Set Em Up Fishing Charters

Well said! The last few months have been hard to work with weather and fish wise. But staying true to safety and experience is always goal #1!

The Gulf reminded us this week that fishing isn’t always about catching fish.

Over the last several days, we’ve cancelled trips because conditions simply weren’t what we felt our guests would enjoy.

Could we have gone?

In many cases, yes.

Experienced anglers can often handle fishing in 3-foot seas with a short wave period, and sometimes the fish even bite well in those conditions.

But when we’re making a weather decision, we aren’t just asking, “Can we fish?”

We’re asking, “Will this family have a good time?”

That matters to us.

Many of our guests are families, children, grandparents, first-time anglers, or folks who have been looking forward to this trip for months. We want them remembering the fish they caught, the dolphins they saw, the laughs they shared, and the memories they made together.

Every captain has to make their own weather calls, and we respect that. This is simply how we approach it.

We’re not selling fish.

We’re trying to provide an experience that makes people want to come back and do it again.

Sometimes the best decision a captain makes is leaving the dock.

Sometimes the best decision is staying tied to it.

We appreciate everyone’s patience this week and look forward to getting back offshore when conditions are right for our guests to enjoy the day.

Captain Troy

Excellent early morning trip with Justin, Legend, Violet, Jeff and Walker aka “Walkie-Talkie”.

Some serious variety! Black Drum, Speckled Trout, Redfish, Ladyfish, Jacks, Bonnethead, Catfish, sheepshead and Mangroves.

The young guns were so polite and patient!

You haven’t had smoked King Mackerel? Have you had Filet Mignon? Well It’s absolutely nothing like it.

Kingfish. Slimies. Mercury Missile. Whatever ya call em.

Known for their blistering runs on light line, aerial jumps upon eating a bait referred to as “skying” and willingness to travel Nearshore. It’s hard to frown when that reel starts singing.

While equally known for an oily filet they’re packed with nutrients. Much more than most other white meat species. This contributes to a heavier tasting fish.

1-2 Days after catching:

-Blacken and Fry (a nice sauce doesn’t hurt!)

Lil bit o butter, a hot skillet and some seasoning. Simple. Easy. Crowd pleaser.

Beer batter or a dry corn starch/flour combo is hard to beat.

-Pink Sauce:
Https://cookthestory.com/mari-rose-sauce/

-My favorite Blacken seasoning:
Paul Prudhomme’s Redfish Magic
https://www.magicseasoningblends.com/shop/seasonings/blackened-redfish-magic/

3-5 days after catching:

Fire up the smoker, 250* for 2.5 hours is easy enough. Brine or don’t. Your call. Either way it’s the only way to preserve your catch. Boasting a 50/50 edible meat to waste ratio you’ve likely got a bag of fish to use up.

-Smoked Kingfish (delicious but involved recipe)
https://www.floridasportfishing.com/recipes/smoked-kingfish-recipe/article_621372e5-824d-4fdc-974b-0bb2504fb216.html

-Fish Dip
https://2cookinmamas.com/savor-the-flavor-of-the-florida-keys/

It’s likely you’ll want to preserve your catch for a little bit of time. For most people it stops here. A batch of fish dip is it. But it doesn’t have to end there!

Not as known but King Mackerel freezes great after it’s been smoked! Of course it’s best to vacuum seal to maximize freezer time. I will pack and freeze about 8-12oz at a time.

5+ Days:
Once frozen it’s best to break out for batches of fish dip or fish cake sammiches.

-Basic Crab Cake
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/maryland-crab-cakes-with-quick-tartar-sauce.html

Fish cake sammich? That sounds gross. Nah dude it’s killer! Super simple. Take whatever crab cake recipe you like and replace the crab for smoked King Mackerel. I promise. It’s great. Hopefully this helps ya not waste your next Mackerel fish. 🎣🤙🙌

Kenzie managed to smile for the pic. Not so much the rest of the day…. Lil snotty this am but good bite of fish.

Going to let the dust settle and see where this ends up. I’ll be contacting each snapper trip in order of days booked. Trips towards the end of the season may take a couple days to get to. My achy breaky heart can only take so much.