Ye Ole Pirate Fishing Charters

Sorry--cannot recommend it.My 10-year-old daughter and I went to Fernadina Beach for a few days of vacation. Deep sea fishing wise, we were flexible on days to go, times to go, and who to go with (just as long as the boat had a bathroom). Fishing-wise: 5 star day (caught over 2 dozen whiteys(?), 2 sea bass, a puffer fish, a sting ray, and few crabs). First mate Sam is an awesome guy--he was baiting the rods, and jumping around like a jack rabbit, especially later when the rain hit at the end of the charter.But the reason for the 1-star review isn't for the fishing, it's for Captain Steve himself [and if I could give him ZERO starts I would]. He feels the need to "school" his customers. I have gone fishing with charters before and we have ALWAYS given the crew shares of our catchings as part of our tip. They have always thanked us in gratitude. I received this e-mail from Captain Steve, an otherwise downer to a fantastic vacation:"In the future should you decide to book a trip anywhere in Florida, I would suggest you make reservations early so you have more choice on day of the week and time frame. Also for future reference (and I tell you this strictly fyi and not with any disrespect), the catch of the day is not considered a good tip. All charter fisherman get all the fish they need or want as most of them enjoy fishing and will fish on their days off if they need fish. It is kind of like giving your uneaten salad to your waitress in place of a tip. We do however appreciate the donations and generally give them to local old folks that can no longer fish for themselves or to non-profits for fund raisers."Ye Olde Pirate Fishing Charters is not the cheapest on the island, nor the most expensive. It cost me $475 for a 4-hour charter [and I hope Sam gets $400 of that since he is such a hard worker]. We tipped Sam $40 plus the crew took home over a dozen fish [we took a few to have for dinner at a local diner]. A tip should be seen as extra, not asked for numerous times. It appears that he is only out for the money. Should we ever find ourselves in this part of the country again, not likely, we will go with someone else. I suggest you do the same.

Capt Steve is a wonderful man and we had a great time fishing this morning. He took us to a few spots to ensure that we'd catch some fish and we did!!