How To Pick The Right Captain and the Right Charter
This page will help you to gain some insight into how to pick the right Captain and boat for your fishing excursion. It’s not really that hard, if you just look for a few things and ask a couple of easy questions. Knowing what to look for and what questions to ask will probably make your choice very easy.
Is your Captain a full time fisherman?
Most charter captains are part time fisherman who hold regular jobs and do this on the weekends or free days. Some are excellent fisherman, but quite honestly, being on the water every day offers advantages to full time captains that there simply is no substitute for.
You’re much more likely to get a competent and productive trip from a Captain who fishes full time.
I fish full time from April 1st until October 31st.
Does your Captain offer a guarantee to catch fish?
If he doesn’t, ask yourself “why not?”
I guarantee that you will catch fish, or I’ll have you back for free.
I have never had to give away a free trip.
We catch fish every day!
Does your Captain use a mate?
With autopilots as good as they are today, this is really not very important. This is your charter, and I want you to enjoy it as much as possible. Some Captains insist on doing everything themselves, except reeling in the fish, while you just watch. If that is what you want, that’s fine, but I get to catch fish every day. My goal is for you to get the most enjoyment out of your charter.
Are rates a good indication of quality?
Quite honestly, most times yes. The busier a Captain is, the more likely it is that his rates will be higher. Captains get that busy by providing clients with an excellent all around experience on the water. It’s not just about catching numbers of fish, it’s about making the whole day fun, and a part of that is the quality of the catch.
Although price isn’t always an indicator of quality of experience, it’s a pretty good guideline. You need to decide for yourself if price is the most important issue, or is it the quality that you are looking for. Getting a Captains license has nothing to do with fish catching ability or the quality of the experience you will have aboard that captains boat.
How long is your trip on the water?
Captains have different ways of assessing their times. Just because it says it is a six hour charter, the actual time you spend fishing may differ quite drastically.
Some captains start the clock while you are filling out licenses in the slip and then come back in time to clean fish before your 6 hours are up. Other captains start the clock when you pull out of the slip and arrive back at the slip at the end of 6 hours and then begin to clean fish after your 6 hours of fishing time are up.
Jackpot Fishing Charters spends the entire time of your charter on the water.
Your charter aboard the Jackpot begins when we leave the slip and ends when we pull back in the slip.
The time we spend filling out licenses and cleaning fish does not cut into your charter fishing time. These are done before and after, therefore you get the most fishing time available.
How important is the boat?
Although the boat isn’t as important as the captain, it’s still an integral part of your total fishing experience. The two most important aspects of a fishing boat are the size and the condition.
The size of the boat is relative to your comfort, it’s seaworthiness and space.Although boats under 32 feet can catch fish, and smaller groups of 4 or less may have enough room, they will generally bounce around a bit more and be less stable and comfortable.
The 33 to 35 foot class of fishing boats are considered the cream of the crop when it comes to comfort, stability, ride, and plenty of room to make your excursion the most enjoyable possible. The heavier the boat, called displacement in nautical terms, the better it will generally ride. Typical displacements for larger boats are 16,000 to 22,000 pounds.
Chris Craft boats like the Jackpot have been the benchmark for large sportfishing boats for over forty years – Unlike many charter boats which are pleasure boats modified for fishing.
The Jackpot was designed specifically for fishing, and to ride comfortably in all seas, at the speeds required for trolling.
The Jackpot has been completely refurbished, from all new electronics, auto-pilot, down-riggers, rods, reels, and tackle to being completely re-painted and re-powered with 2 brand new high output 5.7 liter engines. The Jackpot is actually in better condition, with superior equipment than the day she came from the factory.
All the equipment aboard the Jackpot is the absolute best that the marine industry has to offer.