly.
What should we wear?
Summertime– anglers can wear board shorts or bikini’s to get a tan. During the May through September period you may also need a lightweight cover up to keep you from getting excessive amounts of sun. Technical vented and long sleeve shirts or light weight cotton are excellent choices.
Spring and Fall– Jackets or pullover hoodies and a pair of pull over pants are usually good option because winds chills of 5 to 10-degrees occurs while the boat is running to and from the fishing grounds.
Winter– Because of our high humidity the wind usually feels like its cutting through you while the boat is running from spot to spot. Dress for temperature that are 15 to 20-degrees colder than the air temp for that day. It’s better to have too much clothing on than not enough.
What is your Payment & Cancellation Policy?
- $100/day* deposit required to confirm a reservation, along with a 3.3% processing fee, when completed online using a credit card or debit card.
- ALL final payments for the balance due for your fishing trip are to be paid on the day of your booking. If the balance for your trip is paid by credit card the remainder of the amount due IS subject to online processing fees of 3.3%.
- All wreck, reef, and near-coastal trips can be converted to flats/inshore fishing trips of the same duration if sea conditions do not allow for our captains to SAFELY take your group out into the ocean. Discuss this with your captain. Or your captain can advise you on the morning of your reservation date if unexpected weather arises.
- Cancellation by the client within 5 DAYS of their scheduled trip WILL result in $100 cancellation fee, plus a 3.3% processing fee.
- Cancellation by the client within 48 HOURS of their scheduled trip WILL result in a 50% cancellation fee of your full charter price, plus a 3.3% credit card processing fee.
- There is NO COST to our clients for cancellation made BY YOUR CAPTAIN due to UNSAFE weather conditions on the morning of your reservation, or for any other reason at THE CAPTAINS’ sole discretion.
- HOWEVER, Wreck & Reef trips that are NOT converted to flats/inshore trips (due to safety concerns, or per customer request for an unforeseen extenuating circumstance) MUST be changed to an inshore fishing excursion, or rescheduled to a day sometime within the next 6-weeks for the deposit to apply. Non-compliance after this 6-week grace period WILL result in forfeiture of that days reservation deposit plus any applicable processing fees. Ask your captain for further details if you have any questions on this.
- All trip types that do not run to their full duration due to unsafe conditions, or ANY other reason as deemed by THE CAPTAIN, WILL BE prorated to the nearest hour for the balance due for the booking.
- Your captain is a professional at his line of work. He wants you to have an enjoyable experience while out on the water, and will do his best as a United States Coast Guard licensed captain to make that happen.
- Thank you for your understanding of our business policies.
