Help Me Help You

[freebird2]

Well this is going to be a differnt kind of post but the way I see it if you dont know you might as well ask. I am probably setting myself up for the firing squad here but any here goes nothing. It has been a very long time since I have paid money to go fishing on a Charter Boat. I see people get on & off my boat every week & never ask what would make this trip better so help me out here what do you expect from a Capt. - Mate etc. other than catching fish no one can make them bite but what can we do to make it more enjoyable when they dont?

[johnseafood]

As a mate you are the entertainment if your catching fish or not. You have to have fun and make jokes and keep everyone one their toes. If you can't do this you better be catching fish. I've jumped off boats, cracked jokes on the captain, heck we even throw fire crackers at each other.

Information is another big part of the trip, I always tell people what kind of rig I'm running and how I might change up the spread for different times of the day. Show them how to rig ballyhoo different ways and actually let them set the spread with their bait out there. When I do that I'll run it on the short rigger or the flat line so they can see how its running if its running right. Also this is perfect to watch when a fish comes up and takes their bait that they rigged. The look on their faces is priceless when they know they caught that fish because of them rigging the bait.

Let them do as much as they want in the pit. I like it when the charter wants to step up and help out. One it keeps the time rolling and two it gives them more experience.

The captain is another big part as to weither or not you catch fish. If he doesn't find the right water or isn't where the fish are then the mate better make up for that. When I go one other boats I hate to see a captain SITTING on te chair with the boat on auto pilot. Now what happens when the bridge pole gets hit, he can;t react fast enough to get to it and you lost a fish. A lazy captain thats just out there to collect a pay check is by far the worst thing ever. Your not going to make a lot of money in the business so your doing it because you love it so show it. Let people come up to the bridge and talk to you not all day but show them that you care.

Hope this is what your looking for

[frankypettolina]

I have not been a charter customer in quite some time either. I will be in March in CR, and October in AUS. I might be ablt to help you then.

I think as a professional crewmember, I will be going into the trips with a different outlook. I am more worried about being what the crews are looking for in a charter at this point.

I always stop and remind myself in the morning (especially on those mornings when I know it is going to be rough, or when fishing has been slow) that people do this for fun. They might only get to go once a year, and this is it, today. Put on the happy face and keep it fun.

I will be interested to see what regular charter customers have to say about this.

[gradywhite273]

from a consumers point , i believe our spencer hit the nail on the head, minus the firecracker thing, each customer is different, but i like to learn things, hear stories. the mate is the entertainer, if he keeps your attention, ( tough thing with my adhd, what were we talking about) the whole day works even without alot of fish. As far as what john said about the captain, imo, he is dead on, you look up on the bridge and the cap looks like he is about to take a siesta, definately gives me bad vibes.

my best charter was with deep, yah i wanted to meet the guy, but he entertained and taught, i couldn't believe how fast the day went. key is like any business,

good experience equals repeat customers. and they are the best customers to have.

[#1Gaffman]

Okay, in my opinion the main goal of every charter, is to keep the GUYS HAVING FUN..

When we are running a charter, i try to make the crews trip enjoyable, but also fun. Often times in the middle of the night when the bite isnt on and were chunking, we will see alot of squid swimming around, ill tell the crew hey guys we need to catch those squid to use as baits, i give them the net and sometimes they can occupy themselvs forever(even though we usually have a couple extra squids ). I just try to keep them happy and get them involved.

When were trolling, i show the guys how they cna help me, Clearing lines and such. I have found this will let them really feel apart of the action even if there not on the rod.

[JOE_DIRT]

I book quite a few trips per year. Everything from inshore to offshore. I intend to learn something everytime I go out. If the captain and mate are hung over from the night before and are cranky - they aren't going to be willing to teach you anything. Even if we catch a ton of fish, the trip will be half failure because I may not understand how we caught them. Also, I usually take a few people who have almost no experience with me, so if the crew is screaming at them all day because they didn't do something right and lost a fish, they aren't gonna want to come back. Even ol' Tred loses one every now and then.

[Squidnation]

I charter maybe 10-15 times a year. I just got off the phone with potential charter that I may take in April. The captain called to tell me he can't wait to get back down their and start fishing. He is chomping at the bit. He looked back in his book and said last year we did this and that during the time period you are considering. He went on and on about what we would be doing. SOLD - the first thing I look for is a recommendation from a friend that has chartered them. The second thing I look for is enthusiasm from the captain. If he isn't enthusiastic about selling his service I don't want to spend a day on the water with him.

Most of the points I read were dead on. I don't spend as much time on the bridge with the captain anymore but when I do I like to understand what is going on. A captain that acts or is bothered by questions should be hanging drywall or something that needs no social interaction.

Probably the biggest turn-off about chartering (and I have not experienced this since a trip to Oragon Inlet many years ago) is the know it all mate. PISS ON HIM, HIS TIP AND EVER HAVING ME RECOMMEND HIS CHARTER AGAIN.

A true professional mate knows how to banter with the charter and the captain without seeming rehersed. Joe Reilly (Muff Diver) and his mates come to mind. Those guys really seem like they are having fun when they are out their.

Understand the charter before hand if possible. I stepped on the Pescadora in Costa Rica this past December and capt Bob probably asked me more questions then I asked him. Not sure if he does this outside of tournaments but it sure was comforting that he was asking questions to be able to provide us with the best possible expereince.

Get excited right along with the crew. Especially if the kids are on board. Nicholas caught a barracuda on the Run-off a couple years ago. You would have thought it was a blue marlin the way Marty played it up for the boy. Made him proud of his accomplishment. a lesser mate may have shit on the fish.


You and Rick are two extremely personal people who love being on the water. That feeling and attitude reflect in how you guys go about conducting a day. Its a pleasure spending a day on the water with prefessional crew such as that on the Second to None. Good Luck and hope to see you guys this spring.

[gofshn]

Naked Dancing Girls?
onboard lottery worth 10 million to be paid out by Chuck?
Filet mignon and a course of sides!
every member of the charter gets a new truck from the chevy dealer!
a free 1000 kw red four-stroke generator as a parting gift at the end of the day! (shane, i still want that info by the way)

yep, that'll about do it. if these aren't possible just keep doing tha same as you are doing because these crazy ideas are probably the only way to make you any more of a top notch crew to charter than you are!

keep up the good work like you always do Shane and they will line up on the waterfront to fish on your boat.

[freebird2]

Thanks for the info but you always wonder what can I do to take it up a notch.

[Deep C]

For me... I see some appreciation on those slow days by the passengers by making them part of it all. I explain in detail what I'm doing every step of the way. I explain what I have done so far, why it should have worked and why possibly it didn't. I explain what will be my next move.
Make them feel part of everything. Explain the guages on the dash. Whats normal and whats not.
Point out those mundane things we take for granted. Flyers, turtles, different birds, etc. If I have kids aboard I kick up the excitement a notch. I try to keep "day savers" out. These little jigs catch small bonitos or other stuff that don't jump on the big stuff readily. Each little bonito or jack I make something special with an energetic "Wow!" and some high fives...
I guess in the end its about getting your desire to catch fish being greater than your passenger's across.