Florida Fishing Charters

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Bounty Hunter Florida fishing charters offers light tackle and flyfishing trips on the premiere saltwater flats and backcountry waters of the Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Boca Grande, Bradenton, Sarasota and Tarpon Springs area of Florida. Enjoy a Florida fishing charter stalking GIANT tarpon, snook, redfish, trout and 20 other Florida tropical and sub-tropical fish, with IGFA world record breaker and tournament champion fishing guide, Capt. Robert McCue. From novice to expert, individual to family and groups, our Florida fishing charters offer enjoyment for all.

Choosing a Florida fishing guide or charter captain is a big decision and should not be based on advertising alone. This original site is designed to make your choice a little easier. We've kept all the bells and whistles off this FAQ page to make down loading and answering the questions people most often have fast and easy. For a more in depth look at our services simply follow the links starting at home.

Florida Fishing Charter

What We Are Not

We are not a virtual company doing business as a  brokerage or a booking agent for any and all people claiming to be/posing as a full time fishing guide in state of Florida for a commission, finders fee, or other similar "kick back". I do not work for hotels, resorts, marinas or other well established or long time fishing guide "services".

While I am a closely held corporation, there is only one major stockholder and employee-Capt. Robert McCue (that is me!). When you hire my company, or myself,  I am what you get. I do not play the game of "bait and switch" (attract your attention on my credentials and then pass you off to "someone" else).

On the occasions that I cannot personally accommodate you, I will offer you information on where else to inquire for other guides I have worked with or have known for decades. In many instances in the past 20 years, I have personally started some of the guides found on the Net or in some cases, even built their websites. However, there can only be one original. References are of similar fishing caliber, equipment, and persona. If I cannot help you with the services of these few individuals, I will simply state that I can not, unfortunately, help you per your request. In those cases, we invite you to try us again in the future.

My business is built on one thing. Reputation. I will not risk it for a commission, finder's fees, or "kick backs" with a "fly by night" or a "wanna be" guide. Whether the fish bite or not, it is my mission to give you what you pay for. That includes an honest attempt to make your expectations become reality with state of the art equipment, a pleasant personality and atmosphere for your enjoyment, and near two decades of full-time expert satisfaction.

How do I contact you?

We utilize call forwarding from our office to the captain's cell phone making us virtually and personally available to you even while we are on the water. As to be courteous and focused in our undivided attention to our guest while on a trip, we attempt to keep business brief while under hire. During periods of high call volume, your call will be forwarded to our voicemail system. You will not spend a day fishing with us with cell phone or "Nextel" call  interruptions. We will treat you equally as well and with the same respect. Naturally, there are times when we can not personally answer your call. We offer fully functional and reliable voice mail. We request that if you do not reach us personally, to please leave us a message that includes your daytime and evening phone numbers. All messages are promptly and personally returned. We are on United States Eastern Time or minus 5 hours Greenwich Mean Time. The country code for international calls to the United States is (01). We do not have a 'dedicated' fax line. However, we are able to send and recieve faxes, by request, immediatly follow a request made by phone or email.

We have tworedundant phone numbers to best serve you:    (727) 597-0957   (941) 404-6566

Email:   Capt.RobertMcCue@Gmail.com . We check our mail on a daily basis,However, we too use modern day 'apps' to recieve emails in real time from virtually any location.We strive to reply personally per your request in 'real time'. Please keep in mind that the Internet is subject to many variables including downed servers, software bugs, or possible "in house" situations. Our site is one of the oldest Florida fishing websites on the Net. That has given "spammers" plenty of time to acquire our electronic mailing address. We now use a "spam blocker" filter/software to separate legitimate mail from spam. Please put words relating to fishing in your subject line to be certain we do not accidentally overpass your message. If you have not received a reply on the same day, it is likely we are experiencing one of these type of pitfalls. In such cases, we apologize in advance for any delays and request you give us a call.

DEPOSITS & TERMS
A 50% deposit is required to hold your reservation. Deposit payment constitutes this Agreement as fully understood and agreed upon.. We do not accept credit cards at the boat.ALL TRIPS BOOKED INSIDE 90 DAYS ARE TO BE PAID IN FULL We accept Zelle, Venmo and CashApp. All PAYMENTS ARE FINAL.Deposits are refundable for inclement weather (declared by the captain) ONLY. Dates are held in good faith pending the receiving of the deposit when a date (s) has been verbally contracted for 5 days. With deposit confirmation, your date is protected per these terms. Jurisiction for any breach of the Agreement, by either partry, shall be Manatee County, Florida.

Your trip is private to your party and custom per the captain's lifelong knowledge on how best to make it successful. You must phone in the day or evening before your slated trip(s) to confirm the weather, departure location, start time and any other final details. While we have never personally been in the situation, please keep in mind that verbal contracts are valid in the state of Florida. We reserve the right to pursue breached contracts, court costs, and attorney fees at our discretion and when applicable. Please do not make reservations you are not sure you can keep. While we will always consider exceptions to this rule, "games" are not tolerated.

"Acts of God": 

Being that I am one person, with one boat and with fully booked seasons, events outside my control happen on rare occasion that prevent my personal availability. These events are rare but often without warning (just as in any small business or in life). In such events the following professional protocol will be followed as Bounty Hunter Sport Fishing Guide Service Inc. policy for "Acts of God".

• You will be contacted as soon as possible, most often by phone if communication has not yet been established. In situations where a phone call is not possible, you will be met at the designated meeting location and time of your trip by myself or someone acting on my behalf.
  
• Most often, I will have called another reputable guide to get your trip in on that scheduled date and time PRIOR to communication revolving around an "Act of God". I do this as a professional courtesy to be certain that the client can still fish if they elect. It is the client's right to accept the replacement or not. There is no penalty for you declining the offering of a replacement trip. If a replacement is not your elected option and or a re-schedule is not possible (either party), your deposit will be refunded without question or hesitation with our deepest regret.

Florida Fishing Charters

Where are you located?
True to our claim to find our clients the best in west central and southwest Florida inshore fishing...we are centrally located in-between Florida's largest natural estuary (Tampa Bay Estuary) and Florida's largest undeveloped estuary (Charlotte Harbor Estuary). We act as a "fish nomad" and travel from Homosassa to the north and Sanibel to the south, depending on where fishing is best for the species in quest. As of 2015, we have 28 years of continuous full time guiding experience in Homosassa, New Port Richey, Tarpon Springs, Clearwater, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice, Boca Grande, Port Charlotte, Captiva, Sanibel and Ft. Myers. We feel our central location and vast professional experience in these areas offers a uniqueness not truly found by any other guide on the gulf coast. This luxury also allows us to travel within that range for our  guests who are under restricted time constraints and to run our fishing charters where we feel the fishing will be best. Bottom line is---minimum running time... we do all the traveling on our time and before your fishing charter begins. Please see "Our Locations" here.

Success in catching many species is obtained by the use of live-scaled sardines. The bait itself was once the secret of commercial fisherman and guides, but not any longer. The bait is so effective! It has essentially created an entire new fishery; a complete community of "new" fishing guides, boats and tackle.

The only way to properly fish the "crickets" is to secure them fresh on a daily basis (seasonal availability) and in massive quantities. They cannot be bought. We start to collect them in the pre dawn darkness throwing a 12-foot cast net. While all bait is included in the trips and artificial baits can be stocked on the boat prior to departure, we must personally catch these live sardines and we do so as a service to our clients that is part of your trip.

Scaled sardines are premium baits and a fishery unto itself. Due in part to the length of time we have been fishing them, acquiring them in quality and quantity has earned us a reputation of excellence in this area. On the rare occasion where excessive time is spent acquiring them (i.e. over an hour) that time will be split evenly between us (the captain and the clients). Inside of that time allotment, we absorb the time catching your staple sardines. We are not and never have been "clock watchers". I do not believe fish (to include the baitfish) bite on a time clock. Our goal is to get the job done to your complete satisfaction within the scheduled amount of time. The sardines are a part of that equation in all aspects. Your guide is confident on fish locations and the sardines are your insurance policy to capture them. Sardines are "white magic" to our elite gamefishes, and we hope you will understand and appreciate how "making premium bait" is "made" for your fishing trip. Good things come to those with great bait!

For those who are interested, I can usually accommodate you if you wish to see how this is done and what exactly is involved during this daily ritual. This is often an advantage as we can start fishing directly from the bait location on the water. For the not so hardcore, in cases of larger parties or in unfavorable sea conditions in the area of bait, we will arrange a time to meet. This arranged time will allow me time for obtaining the minnows and/or according to your availability/ schedule.

Florida Fishing Charter

Do we need to be expert fishing people to fish with you?

Hardly! While we do specialize in the elite species and sometimes use advance techniques...we fish many novices. Families, kids and women are more than welcome. We are pleased to offer kind and friendly instruction. An open mind and the ability to follow a little advice is all that is needed. We use a mild mannered approach, and I am one who doesn't use the "barking" program. We are very well established. You catching each and every fish is not as important to us as you having a good time. We do appreciate being recognized for the opportunities we provide. Remember that no matter who or where you choose a fishing charter...nobody wants you to catch fish more than your fishing guide. Some of the elite species are difficult in that they are very temperamental or very strong. We suggest that when inquiring about a specific target, ask particular questions on what to expect in hunting and catching these species.

I get sea sick easy...are your waters often rough?
No. In fact the majority of our fishing is done in less than six feet of water and as shallow as a foot. Our fishing is nearly "weather proof" as we fish mostly protected water. We are rarely out of sight of land.

On our coast you need not go miles and miles offshore to catch big fish. Here, big fish live in skinny water.

Can I bring my own tackle?
Sure. We suggest that you express your intentions in advance so we can advise you if it is adequate. We provide and feature all top of the line tackle for your use. We take all responsibility for it during its proper use. We are not responsible for neglect and/ or abuse. All baits, lures and flies are too included. 

• We suggest you dress accordingly to the Florida fishing conditions.
  
• "Microfiber" materials are SPF rated and most comfortable clothing available. No, I do not recieve royalties from Columbia Sportswear. Yes, my sister is a corporate officer in Portland, Oregon. Through her, I first intrduced "micro fiber" to the area over a decade ago. Today, microfiber is very popular amoung the pros in the area. There are several spinoffs- all will surfice in a pinch. Option two is a 100% white or light colored cotton shirt. Long sleeve get's the nod from me as well.
  
• A long billed cap or a wide rim hat, to reduce glare off your face and the sun on your ears.
  
• Light colored soled tennis shoes or deck shoes (PLEASE... No black soled boots OR running shoes that are not labeled "non marking". No "flip-flops". )
  
• Polarized sunglasses (strongly suggested).
  
• Sunscreen with a SPF of at least 30. We find that the brand  "Neutrogena" works best in the marine environment (available in drug stores in Florida).
  
• Cameras and camcorders are welcome. Please take necessary measures to protect your electronics as we can not be responsible for them in the marine enviroment.
  
• Food and drink. Our coolers are pre-iced for you. We ask that you bring your nourishment to the boat in bags to condense with the boat's cooler. Beer and wine (or wine coolers) are accepted. Intoxication is not.

Do we need a Florida fishing license?
No. We purchase an annual umbrella fishing license that covers your party at no additional fee. Everything is covered in the charter fee, except food and drink.

Can we keep our catch?
You are welcome to keep whatever you wish under the state of Florida's strict guidelines. The guide's limit is not to be counted in the charters "bag limit". Most often...I release the fish that exceed the passenger limit. All tarpon are released except under special circumstances. In 2013, Florida made tarpon a 'catch and release only' species. the new Florida regulations may be viewed at www.MyFWC.com

How many people can you accommodate?
We can fish a maximum of four adults on one vessel and can accommodate a party of any size. We are very comfortable with two per vessel. When fly fishing we allow only one person to wave the wand at a time, unless we are fishing outside the boat wading (optional). Groups and large parties are accommodated by the means of multiple boats. Over the past few years this has become a favorite of those engaged in business meetings. We utilize a few hand picked fishing guides as partners. We work very closely together( via vhf radio/cellular phone) to insure equality of guest satisfaction. However, some like to put all the marbles on the table and compete in mini tournaments between the boats. This makes group charters  a great time, just remember to take it easy on the boss. 

There are so many Florida fishing guides listed on the NET, what should I look for?

Unfortunately, there are many ads on the Net that are in direct violation of the Federal Trade Commission's laws of  "truth-in-advertising". The best advise is to use common sense. Beware of claims like these top  favorites:

1. "Giant Tarpon" and other advertising deception/content rip-off
...we are one of the Internet's first Florida fishing charter sites. Many sites have illegally and/or unethically copied our content, slogans, layout and design. There is no short cut to becoming a well known, reputable and long-time established guide. As in all other professions, it does take a lifetime of dedication and hard work to become successful. Unfortunately, the Net leaves some room for those who are flying below the radar and passing themselves off as something they really are not. As when retaining any other professional service, read carefully, look for a long-time span of credentials, and lots of "non stock" images of big fish! We work hard at what we do and pride ourselves in original ideas that are unequaled. More often than not, similarities in content, layout, design etc are copies of the original "GiantTarpon.com" and the intellectual ideals of Capt. Robert McCue. Why fish in our prop wash when you can fish with us? Avoid sites that are not "fresh" or those that do not contain recently updated information.  Often this is a sign that this "guide" is not working the business. Good grammar and spelling are certain indications of ones that pay attention to detail. A good guide/hunter has a sharp memory and is constantly making mental observations. "Detail" is his middle name.            

2. Full time fishing guide and/or "fishing 250 days a year" (or similar number roughly equating to 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year)
...sometime during your trip you will find the truth to this claim, whether the fish are biting or not . Look for credentials, achievements, fresh website content and several quality fish photos throughout websites....if they got em' they will tell/show you. Trust me. Unfortunately, I can personally attest to several guides on the Net advertising "full time" who are actually policemen, land surveyors, fireman, software operators, painters, boat builders etc. If a cloaked individual has another career, how can they possibly be on the water 250 days (5 days a week) a year? Would you retain Sherlock Holmes as your neurosurgeon? A full time guide is looking to satisfy you so that you return and or spread the word to others. This is his true secret of success. A part time guide is looking for you to make his boat or mortgage payment this month and for someone else to do it for him next month.

3. "Winner of several fishing tournaments"
...really, which ones? Pro division or amateur? From a boat or a kayak? Adult World Records or "open" junior world records? Mom and pop events or accredited/sanctioned events? Elite species such as tarpon and snook are specialist. If that is what you are looking for, then a long tarpon tourney history is what you are looking for. Redfish/red drum are NOT tarpon! Verified specific tournament wins and IGFA World Records are important. A 'proven track record' gives you an idea on what to expect from a professional fishing guide. Fishing under tight rules, regulations and the same (and often difficult) fishing conditions is not easy, nor is any professional fishing..

4. "Born and raised here, native"
...great! How long have you been a full time fishing guide? How old are you? what other "careers" have you had or are you currently working? Even better yet, how long have you been fishing professionally? What year were you born? There is no substitution for experience!


5.  #1 Fishing Guide
...We know of 4 guides who claim #1 in Tampa Bay on their ads... how can 4 people be #1? The best fishing guides are almost always 1 thru 10. The "best" fishing guides are #1 in only one thing, consistency. Every day. Every week. Every year. Every decade. Their name is always "there" and they have a well established long following and on the water "network".

6. While researching, beware of fees below the "going rate"
This is often or a  a dead giveaway of a part time newbee guide that is not confident in competiting with long time pros, or his/her overhead is low due to them still "roommating" with thier parents. In the end...you may regret spending a few extra dollars (which is often the "going rate") on someone who knows what it costs to run a legal, full time & first class operation. As in other aspects of life...you get what you pay for. True full time guides are not receiving pensions from previous employment, are not stock brokers, police men, firemen,beneficiaries of million dollar trusts....looking to kill spare time, or have a full time jobs on land. Pro fishing guides are nothing more than glorified fish farmers that do not receive federal aid. Often these "services" seek "instant gratification" on your dream and dollar. They are quick to buy "sponsored links" or webpage mirroring software to copy code and get listed with the long time/well established guides who enjoy the "fruits of their labor" such as top search engine rankings achieved through their longevity in business and the Internet. As always, we see them come and we see them go.

7. You get the idea. There are some hoax fishing guides spamming the NET
get their credentials and ask questions. While none of these points should exclude a charter guide, hiring based on these spam merits is not suggested. Hiring a guide should not be based on advertisement alone, look for extensive photo catalogs and credentials that all point to long time Career Fishing Guide. We will put our guide services up against any of them. Whether you decide to fish with us or not.......please protect your hard earned money, your valued leisure time, our families and our trade. Our livelihood and being on your fish day in and day out depends on it. Thank You!

Please feel free to e-mail us, or give us a call. We are pleased to answer any questions about our Florida fishing charters and guide services on an individual basis.

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Last Update March 15, 2024
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