Capt. Dave’s Sport Fishing
WHY DO PRIVATE FISHING CHARTERS COST SO MUCH?
OCTOBER 10, 2026
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YOU’RE LOOKING TO GO FISHING. YOU HAVE NO LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, NO BOAT, NO TACKLE, BUT YOU HAVE THE TIME.
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 LAY OVER ON A WORK TRIP IN A TOWN YOU KNOW HAS, SALTWATER FISHING OPPORTUNITIES. SOMETHING YOU NEVER DID BEFORE. YOU'RE FROM MIDDLE INDIANA, CORN COUNTRY. ALL YOU KNOW IS POND BASS.
ON YOUR SMARTPHONE, YOU FIND RIGHT ON TOP OF GOOGLE ADS RUNNING, UNDER YOUR SEARCH, ‘’FISHING IN JACKSONVILLE'’.
YOU GO TO THAT WEBSITE. THERE’S 150 CHARTER BOATS LISTED. OR BECAUSE YOU ARE A TECH SAVY, 26 YEAR OLD. YOU ASK YOUR PHONES AI, ‘’I NEED A FISHING GUIDE ON SATURDAY, FIND ME ONE’’
I’LL BLUNTLY ANSWER THE TITLE TO THIS BLOG, STRAIGHT AWAY. ‘’WHY DO FISHING PRIVATE CHARTERS, GUIDES, CHARTER BOATS, WHAT EVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM, C-O-S-T SO MUCH?’’
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 JOCKY’S, 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 7AM!
SAME GOES FOR IF YOU ASK YOUR GEMINI GOOGLE AI, YOUR IPHONE SIRI, WHATEVER….
IT’S COSTING BIG $$$, EITHER WAY. TO THAT FISHING GUIDE, CHARTER BOAT. I KNOW THAT A ‘’GUY WITH A BOAT, SOME FISHING TACKLE, ETC.’’ IS NOT A REAL BUSINESS IN SOME PEOPLE’S MIND. (usually women, who know zero about fishing.) I CAN TELL VERY EASY. 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, WANT TO HAGGLE OVER PRICE. SOMETHING THEY DON’T DO AT WALMART OR THE GAS STATION.
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.
AS A 30 YEAR FULL-TIME FISHING GUIDE / CAPTAIN / CHARTER BOAT OPERATOR, IT’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 BUSINESS’, DRIVING PRICES HIGHER, AND MAKE WHAT USED TO BE A “PERSONALIZED SERVICE” INTO JUST LIKE GETTING A UBER DRIVER TO SHOW UP AT YOUR DOOR STEP.
I HAVEN’T EVEN COVERED THE COST OF THAT FISHING GUIDES/ CHARTER BOATS, TIME, TACKLE, BAIT, INSURANCES, LICENSING, FUEL. I EQUATE GOING ON A PRIVATE FISHING CHARTER AS THE SAME AS 18 HOLES AT A PRIVATE GOLF COURSE. YOU HAVE NO CLUBS, NO CADDY, NO GOLF CART. YOU MAYBE A DIE HARD GOLFER, PROBABLY NOT. BUT YOU LOVE IT. I SEE ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE IN IT.
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.
YOU MAY ONLY GO TO NON PUBLIC COURSES. FOR MANY REASONS. THE SAME REASON YOU MAY WANT A PRIVATE FISHING CHARTER. YOU, YOUR WIFE AND THE FISHING GUIDE. THE ONLY 3 PEOPLE ON THE BOAT. VERSUS A NON PRIVATE CHARTER WHERE THEY ONLY DEPART 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.
OF COURSE, I ALWAYS RECOMMEND CONTACTING A LOCAL FISHING GUIDE DIRECTLY.
A PHONE CALL IS BEST. BECAUSE YOU’LL BE SPENDING A WHOLE DAY WITH THEM. CHAT, GET TO KNOW THEM. YOU’LL BE ABLE TO GET A R-E-A-D ON THEIR EXPERIENCE.
VISIT THEIR WEBSITES, TAKE A LOOK AT VIDEOS AND PHOTOS. ESPECIALLY, SEE THE BOAT YOU’LL BE FISHING ON. IS IT AN OLD BEATER? OR DOES IT LOOK CLEAN AND VERY WELL MAINTAINED. ASK HOW OLD THE BOAT IS. THE BOAT CAN BE A REFLECTION OF THE TACKLE YOU’LL BE USING.
IS THERE FISHING ROOM ON THE BOAT FOR YOUR SIZE GROUP? ASK WHAT COMES WITH THE CHARTER. I GET ASKED ALL THE TIME IF I SUPPLY ‘’RODS AND REELS’’. WHICH I FIND KINDA FUNNY. “I DON’T WANT PEOPLE BRINGING THEIR OWN. BECAUSE ITS USUALLY THE WRONG TACKLE.”
THANKS FOR VIEWING MY BLOG POST:
https://captdaves.com/Blogs/
CAPT. DAVE’S SPORT FISHING:
https://captdaves.com
INSTAGRAM REPORTS:
https://www.instagram.com/captdavessportfishing/
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DEPARTING FROM: 4870 OCEAN ST. JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA USA