The Perfect Charter Client???

[Deep C]

Ok heres a thought... We're always talking about what makes a good charter boat or captain or what ever... Why not discuss a perfect charter client? I had a great one yesterday...

He booked well in advance. Willing to pay the asking price no matter what it was. I could have taken advantage of that but I cut him a sweet deal. He asked about alcohol policy and I told him the boat owner prefers to keep it at minimum. He shows up with water and minimal snacks. In the negotiating phase I told him I didn't have a regular mate and would need to dig one up. He requested to do that work himself...
Now I get a bunch of people that want to do that but need me to coach all the way. This guy helped do the shore power switch and did the dock lines and off we went. He asked few questions but all the ones he asked were the right ones...
We set down in heavy wind and he adjusted well as he set the spread where I wanted... He adjusted and stayed with it like a pro. Never turning around to talk his eyes were fixed on that spread. He could see fish comming and responded well.
On his game as an angler he needed no coaching or instruction as swatted fish after fish. Unable to every last thing I'd gaff and he had the box ready to open and close as I put the fish away. He not only fought the fish but even cleared other lines out of his way if a fish crossed. Between fish he rigged baits along side me with just as much skill as any mate you'll find.
He was able to switch from live to dead bait tactics in a blink. Able to adapt from J to circle and back smooth as silk. Came quitting time. We had a boat ful of fish but not his target specie. No complaint. I was running for the dock and heard scratching sound behind me. He was washing the pit and putting rigs away perfectly...
He grabbed the dock lines in right order in a very shitty current situation we had at the dock. I started cutting fish and he was right there with me. Skinning, cutting, bagging... He paid promptly and tipped very well...

So what do you think of a passenger like that?... Any more you could ask for or want? Lets hear it...

[Deep C]

Should have also mentioned that every tiime he went to eat or drink anything he offered to see if anyone else wanted anything... That to me is a signature of a truly thoughtful person...

So what do you think of a passenger like this?

He's always welcome on a boat I run ... What about you?

What would you look for in a passenger to make life good for you?

[neilinov]

I think the only better client than that would be one that walks down the dock in the morning hands you your money and steps off the boat saying "Have fun today boys the trip is on me!"

[Big Fish Billy]

In every walk of life there are professionals, you happened upon a professional customer and fisherman.

[deadbaiter]

He should fish for free.

[rarhomes]

I only chartered for 4 years back in the late 80's but I did have one customer I always enjoyed fishing with. He would book me once a week every week until he had to go away He lived in Miami Beach next to a Jewish Deli, man this guy would bring the food. Although he didn't help clean the boat and we never kept any fish (so no fish cleaning required), he was the best client a Capt. could ask for, a real pleasure to fish with and a good angler on top of that. He would even bring all his on tackle and lures. Clients like that make fishing fun, like fishing with your buddies and getting paid and tipped for it. You almost feel a little guilty. BUT,
on the other hand I would always go above and beyond for this guy and make sure every trip was something special. He really appreciated it too. I wonder how Marty's doing ?

[Deep C]

Oh I have had great charters... Regulars, experienced, inexperienced, I think for the most part my guests are really great... This giuy to me was stand out good though... Would you agree?

[rarhomes]

Oh I have had great charters... Regulars, experienced, inexperienced, I think for the most part my guests are really great... This giuy to me was stand out good though... Would you agree?

Absolutely, he is the kind of client you want, you CALL HIM UP and tell him when your open and the bite is on, hopefully you can build not only business relation but a friendship relation as well. People like that are hard to find.

[Deep C]

This guy gets seen on the site here now and them. I'll bet most people don't have a clue just how stand up this guy is as a person and a fisherman both...

[Reel Candy Sportfishing]

Wow, that is what makes me want to fish every day !!

On the flip side of that, listen to this horror story; I recently had a customer who haggled over the price of a half day charter in the Bahamas and really beat me up. He told me he wanted to take his son wahoo fishing over the Xmas holiday, so he hit a soft spot with me with the kid and family thing.
He told me he only had a certain amount of money to pay for the trip. I really wanted to accomodate the guy and the kid, but with the price of fuel in the islands, coupled with the fact that we were high speed-Wahoo fishing-which eats up the fuel- I told him I could do the trip for the amount he offered but the tip for the mate would also have to be paid by him. He agreed and the date was set.
I had to bring the boat to the island where his second home was located in the Islands, which of course was an additional fuel expense, in order to pick him up. He shows up late, with three extra people, for a total of 5 !

Ok, no biggie, roll with it and earn your pay.

Well, as anyone who has paid their dues on the water knows, it turned out to be one of those days. The wahoo just would not bite. We were coming up on a full moon and the bite just wasn't happening. The mate worked his tail off all day checking the lines for grass, switching out lures, colors, patterns, even putting out extra lines for maybe a shot at a dolphin or tuna, just to bend a rod and make this guy happy. Wasn't happening, no fish, no matter how hard we worked for this guy.
End of the day, he walks off the boat, no tip for the mate, no thank-you, nodda !! We get screwed !!
We wait a few days and e-mail the guy and ask what we could have done to make his day better, what could we have done, short of picking the winning lottery numbers for him, to have made him happy. His response ??
That our boat was TOO clean, that we didn't know how to wahoo fish and that we should have been pulling at least 2 teasers and had live bait out instead of high speed trolling with skirted lures. How do you respond to that ??
Well, we paid the mate ourselves, wished the customer a Happy New Year, and chalked that one up to experience. It just goes to show that sometimes, no matter how hard you work, it can still bite ya !! The bottom line is--this guy had no intention from the gitty-up, to tip the mate. I dont care if I caught him a world record.

The vast majority of clients understand the hard work that goes into making a day of offshore fishing enjoyable. This is the only horror story we have ever had with a nightmare client in a lot of years playing this game. I guess it was bound to happen.
Thank you to all of the charter customers that appreciate what they are paying for !!

Captain Kevin M. Deiter
Kevin@reelcandyfishing.com
www.reelcandyfishing.com